A Heart of Gold

I worked on this collage canvas for about two years. I had collected the red pieces of paper I wanted to work with, drew the heart (folk) and then pasted on the pieces, created an antiqued background, and then left it for awhile as I had no real idea what I was going to create.

I gave this piece to someone I knew who would treasure it and realised I created it for this lady. It was a large heart that had been patched together, now seamless, no longer broken. It was a vibrant heart with strong splashes of red colour and subtle streaks of gold. The heart had a gush of gold emitting from within its centre at the top, this then had light radiating out from behind it. This was symbolic of this lady's life and how she had found God, or how God had found her. The background of the canvas was antiqued with walnut ink and then sponged. To pull this effect back, it was then chalked over so fresh whiteness was washing away the shabbiness of this – this was also very symbolic.

When I presented this to my friend, she was overwhelmed by it, but what was more startling or even supernatural, was that the collaged images reflected snippets from her life. It depicted a young girl riding a horse, which my friend enjoyed doing, there were little images of birds, parrots, animals, butterflies, fishes, love hearts, (things she loves), a child's face blindfolded (this was also symbolic), a box of chocolates, a cat's paws, books, scroll, a handbag she owned. By positioning the canvas in four different ways, new pictures developed in her mind relating to her life or things that she loved. It was as if God was showing her heart was intact and that those things all positive in her life would be highlighted and those things in her life that were negative remained in the background no longer able to touch her.

This canvas measures 620 cm x 620 cm.

This work is in the collection of a formal international model.

Altered Art Christmas Book continued

Just some more images.

Christmas Altered Art Book

I love the month of December because Christmas is on its way. It's just a neat feeling of anticipation, waiting for the children's faces to beam and light up on Christmas morning.

I loved Christmas as a child, and re-loved it again when I had my own children. Lots of decorations are strewn in our house. Christmas is a time for eating marzipan fruit (almond paste), stollen cake, my children opening advent calendars (those little windows revealing some Christmas themed item), it's also the warmer weather (and even if it rains, at least it is still warm), and it's those little treats I indulge in only at Christmas time.

As a treat I am posting pages from an altered book I made about three years ago. I hope you enjoy it. The book tells the story about Christmas.

Part of this book was published in Altered Arts Magazine.

Anna of Byzantium
This young woman (girl) was groomed to reign the Byzantine Empire. Anna Comnena started her training when she was only nine years and by the time she was 17 she went into exile to be a nun (Eastern Orthodox). Her story is recollected fictionally in "Anna of Byzantium" by Tracy Barrett.

This collage canvas is large: 1 metre x 1 metre. It is representative of a mosaic archway covered with grapes. The canvas was originally worked with a decorative art technique of lapis lazuli effects. Then was added the scraps of thermographic raised scraps of paper, mixed with mulberry paper and cut out Byzantine images. The final image was Anna which was decollaged (the reverse of collaged). Added to Anna were gold trim, diamantes in her hair. Small blue tiles were added randomly on the canvas. This art piece is not for sale, but is for personal/educational purposes.

Framed Indian Ink splatter print

Ink and acrylic paint medium.

This technique was done by washing cartridge paper with water and then adding ink via splotches and letting it run. From here a picture was created of a face, and any other images that could be combined ... hence the two fish, well three.

I also made the frame from mounting board and coloured it by mixing Dazzling Decor Shimmer gold paint with Atelier blue acrylic paint.

Nursery Rhymes

A collage canvas with assemblage (nursery rhyme altered art book).
This book reflects on the meanings of nursery rhymes, and how the politics of the day kept people from speaking out against the monarchy or whoever, this is most pronounced in "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" (a nursery rhyme about Queen Mary of Scots).

The Picnic (2)

A mixed media piece depicting a picnic, with a tranquil setting.

The Picnic

Another mixed media piece of the same scene, but with a storm brewing on the horizon. A butterfly flees from the scene.

Jester

This is a collage assemblage piece. The Jester was paper engineered and covered with Basic Grey papers.
It was added to a Provo Craft shadow box inlaid with bead trim, rubons and a spattering of walnut ink. Other 'fluffy' embellishments were added, including clipiola (Italian paper clip) onto his feet.


Here's my completed Jester. The technique used is a mixture of origami and paper engineering.

Mixed Media Gallipoli Art Work

"The Morbidity of Freedom"
60cm x 60cm
Freedom ... and for today lest we forget.
This mixed media collage art piece is about the spirit of Gallipoli. That is ... the deaths of our soldiers, the blood that was shed, the sheer ugliness of war ... bombs, fire, trenches, mud, dirt clods, the soldiers, their fatigue, thirst, gritty eyes, sweat, the smell of metal, the smell of death, you can almost feel you are there.

The morbidity for the freedom of Constantine revisited ... but not reconquested.

The poppies resemble the memorial of the Anzacs who died, defeated. We won the war, but lost the battle of Gallipoli.

I became a finalist in the Gallipoli Art Awards.
Here is the artwork I submitted.
It is one of my gory pieces, I find it quite ugly, but that is the reality of the battle for those ANZACs involved.

Further information www.gallipoli.com.au/Artprize_2007.html

Gypsy Wagon

It's a gypsy's boudoir.
This is a cardboard model which was collaged with Basic Grey Papers.




I have always had a fascination with gypsies (Roma); and what inspires me about them is their flamboyance, lush colours and trinkets they adorn themselves with.

A friend of mine gave me a porcelain doll and this was dressed with just scraps of trim, ribbon and material we had on hand.



I had envisaged on entering this piece in the Bohemian Edition of Somerset Gallery magazine, but ended up completing another 2D Bohemian art work which was published in the Winter Gallery Edition 2007.






Here is some of the detail on top, it is a ribbon flower. Also you should be able to see that the paper has been crackled.

Fairy Wedding Feast

This work is a collage assemblage fantastical piece measuring 610 x 610 mm.

I love 3D compositions with the use of decoupage/collage techniques. In this photo I have used decoupage fairy paper, mixed with mulberry papers, gossamer, glitter, distressed stickers and a few strokes of acrylic paint onto a canvas with added 3D embellishments (cardboard) raised off from the canvas.

I enjoy creating stories within my compositions, and this one is about a prince who proposes to his fairy lady. Another one of the fairies is heartbroken, that the prince has not chosen her, so off she runs. Meanwhile the rest of the piece tells the story of the fairy and the princes' wedding. If you look closely you can see other characters intertwining into the story.

The dwarf and his wife to the right talking about the happy couple, the young girl sneakingly listening in and watching. The wedding in full swing, with various animals playing musical instruments. To the left is one fairy who could not attend the happy occasion, so she has offered a necklace for the new couple. One elf is too shy to take it from the princess fairy, and the other fairy is just too much in a hurry to get there.

Then the bottom of the page, the picnic (wedding feast) is all catered for, with ants and lady bugs assisting with the food. If you slide the mini cardboard container, there are well wishes, characters offering their gifts and presents to the newly married couple, many of them bringing their babies for them. And finally to the left is the pot of gold with a semi circle of gold dust around it. It's utter nonsense really, but the fantastical qualities and story you can make from it, delights many a child (and parent) as they ohh and ah over it.