Am I blue?

© Out On A Limb: 30 (2012)
mixed-media collage: antique engravings (Chatterbox magazine No. XXI, 1879; People's
Cyclopedia of Knowledge, vol. 3, 1881); vintage illustration (Birds of the World, 1961);
hand-marbled paper; recycled art catalog; ink, marker, fluid chalk; acrylic sealer & acrylic varnish.
 6" x 6"  on cradled birch panel Price: $85.
(SOLD)

Yes, I'm blue. But it's okay. hue: blue opens tonight (6-9 p.m.) at Brazee Street Studios' gallery One One during our Open Studios' event. There are five new/newish Out On A Limb Collages in the show, including the one here. I must say, the gallery looks fantastic. There's something utterly refreshing about a sea of blue - especially when you're 12 hours from the shore. Well, my shore - the Jersey Shore.

But back to the collage ... I had been wanting to use the text on birds nests since finding it; luckily, there were plenty of black-and-white nesting images to choose from. Needed a b&w one to continue the pairing with color images. The twiggy bit at the bottom was cut from a much larger piece that I wanted to put down the right side. But that made it too dominant. So, I kept moving it around and cutting away at it.

Here's the cool thing about the twigs: they were cut from a page in the spring catalog for Vosges - the amazing Chicago chocolatier. Trust me, its catalog is as inventive and stunning as its chocolates. Yes, source material is everywhere!