Laundry Day

Day 17 of the 30-in-30 challenge

You'll probably recognize the dresses, yes, they are from the movie "Gone with the Wind." Especially Scarlett's gown made out of the plantation curtains is legendary. The dresses are part of a vintage paper doll set (probably from the 40s) that I came across years ago, and I had to buy it, because those things are hard to find and usually too costly for me. However, I've been wondering ever since how I will use those pieces.

Well, "Laundry Day" is a reference to the South. This is where I live with my family and friends, I love this little town and the community here. Unfortunately, this is also the area, where some jolly fellows like to display there mindsets through hate flags and sentimental statements about the "good old days" and "heritage" and "Southern pride."

This piece refers to all this. The cat is washing a dress which seem to be a tiny little piece of cloth now. But after laundering it will miraculously unfold into one of those huge overpowering garments.

"Laundry Day"
Mixed media: Acrylics, vintage sheet music with red edging, storybook clippings, ink, sewing thread, on masonite board, 14" x 18"

Roundup

Day 16 of the 30-in-30 challenge.

Another chair piece.
I wanted to do a piece about raids, deportation, about the systematic gathering together of certain people to get rid of them. My focus was on the horror of displacement, to imagine the experiences people make when they are being pulled out of their communities, their homes, their lives, and being sent somewhere unknown and dark.

Yes, the bundle of chairs looks so happy and fun, at the same time - someone or something is holding them up like puppets on strings. Or it's a hanging. 

I started working on this piece three days ago, thinking this would be a fairly easy undertaking. Initially I wanted to call it "Raid."

I gathered and cut out all the chairs that I wanted to represent the different people, and made a background. Without pasting them on, I assembled the chairs in a way that they would stand crammed together, with a few personal items scattered around.

But it didn't look right at all, because it didn't appear that people had been forcefully pulled out. It looked more like the aftermath of a family reunion.

So, no. Redo.

"Roundup"
Mixed media: acrylics, storybook clippings, sewing thread,
on cradled wood panel, 11" x 14"

All Rise

Day 15 of the 30-in-30 challenge.

Again, I used a vinyl sleeve as the core element of this collage. I love how this beautiful nature spirit is emerging from the water and how perfectly the design of the sleeve goes with the theme.

I like the overall vibe of the image - but it also is borderline cheesy, I have to admit. However, nature is grand and mighty, and why not go overboard with the representation of it. Right?

Mixed media: acrylics, 45rpm vinyl sleeve, storybook clippings, on cradled wood panel, 8" x 10"

Don't Lose Your Heart

Day 14 of the 30-in-30 challenge.

It's the 16th, I know. I've had a lot on my mind and just couldn't get going. However, I finished two small pieces this morning. For both I used those lovely old record sleeves. I do that sometimes because I like the idea of turning an image into a song.


"Don't Lose Your Heart" is what I keep telling myself.

Mixed media: acrylics, 45rpm record sleeve, book clippings, on cradled wood panel, 8" x 8"

Open Arms

Day 13 of the 30-in-30 challenge.

A piece about longing, pain, and not having closure.

The two women are the same person but at different points of her life.

She is remembering herself as a young woman waiting for her love to come home. This person has just left, but a presence is still perceptible: While she is cleaning around the armchair, she seems to be communicating with someone sitting in it.

I thought the relationship between the woman and the armchair was quite interesting, so I made the armchair the main element of the scenery. The chair looks inviting and comfortable, and it has arms. Though I felt that this woman would never sit down in this chair because it was already taken.

By the way, in the original image, the old woman was weaving a basket; so I gave her some letters to hold instead. Window and view are from different sources.

 "Open Arms"
Mixed media: acrylics, storybook clippings, ink, on cradled wood panel, 8" x 10"

Censored

Day 12 of the 30-in-30 challenge

I started out completely differently with this piece, but then saw the potential of the general concept and reconsidered. So, instead of another funny image, I did something more reflective.

It's about censorship, one of the things I am worried about. I used a page from an old dictionary - from noddle to nourish - and cut out all the no's,  as in: no "no" allowed. At the same time the no's are expressing resistance to this ridiculous nonsense: They seem to be breaking out of the cutting holes, using the threads as emergency ladders, or maybe the threads are umbilical cords. 

I chose reds and orange tones for the background to incorporate the notion of a book burning. The threads can be seen as smoke.

"Censored"
Mixed media: acrylics, page from an old dictionary, sewing thread, on cradled wood panel, 12" x 12"

Turn Me on

Day 11 of the 30-in-30 challenge

And, yes, I have caught up! That's a very nice feeling, especially because tomorrow is going to be a full day for me, and I won't have much time to work in my studio.

Anyways, I made another romantic piece: An ostrich and a gramophone bird - that means, love is in the air. 

For the back wall, I harvested some pages from my French romance novel that I like to use in such situations. Please notice, how it repeatedly says "L'Amour" at the top. This novel is so perfect in terms of size and texture and yellowing; a friend got it for me from one of the bouquinistes (outdoor book sellers at the Seine river) in Paris several years ago.

The quote is from Cat in the Hat.

Mixed media: book pages, random grayish paper scraps, book clippings, ink, on cradled wood panel, 11" x 14"