Finally getting some days when the work of winter can be varnished outside. Quite a process -- 3 coats of UV varnish with no streaks or bubbles if all goes well.
Varnish
in Studio
Rauschenberg Combines
in Inspiration
News of Robert Rauschenberg's passing reminds me of how much I have admired his work and his enthusiasm for found materials -- particularly his "Combines." I can relate to the fact that "He loved making something out of nothing." In fact, I've always liked the way the verb "combines" becomes a noun by virtue of his work. What a life, what a body of work, what an inspiration... He is quoted as saying, "I don't really trust ideas, especially good ones. Rather I put my trust in the materials that confront me, because they put me in touch with the unknown." At left is "Migration," from 1959, a combine: oil, paper, fabric, printed reproductions, printed paper, and wood on canvas.
Junk Mail Journal
When my afternoon is not too crazy, I like to work on an ongoing, but sporadic, project that I call my Junk Mail Journal. The mail comes at about five o'clock and I create a collage using elements culled only from that day's mail -- inevitably it is mostly composed of "junk" mail. The work is casual, fun, and fast -- a nice compositional exercise -- and a way of dissecting everyday printed materials and using them in a new way. This is today's page.
Ruby Moon Seedlings
in Inspiration
I wrote about my seed-starting project a while back. The seeds were harvested from last year's Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean plant. They have taken over one end of my desk and now stand 9-10 inches tall. Hopefully I can plant them outside soon. These are a vine-like plant, with purplish stems and veins and bright green leaves. Late in the summer they have amazing fuschia to purple-colored pea-like pods. I plan to do some studies of them in my Green sketchbook.