Hot off the letterpress ...

Ring, ring, a-ling. I fell in love with the pageboy/girl above from the moment I saw him/her in a nursery rhyme book that belonged to my late mother-in-law. I knew immediately that the illustration - unsigned, by the way - would make a wonderful holiday card. After scanning it, the colors were altered so the hat ribbon and feather became red; and the inside of the sleeves, pale green. I cleaned it up (look closely and you'll see that it's slightly out of register), resized it, printed it and sent it as a New Year's party invitation.

I couldn't get it out of my head. A year or so later, I revisited the image with the idea of paring it down to its essence and printing it on a letterpress. The result? See below. 

At the same time I was doing that, I scanned a half dozen antique and vintage card borders. The plan was to make business cards. By the time I finished printing them, though, I didn't want to use them as business cards. So, they sat in the attic, until a few weeks ago, when it hit me that they'd make terrific gift tags.

Look for both the cards and the tags - and more - at this weekend's annual Showcase of Arts at the Woman's Art Club of Cincinnati. I'll be there just one of two days: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday Dec. 1.  

Letterpress printed. Blank inside. Packaged with an envelope.
$4 each.
Signed, limited edition.

Letterpress printed. Tied with red, green or brown baker's twine.12 to a package (two of each design); $8.
Limited edition. 

Victor/Victorians are out of the closet

The Victor Victorian series I wrote about in September - has it really been that long? - has been at the framer for quite some time now. But not just any framer. Tim Leslie, above, and Chip Doyle have been working on selecting just-the-right frames from their extensive cache of antiques. Not an easy task. I visited a few times to look over the selections, then, left it in their capable hands.

Well, they got it done - and quite beautifully, too. I had a chance to view the finished pieces last night in a back room at HighStreet, where I was attaching labels to them. Tim quite generously put a bug in owner Leah Spurrier's ear about the collages - he thought they were a perfect fit for her shop, whose motto is "Fierce objects, design, and London style" - she liked them and will be hanging them any minute.

I'm not sure where in the expansive store they will be and how many of them she will be selling. So, stay tuned ...

A not-so-subtle reminder ...

Sign of the times

This is the sign that will be posted on my studio door as soon as I get off this computer. I haven't missed an Open Studios since moving to Brazee Street Studios. But, I guess it was inevitable. I'll be at the annual Indian Hill Church art show tonight (6-9 p.m.; $5 donation) and Saturday (10 a.m.-3 p.m.; free admission). 

Other artists showing include Carol Abbott, Jan Boone, Greg Storer, Kay Hurley, Susan Mahan, Bruce Neville, Pat Olding, Donna Talerico and, well, too many more to list.   

It's a wacky few weeks, so I'm making a list ...

I've been so busy in the studio that I've neglected to spread the word about upcoming sales, shows, etc. Yikes! So, here goes ... wait, I will not be at Friday's Open Studios at Brazee, you'll see why below BUT I will be open for December's - and will have extra hours next month, too ...

The Grand Tour: The Davenport Sisters
Were Perfectly Capable of Putting Themselves on a Pedestal $185
Mixed-media collage: antique, hand-painted fashion plate (Godey's Lady's Book);
vintage U.S. Geological Survey map (Mt. Evans Quadrangle, Colo., 1957)
and illustration (Harter's Picture Archive, Dover, 1978); recycled note card & book page proof;
watercolor; pearlescent watercolor; colored pencil; marker; ink.
8" x 11.5" on acid-free, mat board. Framed with conservation glass.

Lost Horizons (art about history): Just 16 pieces were selected from a pool of 626 for this survey of how artists are addressing history in their work. I submitted five collages form The Grand Tour series - which is all about rethinking history - and the one above was accepted! Opening: 6-9 p.m. Friday Nov. 9. Continues through Dec. 7. Manifest Gallery, 2727 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills. More info.

Cherry Bomb
$225
Mixed-media collage: Victorian scraps, found watercolor painting,
 recycled wrapping paper and grocery store brochure,
 watercolor, marker, ink. 5.75"x11" on acid-free mat board.
 Framed with conservation glass. 

Indian Hill Church Fine Art Collector's Weekend: Dozens of Cincinnati area artists participate in this annual sale. This year, they've added a preview party on Thursday and a lecture about Rookwood Pottery on Saturday. I'll be showing a variety of collages from all my series, including the new "Paper, Scissors, Rock" and "Bomb" series. 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday (Young Collector's Preview Party), 6-9 p.m. Friday Nov. 9 ($5 donation) & 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. Nov. 10 (free admission). 30% of sale proceeds benefit the Episcopal church's outreach programs. More info.

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Archival prints on cotton rag paper. Limited edition.
5"x5" matted to fit either a standard 8"x8" or 8"x10" frame.
$25 each. 

Multiplicity/Hang It Up: I've made new prints from my Ho! Ho! Ho! series of Santa collages for my studio home's annual holiday show. These are the first prints from the series. Opens 6-9 p.m. Friday Nov. 9 and continues through Jan. 3. 2013. gallery one one, Brazee Street Studios, 4426 Brazee Street, Oakley. More Info.

sssshhhh

Secret Artworks: Hundreds of artists create 5"x7" works for this annual fundraiser for Artworks. (I donated three collages.) Each piece sells for the same price - $75. The "secret" part is that you don't know whose work it is until it's sold. Preview the art in Weston Hotel Atrium Nov. 12-15 and right now online. Oh, and there's a twist this year: they're auctioning some of the new pig sculptures that lined the streets of Cincinnati during the summer.  5-9 p.m. Friday Nov. 16 at MCA (the old Contemporary Arts Center), 120 E. Fourth St., downtown. More info.

One of three new calendars. The others are
 Out On a Limb (bird collages from the series) and Paper With a Past (a mash up).
Signed, limited edition, packaged in a clear box.
$12 each

18th Annual Studio Collection Sale: Gather 12 women artists into the ballroom of a funky old lodge, add food, door prizes and music, and you have a sale that's more like a party. I've attended the show for the past six years or so and recommended it to others, so, I was thrilled to be asked to be a guest artist this year. Look for cards, collages and new goodies such as the calendars. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday Nov. 17, Harmony Lodge, 646 East Epworth Ave., Spring Grove Village (former Winton Place). More info.