drum roll please!..... she wrote, smiling exhaustedly,
long days and nights in the studio and even dreaming about making art has me
quite tired. you would think that after 8 pieces, I would be finished,
but I have lots of new ideas and I think I will continue making work
in this series.
above is the detail of the post card piece so you can see the little door,
it has a magnetic clasp.
it was a wonderful find and looks much better painted brown...
I will give you the dimensions, title and the tour today includes little narratives that I created for each piece...
I think I will start at the end, with ...
the smallest piece titled Post Script 5x61/2 is in a vintage Florentine frame. the tin is hand cut and the flames are repousse' that I made from decorative tin... the post script is so important to any letter, because it is that final important bit that was forgotten and
it is shows a reluctance to end the communication.
the tiny scrolled words are an actual post script cut from a letter and wonderfully illegible!
Spending a Few Days in Paris, 8x10 is a heart tin suspended between the frame and the canvas as a shadow box. the tin was painted and soaked, repainted and collaged with bits of text about letter writing, the transfer is on canvas and it is stitched to muslin. the chains and charms are vintage and have been soaked and aged and stitched to the tin.
in this piece I wanted to capture the wonder and dreamy excitement one feels when traveling to a new place for the first time and writing about the trip before it has even begun... the collaged script on her forehead is from a post card and reads, "I think I will be spending a few days in Paris"...
Ladies Hand is 8x10 and the frame itself is free standing, but I also wired the back so it can hang on the wall. the transfer is on fine linen, hands folding a letter, the antique script in the back from the Graphics Fairy, the bits of word are antique from piano scrolls and all the bits are vintage or antique
my narrative for this piece is simply about two people separated by miles and dreaming of being together again...
the next two pieces are companion pieces. the frames and mats are all upcycled and I had to re-gild and stain the frames because, well... they needed it!
I will start by apologizing for the glare... we had quite the sunny day yesterday. these tins are from a heart ornament that I found, split open, rusted and pounded flat.
here is a detail of the piece above titled, #10 they are both 11x14 the back grounds are the same antique piece of paper treated differently. the hearts are both rough linen. the transfer is on fine linen and the words are skins that made from an antique post card
in the tiny czech pendant, I placed an antique french stamp so the # 10 was the focal point, the house number of her lover and the same price of the stamp...
Compose, above, this piece was inspired by my grandparents who came from Italy. their relationship was an arranged marriage. my grandfather was a peasant, my grandmother was a lady. the words, peasant poet was found on a piano roll and I stitched them on the heart. I imagine her reading the sonnets written by her peasant, poet, love.
most of the pieces included the "stitched heart nests" holding a transfered image that was integral to the story of the narrative, but the one below is
a simple tin nicho embedded in a canvas.
this spring I will be teaching these classes on line: transfers and nichos and I hope you will be looking forward to it...
The Letter, 8x10 would be pretty obvious, except that it is about two friends and the correspondence between them during a difficult time. in my story she is re reading the letter and is pensive about her response.
the transfer on canvas in the tin is actually two transfers on top of each other.
this last piece is a found wood shrine, I sanded it and papered it with antique images
and letters. the title is, Wish You Were Here, it measures 10x11 open and 10x51/2 closed.
when I found the vintage photo, I immediately saw a story about 3 sisters, the oldest sister in the background, left at home, was reading the letter sent by the younger two travelers. it reminded me of that ubiquitous saying, "having a wonderful time, wish you were here." to me this piece is about the sacrifices that we sometimes make in families for a higher ideal.
this story is really about the sister left at home.
below, the outside doors and carved wood closure.
I would like to rest now, but my journal group meets tomorrow and all I have to show for myself is the new crumbly journal and the plans in my head for it.
I wish you could all be here in person, what fun we would have together tonite!
so, gentle readers, my tour is ended, have a wonderful weekend...
ciao, ciao!
