A new cast of characters with special meaning

I've raided my ever-growing stash of Victorian photos and am working on a series that continues my exploration of gender roles. But, this time, it's men who are undergoing a gender bending.

I wanted to explore the stigma attached to being gay during the Victorian era, but do it in a humorous way. For example, the titles on the pieces above are "Geoffrey believed in the power of accessorizing"(left) and "Charles wondered whether the sleeves were a bit much."

The series is tentatively titled, Victor Victorian and is dedicated to my late brother David, who would have been 58 today. He was an early AIDS victim and one of the warmest-hearted people in the world. I've written about him in the past, noting that the drawing table in my studio was a gift from him when I was in college. The plan is to donate part of the money from sales to Aids Volunteers of Cincinnati (AVOC).

I know these new collages would have made David laugh. Out loud.  

Traveling clothes

Well, here are the three latest The Grand Tour collages that I've been writing about, all framed and ready to be shown at Saturday's 7th Annual Art Affaire show on the grounds of the Promont House Museum in Milford, Ohio.

They are my largest pieces yet. When having them framed, I picked the same molding in different shades and opted for "museum" glass, which cuts down on reflections and glare. The glass is pricey but worth it, because it lets viewers see all the details. They even look fantastic in this low-res photo.

I'm showing in the dining room, which I set up early this evening. Just a few little things to tend to before the show opens at 11 a.m.

I'll be there until closing, which is at 5 p.m. And in addition to the Grand Tour pieces - there are 3 more - I brought along collage tags, and flock of Out On a Limb collages and three shadowboxes.

Two more calendars in the works

Wrapping up all the calendar master files this week, then, the printing begins. These two join the Food Colors and Grand Tour calendars that I wrote about a few weeks ago. They are the same size - 5.5" x 8.5" - and as with the other two, I plan to offer a special deal for advance orders ($12), after which the price will be $15. More as soon as they're printed ...

Time is on their side

The Grand Tour: After Much Tinkering, Rosa, Viola, and Cora 
Traveled to a Place that H.G. Wells Had Yet To Imagine: The Future
mixed-media collage: antique hand-painted fashion plate (Peterson's, Feb. 1887);
vintage diagram (Switching Locomotives Operating Manual, General Motors)
and illustrations (Audel's Plumbers and Steam Fitters Guide #1 and #4, 1925;
Architectural Forum, July 1960); recycled book proof; marker, ink, watercolor
and acrylic sealant. 9.5" x 12" on acid free mat board. (2012)

This collage - the last of the new ones for Saturday's Art Affaire - began with the architectural illustration. When I spotted it, I knew the Grand Tour women would travel to the future - and so they have. But it took some mechanical ingenuity.

I've always been a woman with a tool box. One of my first purchases when I left home was an electric drill. After all, I already had my mother's Sunbeam mixer. So, tools have become a recurring theme in my collages and greeting cards. In the collages, I tend to pair oversized tools with 1950s-era women as a symbol of role reversal and empowerment. They function in much the same way here.

A few words about Mr. Wells: his novella, The Time Machine, was published in 1895. Since this fashion plate is dated 1887, my women are far ahead of him and have made time travel a reality. I like to think their trip inspired him.

Nellie and Abby's Amazing Shrunken Men!!!

The Grand Tour: Nellie and Abby's "Amazing Shrunken Men" 
 Packed 'em In at Opera Houses from London to St. Petersburg
$225Mixed-media collage: antique, hand-painted fashion plate (Peterson's magazine),
vintage illustrations (Architectural Forum, June 1960; Harter's Picture Archive, 1974),
watercolor, marker, ink, UV sealant. 8" x 11.5" on acid free mat board.
Framed with museum glass. (SOLD)

The Grand Tour continues with two fashionable Peterson's women - I've named them Nellie and Abby - taking their novelty act, Amazing Shrunken Men, on tour. In my mind, they sneak away from their chaperones to perform when everyone else is tucked away in bed for the night. And they're packing the house, as you can see.

The house, in this case, is from the June 1960 issue of Architectural Forum. Thanks to Carla Morales, the graphic designer for Cincinnati's Brazee Street Studios, I received stacks of vintage architecture magazines from her architect sister. While I wrote down the date of the issue, I forgot to note the building. I think it's Philly's Academy of Music, because the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' wildly eclectic building is on the flip side.

This is another piece for next week's Art Affaire in Milford. Cannot wait to see how they look in the dining room - that's my designated space - of the Promont House.

Their bags are packed ...

Hard to believe it's been 6 months since I made a Grand Tour collage. Well, the ladies are touring again as I make new collages for Milford's 7th annual Art Affaire on Saturday Sept. 22. As intrepid as ever, the gang is traveling under the sea (above - early working version); performing on stage; trying their hands at fly fishing; and there may be some time traveling, too. You will be seeing more soon but, for now, it's off to the studio ...

9.13: Update: The almost-finished collage with significant changes. I'll add more shadowing, seal it 
and whisk it off to the framers ...

The Grand Tour: Submerged (SOLD)
mixed-media collage: antique, hand-painted fashion plate (Peterson's Magazine, Sept. 1880) and illustrations (Popular Educator, circa 1880; Art Forms in Nature, 1899); vintage illustrations (Handbook for Shell Collectors,1948; Harter's Picture Archive, 1974); recycled wrapping paper; acrylic, watercolor, dye, marker, ink. 14" x 11" on acid free mat board. 

A piece of cake? Hardly.

 

 

Sooooo, I've been working on a commission the past few weeks. Well, actually, longer than that. Much longer than that.

It grew out of a collage made for the Art of Food Exhibit in March. Someone wanted to know if they could buy a print of the piece - "Her Friends Felt That Roberta Was Overzealous About Protecting Her Recipes - which was sold.

The collage featured a vintage image of a knight wielding an oversized knife and fork, with various cakes and cookies. Vellum covered a large image of a cake that was the background. Well, I couldn't make a print because this was one of two collages from the show that I forget to scan. I offered to make a new one, and that's when the trouble began.

I was sure I knew where the knight was from. So, I hunted down and bought copies of the two vintage books I thought it was in. Wrong. Now, why didn't I write down where it was from as I usually do???

I scoured up more knights, including the amazing one above from an 1837 costume book. It was her favorite. There was paper leftover from the original collage, including the text at the bottom and another piece of the vellum with words on it.

So, I began. The client and I went back and forth on the images, with minor changes along the way. She visited the studio last weekend and the bottom right collage was her final choice.

Easy, right? Not a chance. The vellum didn't adhere as cleanly as on the original piece. She LOVES that cake, because the recipe she guards is a flourless chocolate cake. So, I spent a few hours yesterday trying to remove the vellum. Need I tell you that that didn't work?

Now, I am going to cut out the knight, text, cake, etc. and start again with a new background image. Luckily, I have more of the marbled endpaper - which came from a chocolate cookbook, and one last piece of that vellum. This time, I know how to adhere it.

But will she will like the new background. Stay tuned ...