need to get out!

First of all, here's Meow:

She just wanted to pop in and get some cuddles. I mean, it is cold here. Seriously cold. Negative-double-digits cold, and THEN tack on the windchill.

I needed to take a vacation. Not able to have one, I took a mental one, and imagined myself packing my bags for someplace warm and exotic....

#7 (Go), 8x10" collage on cardboard

the cool bits in this are an envelope from the late 1800's, an illustration from a vintage children's book, and believe it or not, a vet's postcard! I'm feeling like this one's a little more unified. Yay!

the morning after

This weekend, my soul/r&b/funk band had it's first show in five months.

We practiced like crazy for this show, and it. was. bumpin'. We played at the bar until they turned the lights on and kicked us out! The crowd was into it and we just rode that energy wave ALL night. The next morning, I had to get up at quarter to seven to go to my other part time job. By the time I got home, I was starving! And tired. I needed a good clean energy boost. I saw a recipe for a fried egg & avocado pizza on pinterest, but mine has a little twist.

While I did use fresh avocado, I actually made my own guacamole. It was super easy. I sliced and pitted the avocado then scooped it out with a spoon and mashed it with a generous squirt of lemon juice and some sprinklings of garlic salt and onion powder. I even had some left after I spread it on my individual pizza crust (which I did pre-bake for warmth and crispiness). I'm fortunate enough to have a local grocery store with a very excellent deli, and they have fresh pico de gallo you can buy. It's worth it to not have to make it yourself, plus there's no preservatives. A sprinkling of cheese on my fried egg and there you go. I could've made my own crust but I wasn't going that far on four hours of sleep!

something old

This one, like it's olive-dream predecessor, had me stumped for about 4 months. It felt naked, unfinished. I was worried about "messing up" the old documents... an envelop from 1893, a photo from 1926, a schoolkid's handwriting book from the 30's or 40's.

#5 (no name at present) 11x14" collage on canvas board

I knew I wanted to use all originals for the sake of authenticity... In the end, I added a color reproduction of the "120" ticket stub, and the butterflies on the right and in the top left corner. Such small additions but it feels much more interesting, and balanced, without obscuring the original documents. I also knew I wanted this one to have a much cleaner feel to it, so everything is basically on a horizontal/vertical axis and I wasn't terribly concerned with filling every space of canvas. I framed it too!! 

The knitting is, sadly, falling far behind in my recent fervor to tear and glue paper. I do have a pair of socks in the works that I could share at some point. They were supposed to be mr. quotidian's Christmas present, but, oh well. I did make a "copycat" pair of fingerless gloves, though.

Disco and I were in Eddie Bauer and he really wanted these $25 gloves, and I basically told him that was ridiculous I could make them. And I did. Out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. I can't remember what needle I used but it's a basic fingerless pattern with a thumb gusset. The body pattern is one round knit, then the next round k1, p1. Of course, then he put them in the washer. And the dryer. *sigh*

postcard

I think this is my favorite one to date. It has surprisingly few elements but I had fun trying some new stuff, like burning the edges of the photo and, when that didn't turn out exactly as I wanted, inking them and adding some stamps and using some paper punches. Not an original photo, just a reproduction. I may still add a color photocopy of some knot-tying out of a manual from the 50's.

#8 (The Good Old Days) 4x6" collage on cardboard

I also made a trip to one of my local antique/thrift stores. Most likely chain thrifts wouldn't have stuff like this, or at least not around my town, but one of the antique stores has this whole great nook of envelopes, discarded documents, old photos, ticket stubs, ledger books, instruction manuals, any sort of ephemera. Today I bought someone's marriage license from 1938, and a liquor permit and ledger (about 2x3") from 1952. I think I walked out with 10 or so documents, cards, and other ephemera for $15. Mostly I'll use color copies instead of originals, until I feel more secure in what I'm attempting. 

Anyways, thanks for looking :)

no pictures today

Here's how the lay of the land works in me-ville. I have no cable. I have no internet. To write you, I must be in a place that has internet (i.e. not my house).

With me so far?

I take pictures on my phone. Incidentally, not a smart phone, but I can take pictures and email them to myself, so it sorta works. At present, I have not my phone (phone is at my house).

Still with me?

So, there will be no pictures today. However, I do have a small list of things that make me happy today.

1) Tomorrow is Saturday, the last day in my workweek. Yay, weekend!

2) I made an awesome brat topping the other night when I made dinner for my friend Disco and his roommate. I carmelized a sliced onion and cooked it down with some crushed pineapple and a few red pepper flakes. Mixed in a little barbecue sauce too, just because I could. Delish. 

3) I found out my fav, Nick Bantock:

          a) just came out with a new book, which I've already ordered, and

          b) now has an etsy store with art I could potentially afford. 

          c) He also has a workshop in Spain in September, but I doubt I could actually go. (I might also have a small psychological hang-up with being "worthy enough" to go, but I think that's slightly natural when one has the potential to meet one of their idols).

4) The vintage collage I've been working on actually turned out really well. Very clean. Some blank canvas space but I think that's ok, and appropriate for the piece.

5) This freaking awesome song.

So I've been digging around on the internet looking for collage inspiration, and I've noticed a few general trends: coherent "pictures" with altered perspectives, bits and pieces torn and placed together to make a coherent picture (like a mosaic), or completely abstract but thematically related pieces. If I had to pick a category I thought my current work went in, it would be none of them. Truth is, I feel like most of my pieces lack a coherent center, image, or direction. I just place things together that perchance may be thematically related in an arrangement that pleases me, but they feel, as of yet, very scattered and unfocused. 

I think I might try forcing myself to work smaller for awhile and see if I can't rein myself in a little.  :)

something yummy, and a little something crafty

Mmm... Ratatouille. You know, I'm surprised that since I a) love cooking so much and b) love kids movies so much, that I don't actually own Pixar's Ratatouille. I had always been curious to make one, though. Note: NOT authentic. This is FAKE ratatouille of my own (and the movie's) inspiration.

What you see here is thinly sliced baby red potatoes, roma tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash in the bowls. in the pan is two layers of veggies on top of a homemade roasted red pepper sauce (four ingredients: red pepper, red wine, tomato paste, and garlic), on top of sauteed onions.

I can see why some would call it a peasant dish. And, just coincidentally, it's vegan, though I am not. I literally made this for less than ten bucks (okay, maybe if you don't count the wine... but you could make a red pepper sauce without wine). Aren't they pretty?

Here they are, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with Herbes du Provence (I think I spelled that wrong) and ready to be roasted for half an hour in the oven.

The verdict from both me and mr. quotidian was "un-objectionably tasty." It was fine. Super pretty, tasted like fresh veggies. So let's weigh the pros and cons here. Pros: super cheap, super fresh, super healthy and leaves you feeling satisfied without feeling like you have to loosen your belt. Cons? The homemade sauce wasn't really worth the effort, and a mandolin slicer would totally have helped expedite the whole vegetable thing. Please use really sharp knives or you'll have a rough time with those veggies.

And here's a little crafty gem for today: #6, (8-10-12) 2.5x3.5" collage on cardboard

Layered sewing patterns, dry cleaning tags, and other notions and ephemera. What I love about these little guys (they're the size of a playing card!) is they work up FAST, once you know what you want to do. What I find still challenging about them is having something to SAY in such a little space, either thematically or metaphorically. I guess sometimes it's just about a pleasing arrangement of color and objects. I had about two hours before work and had this one kind of simmering in my noggin last night.

A few things to get us started

First of all, here's Meow:

She's never met a person (or a box) she doesn't like. She'll be in your lap the minute you sit down, trying to either head boop you or give you nosies. That's my girl!

I realized a long time ago that "blank canvas"-type projects aren't my thing. Sure, I guess you could argue that all projects start as a blank slate, and I suppose on some level that's true for everything. A pair of socks starts out as a ball of string. What I'm getting at is that while I may draw, paint, or sculpt better than your average preschooler, "better-than-your-average-preschooler" is about as good as it gets. I discovered I was always much better at taking existing elements and manipulating them into configurations I liked (see: ball of string into socks). Collage, then, is right up my alley. I got my first real taste of it reading the Griffin & Sabine series by Nick Bantok, then I went on a stint for a few years making and trading ATC's.

Now, I find myself much more drawn to vintage ephemera, like this piece of a postcard from 1910.

I find myself picking up odd scraps of paper here, there, and everywhere; from the wrapper for my chopsticks to an antique car parts catalogue to a pop-art book I grabbed for 10 cents at my local thrift store. Free magazines and newspapers are always game. The piece below is a mix of antique and contemporary ephemera, and every piece is original (meaning nothing was photocopied). I also used watercolor and crayons.

#4 (Last Night, I Dreamt You were an Olive) 8x10" collage on canvas board

As of yet, I have not placed a topcoat on this one. I'm not certain I'm finished with it yet. I see all these "collage a day" blogs/websites and I just can't get behind it; I can't just slap things on there and let them be! I started this one four months ago, but hit a dead end. Couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with it. I think I was too afraid of "ruining" my first steps, but now I'm glad I added the little surrealist touches.