Works in progress ... or fait accompli?

Working title: Julia Had A Certain Spring in Her Step 

Working title: Hope

In early February, I was asked by Cincinnati artists Paula Wiggins and Kay Hurley if I would donate two small artworks - 5x7s - to help raise money for the Jamie Osher Memorial Fund. The fund was created a few years ago in memory of Paula's husband, who died from esophageal cancer. Proceeds go to education and research into the disease.

There is an annual event and as Paula puts it, it has "always centered on art, because that is what we love." The pieces will hang on a "Wall of Hope" during the fundraiser April 26 at Art Design Consultants, downtown. Each piece will sell for the same price: $75.

Of course, I said "yes." These are the collages I'm working on, which may be done but then again, maybe not. It seems that Julia could benefit from splashes of the blue in her hat in other spots. Also under consideration: adding gold leaf to "Hope," which has touches of gold - streaks in her hair, dots on the rays - that are hard t detect here. I'd forgotten about the "Wall of Hope" and titled her "Hope." Now, that's being rethought.

I'll post more details about the event as soon as I have them. Oh, and I'll post the final pieces, too!

Out On A Limb: 20

© Out On A Limb: 20 (2012)

mixed-media collage: antique illustration

 (Birds of New York, Vol. 2, New York State Museum, 1914);

 recycled catalog covers and wrapping paper; watercolor; ink; marker; 

acrylic sealer; acrylic varnish. 6" x 6" on birch panel. $85 (SOLD)

Talk about a struggle. Aieeee. The stormy main section of the background was created with the intention of using another pair of birds - one color, one black-and-white - and some text. I cut, repositioned, painted, cut some more, colored, repositioned again. But it wasn't working. So I set it aside and continued other collages in the series.

Then, I came across these cool falcons perched on rocks. Perfect. After additional background layers and a fair amount of painting on both the rocks and feathers, it was finished. The absence of leaves and trees makes it a departure from the rest of the series - and although it is numbered 20, it was completed after 24.

Shout-outs from CityBeat & Aeqai

© The Grand Tour: One Small Step (2012)

mixed-media collage: hand-painted fashion plate (Godey's Lady's Book, Dec. 1842); 

antique maps (Guyot's Physical Geography, Scribner's, 1872;
Natural Advanced Geography, American Book Co., 1901);

 vintage illustrations (Whole Earth Catalog back cover, fall 1969; 

Harter's Picture Archive, Dover, 1978); watercolor; ink.
 8" x 11" on archival mat board. Framed. Price: $185. (SOLD)

I've been in Philly for a few days now visiting family and friends - and just found some time to catch up on things, including last week's issue of CityBeat and the March edition of Aeqai. Both include flattering - whew - reviews of Expecting to Fly.

"In Expecting to Fly, on view at 5th Street Gallery downtown, Pearce’s whimsical worlds do not disappoint," writes Alan Pocaro in CityBeat. "The mischievous characters that inhabit her small-scale works are always clever but never cloying. In addition to the many series’ curious juxtapositions and sheer visual delight, Pearce’s labels catalog the intriguing origins of her disparate source materials, a herculean task in its own right.

"A quick first take on Sara Pearce’s Expecting to Fly at 5^th Street Gallery downtown shows her a words person as well as a visual artist," says Jane Durrell in Aeqai. "And no wonder; words were her trade during her Cincinnati Enquirer years, when she reported on restaurants, books, sometimes visual arts, and was a features editor. What collages require, however, is a good eye; Pearce has it. If word play is essential in the way she shapes her work, it should be said that her words are sharp, funny and slyly pointed."

I hope you get a chance to stop by the gallery to see the show, which is on view through Saturday April 7. Oh, by the way I'll be there 2-6 p.m. on Saturday March 31 and would love to tell you more about the work - and the papers used to make it!
 

Mad Women: The Gloves Were Off

© Mad Women: The Gloves Were Off (2012)

mixed-media collage: vintage illustrations (McCall's Pattern Book, March 1946;

Butterick Pattern Book, Fall 1953; Picture Sourcebook, Dover, 1974), 

vintage Deutsche Bank calendar (1958), recycled ads and flash card, ink.

 5.75" x 9.25" on archival mat board. Framed with conservation glass.
(SOLD) 

This came about in a more random way than many of my collages. The woman was cut-out to use with a 1950s wallpaper sample background whose pattern I found to be too busy. So, the hunt began for a better background. It took a lot of rummaging before landing on the calendar, which was snapped up at a used book sale for the graphics above the calendar (beautifully printed, stained-glass images from German churches). It wasn't until I looked at it again last week that I realized the year was 1958 - perfect for "Mad Women."

The gloves and "hot" are from advertisements received in the mail. At first, I thought I'd use black & white gloves, but these have more punch. The screw/bolt digs into a block from a flash card set that was a last-minute addition, because I was determined to have her leaning on that screw even though it wasn't long enough.

Originally, she was holding the apron, too - not the knives, scissors, etc. - but when I spotted them, I decided to have her wear the apron instead. Finally, she was tilted a bit to really give the appearance of leaning but also to add a bit of a diagonal to the vertical composition.

Still tweaking

Autumn's Arrival Gave Venus the Perfect Excuse to Cover Up
Before

After: Venus - Emboldened - Finds the Courage to Cover Up
5"x5" - matted and framed to 8"x11"

So, this is what happens when you move your studio, finish work for a few shows and aren't ready to start new work, because you will be out of town for a week: you keep tweaking the old stuff. Well, at least that's what I am up to as I sort things in the studio.

These are simple changes - a caption and title change on Venus that has her taking charge. In the first collage, she was kind of passive. Of course, the caption also elevates the humor.

"Help!" was also retitled - too timid - and the text on the bottom right was covered. Looking at it again, it occurred to me that the phrase wasn't advice like the other text. "Be Zen" struck me as hilarious. So, in it went.

Help!
Before

After: Lettie - Knee Deep in Advice - Stops Listening

5"x5" - matted and framed to 8"x11"

Out On A Limb: 24

© Out on A Limb: 24 (2012)
mixed-media collage: recycled wallpaper sample & publishers catalog;
vintage John J. Audubon calendar illustration (1990); ink; chalk; acrylic sealer;
acrylic varnish. 6" x 6" on birch panel. $85 (SOLD) 

Hmmm. It may be time to stop numbering these and write real titles. In any case, it looks like the series will go on for some time. I am enjoying making these and coming up with new versions of the black & white/color bird combo.

As usual, this changed a few times - mainly the birds behind the cage. What I really like about it - beyond the striking color combination - are the three layers of birds and how they echo one another.

The Grand Tour: high-wire shenanigans

©The Grand Tour: Marie, Honore and Lily Were Ignored by Their Travelmates
But the Venetians Were Enthralled (2012)
mixed-media collage: antique illustrations (The Delineator, Dec. 1895, Sept. 1903, Oct. 1904)
and engineering engraving; vintage illustration (Picture Sourcebook, Dover, 1978);
recycled greeting card, book endpaper, circus exhibition poster and catalog;
 watercolor; ink. 11.5" x 8.5" on archival mat board.  Framed with conservation glass.
(Sold)

I knew from the outset that one of the new The Grand Tour collages would have at least one woman walking a high wire - just not who or where. Well, Venice's St. Mark's Square seemed a natural. After all, no Grand Tour could be called complete without a stop in Venice.

The original illustration included the sky, the plaza floor and more people. I cut those out, saved the tiny people to cut out and reinsert later, replaced the sky with an engineering engraving and the plaza with end papers fittingly decorated with lions - Venice's mascot.

The hoops - recycled from a pop-up, greeting card I received - came into play after scouring my stash for a sun or something astronomical to place in the sky. I liked that the blue hoops were decorated with stars and that the golden one's measurements complement the engineering engraving. The hoops also draw attention to the trio, who are close in size to the figures in the foreground who are so pointedly ignoring them.

Out On A Limb: 19

© Out On A Limb: 19 (2012)
mixed-media collage: antique and vintage illustrations
(The Chatterbox, 1899; Audubon calendar, 1990); recycled
glass catalog; chalk; watercolor; ink; acrylic sealer, acrylic varnish.
 6" x 6" on claybord/hardwood panel. Price: $75. (SOLD)

I noted earlier that I've begun making slightly larger Out On A Limb collages - 6"x6" vs. 5"x5" - which doesn't sound like much of a change, but it's amazing what difference an inch all around can make.

This is one of eight finished recently for my show, Expecting To Fly, at Cincinnati's 5th Street Gallery. I opted to include them - along with five new 5"x5"s - because there is a sense of anticipation in the series, as though the birds might take wing at any moment.

These are the first owls in the series. The pair in back were accompanied by a poem that began "Laugh not at our grimaces, Nor call us dull and odd, But come and watch us sailing, When the dew is on the sod." The swirling, colorful barn beams they're resting on are from a glass catalog retrieved from a recycling bin in the glass school adjacent to my studio. I was wowed by the variety of glass and its collage potential.

The big bad - really bad - wolf

While hunting for collage images and thumbing through a bound volume of The Chatterbox the other night, I came across this riveting illustration from the March 1879 issue. It's an original work for the magazine by Gustave Dore - the 19th century master of the dramatic, literary illustration - and puts to rest any notion that today's children's books are scarier than ever.

Just look at that wolf - the sharp claws above the covers; the focused, evil gaze - you can almost feel his hot breath. And poor little Red - plump and wide-eyed, you know that if this was a video, she'd be trembling in fear and if it was a color print, she'd be rosy-cheeked.

It's a tribute to Dore's skill that so much can be read into a black & white engraving - and how timeless the image is.

The Grand Tour travels to new heights

© The Grand Tour: The Davenport Sisters Were Perfectly
Capable of Putting Themselves on A Pedestal (2012)
mixed-media collage: antique, hand-painted fashion plate (Godey's Lady's Book);
 vintage map (1957 U.S. Geological Survey);  recycled note card & book proof;
 ink, watercolor, colored pencil.  8.5" x 10.5" on archival mat board.
Framed with conservation glass. Price: $185.

I need to rush off but wanted to post this, because it's probably my favorite collage from the new ones in  the "The Grand Tour" series. And, yes, it will be in the show that opens Friday night (March 9) at 5th Street Gallery - actually, the show's already hung. So, if you happen to be in downtown Cincinnati, pop in. More later ...

Thanks!

A quick note of thanks to everyone who attended Friday night's The Art of Food opening at The Carnegie. It was a crowded, over-the-top spectacle with live performances, "living dolls" modeling fantastic, food-themed dresses created by Cincinnati artist Pam Kravetz and baker/artist The Bonbonerie, and dozens of area chefs dishing out amazing food. Did I bring a camera? No. Sigh. Lesson learned.

If you want to see my work, now's the time. When I left the exhibit, 12 of the 16 collages had sold. So, once the show ends, they'll disappear into the collections of the purchasers. It was exciting to watch people look at the collages and to hear them laugh. I did a lot of work on the labels to explain where the papers came from, which a few people commented on. As you know, the paper itself is important to me, as is letting people know that it is the original paper - not photocopies.

© Mad Women: Joan - Tired of the Glad-Handing, Good Ole' Boy Network -
 Planned A Corporate Takeover (2012)
mixed-media collage: vintage cover illustration (The Delineator, Dec. 1934),
metal button, price tag and foreign currency; recycled parking lot ticket,
ledger paper, and Champion Paper sample; ink; watercolor.
7.5" x 9.5 on archival mat board. Framed with conservation glass.
 Price: $175. (SOLD)

Now, on to Expecting To Fly, which opens 6-9 p.m. Friday at the 5th Street Gallery. I've created new Mad Women, Grand Tour and Out on A Limb collages that all speak to the idea of freedom and empowerment in one way or another.