A good image: worth a thousand words

As you know, I try to scan every collage - even the small collage tags - into the archive. They are scanned at a super-high resolution - usually 800 dpi and above. Some say that's overkill, but the resulting prints are beautiful, and true to the originals. Well, as true as they can be, given that they're flat - not layered.

However, sometimes, a deadline looms, and there's not time to have pieces scanned. This wasn't a problem until recently, when I began making collages larger than the 9"x12" size my scanner accommodates.

Of course, I tell myself it will never happen again, then, gulp, it does. Usually, it takes a few days to get an image scanned. I hope to build that into my deadlines in the future.

You might ask, how about a photograph? Well, that works fine for some art, but in my experience, photographs don't capture the nuances of the antique engravings that are often part of my work.

Below are examples of three collages that were scanned recently, and the images of them that were posted before the scans. The collages were framed at this point, so they had to be removed from the frames. Happily, my framer put them back together at no additional charge, one benefit of establishing a strong, working relationship with her.

The Grand Tour: Bird's Eye view - scanned

In the photo, the entire image is washed out, especially the map.
It's missing small, last-minute changes, because I didn't have my camera
at the studio. I now keep it there, because even a so-so photo
is better than not having any image of a finished piece.

The Grand Tour: Riding the Waves - scanned

Note how much more detailed the clothing is in the scanned image. As in the previous
piece, the photo's minus work done after it was shot. The perspective's off, too,
which is kind of cool but doesn't reflect reality. And to think that I was so desperate
to post the image, that I did. Mea culpa.

The Grand Tour: Wild Things - scanned

  

You know what I am going to say, the difference between
the two is that obvious!

Then and now: the studio one year later

Last April, I published a post about the new, spacious studio I had moved into at Brazee Street Studios in Oakley. At that point, I'd been at Brazee for a year in a smallish studio on the second floor. I loved it and enjoyed the company of the other artists on the floor. But when a bigger studio on the first floor opened, I jumped at the chance to move.

The photos from then show an organized, neat space. Well, as the saying goes: what a difference a year makes. Here's a look at it now ...

Looking toward the back. 

Another view of front "counter" and card racks.   

A chandelier-like ornament hanger appropriated for the "Fit to be Tied" collages tags.

Small gallery of food-themed collages to the left of the doors. The pedestal holds
a guest book for visitors to sign up for my snail mail and/or e-mail lists.

Another view toward the back, showing a card rack waiting to be restocked - which happened
 earlier in the month, before the first Open Studio of the year. In front of it: "Stuff I Can't Bear to Cut Up"
print rack, with 1932-33 Fortune magazine covers that are so beautiful they should be framed and
hung as - not used in collages. I had them matted to fit ready-made frames.

The "lounge" area, one of my favorite spots. It's nice to have a space to sit and talk
 to friends/visitors/clients. A few months after moving, I found narrow, real wood bookcases 
at IKEA that fit the niche perfectly. The view is toward the front of the studio, an open space
 that is the "gallery." 

View from my work tables looking toward the front of the studio. Part of the growing stash
is on the right. I added one more of the large, wire shelving units after the move.

Tools - within a hand's reach on a work table.

A wire, rolling bin - from The Container Store - was added for larger, rolled paper. 
On my wish list: a flat file, which is where larger paper should be stored
so that, yes, it remains flat.

An extra card rack holds larger mats that I use as "framing" devices when making a collage. 
Rolled maps on the wood drawing table. The small cart on the left holds
 prints waiting to be matted for the "Stuff I Can't Bear to Cut Up" bin, 
as well as cleaning supplies (in the black box).  

Framed collages waiting to be delivered to Cincinnati's 1305 Gallery. The show 
ended Sunday, and a number of these are back in the studio. 
Hope to have them hung - not sitting on the floor - within a few days.  

More yumminess ...

© Classic 14 Layer Marble Cake

$175

mixed-media collage by Sara Pearce

Original antique trade card and color charts (Textbook of Art Education: Book Six, Prang, 1904); 

vintage blueprint (Engineering Dept., The King Machine Tool Co., 1947); 

recycled hand- and machine-printed marbled paper; fluid chalk, acrylic paint, ink; 

acrylic sealer & varnish; hardwood panel. 12"x12"x1" (2013)

Having more yummy fun related to the birthday/anniversary celebration of Cincinnati's BonBonerie Bakery. A birthday exhibit opens 8-11 p.m. Friday (April 12) in the bakery's cafe. 

I created a trio of cakes for the show. The first two are purely decorative, a departure for me. But as I said in a Facebook post, there are times when you have to give into your inner sugar. The third one, has a story behind it. 

All are on Ampersand's cradled Claybord panels, which have a hardwood base. The wood sides are varnished with a clear varnish to let the wood show. I like that look. Since they'll hang as is - no protective framing - each is sealed with multiple layers of Mod Podge's Hard Coat (which is not sticky when it dries).

The wedding cake - made up of layers of Victorian needlework engravings - also has piles of Victorian scraps in wonderfully muted colors. Most were a gift from my friend Shirley Tenhover, who I am sure will appreciate how they have been used. She is a former cooking teacher and restaurant consultant. 

© Love's Offering

$175

mixed-media collage by Sara Pearce. 

Original antique embroidery engravings (Godey's Lady's Book, Feb. 1858, April 1859, March 1860,
Jan. 1864,  Feb. 1865; Peterson's, Jan. 1862, July, 1868, April 1870, Nov. 1873, April 1880; 
Delineator, April 1891) and scraps; recycled wrapping paper; image transfers; fluid chalk, acrylic paint, ink; 
acrylic sealer & varnish;  hardwood panel. 12"x12"x1"   (2013)

The Beginning of the End:

Eve Offers Adam a Piece of Fruitcake

$175

mixed-media collage by Sara Pearce.

Original vintage prints and scraps (Treasures of Venice, 1963; Great Prints and Printmakers, 1967);

recycled wrapping papers; fluid chalk, marker, ink; acrylic sealer & varnish; hardwood panel.

12"x12"x1"  (2013)

Delicious fun

A few months ago, I was asked by Sharon Butler, a local bakery owner, to create a postcard for the bakery's 30th anniversary. The Bonbonerie is not just any Cincinnati bakery. It is one of the best. In fact, it was just won the top spot for best bakery, best dessert and best wedding cake in Cincinnati CityBeat's annual "Best of ..." issue.

In addition to its wonderful basked goods, the bakery, cafe, and tea room are infused with a sense of whimsy. Colorful art. Fun collections of cake stands, tea pots, and more. Mismatched furniture. It's cozy, yet hip.

Sharon wanted the postcard to show two girls. "Tiny bakers" is what she called them. After scouring my archive, I turned up the wonderful photo above ... and went to town. I could have made physical collages, but there were digital techniques I wanted to try. And I had to create more than one card, to give them a choice, which meant duplicating the original photo.

Well, I got carried away. To say the least. I ended up developing a series of 4 postcards.

Each card featured the girls from the antique photo. But Sharon thought they looked like sisters, which she and her co-owner Mary Pat Pace are not. She hit on the idea of subbing the heads with childhood pictures of her and Mary Pat. We ran into immediate problems. The first photos - 1950s era snapshots - were too blurry. The second photos - school pictures - were better. But in Sharon's photo, she was too old (5th grade).  After much tweaking, Sharon's photo (she's on the left) was in printable shape.    

I pulled images from my archive to add to the cards. And experimented with various filters and layering styles in Photoshop. For example, on the cakes behind them, above, I used color overlays, gradient overlays and pattern overlays. I hadn't used any of these in a long time and it gave me a much clearer understanding of how a lot of the digital collage work I've been seeing is accomplished, especially greeting cards.

I also played with type, learning how to manipulate it and add drop-shadow effects - though I still have a long way to go. And I messed around with the various ways to transform images in order to make them the desired shape. The party hats and horns, for example, were resized and skewed.  

For the final postcard, I dropped out the original background and substituted the pattern from the bakery's box - which I had scanned - for it. It became vivid wallpaper. I had also scanned the bakery business card and took the logo to make a "sign" on the wall, as well as pins on the girls' dresses. Then, I slipped the card into Sharon's hand. Later, she requested that I turn the card into an invitation. So, I went back in and erased the original type, substituting the text she wanted.

In addition to becoming a postcard, the final design was made into a poster in a few different sizes. This one is at the entrance to the bakery, with others hanging inside, as well as in the cafe. Kinda fun to walk up and see my work!  

To the rescue ...

I find that the final piece for a show can be the most problematic. Maybe it's burn out. My mind gets kind of fuzzy, and I can't make decisions. I was determined to include a ballooning piece in the RolePlay exhibit that opens later this month. It's a nod to my late brother, David, who was a balloonist. (Though I should add that he never had to be rescued.) It was coming together fairly well, but didn't feel right.

Sometimes, a stroll around the work table pays off. Looking at a piece sideways or upside down can help me see it more clearly. If that makes sense?! Earlier, it lead to moving the watercolor sections from the top of the collage to the bottom as a way of grounding it, and providing a horizon.

Another stroll, and the collage became a vertical. Aha! Even though I liked, liked, liked it, I let it sit overnight. 

When I returned to the studio Thursday morning, I changed my mind again. Back came the original horizontal version. There are many other changes, too. It's so much fun when it reaches the point of embellishment. It's similar to when the prep work for a meal is complete and you can - finally - get to cooking and playing around. 

The woman in front was added - she pops out courtesy of black foam core board behind her. More rescue tools were glued down, including some ridiculous ones. And the misguided mister is now losing his hat, too.

One thing left to do: name it!