Day One Hundred Twenty

Here is another version of my Mad Hatter, based on a ceramic tile I made.

This tiny portrait is for my series "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat®.

Day One Hundred Nineteen

I went outside to take some photos of this girly girl finger puppet with the flowers that are popping up, but it was just too breezy...everything was in motion.

Maybe in a few days, maybe the next one that fits an outside shot. Maybe some lupines will start flowering, too!





This is a finger puppet for my Art-o-mat® series "All Ears".

Day One Hundred Eighteen

Some people prefer a bracing cup of tea.

This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".

Day One Hundred Seventeen

Miss S. visits the art gallery (aka the guest bathroom). Nope, it doesn't take much to entertain a finger puppet ... nor me for that matter!


This is a finger puppet for my Art-o-mat® series "All Ears".

Day One Hundred Sixteen

The worst part of my job is cocktail parties.

With all of the cooking competition shows I get suckered into on tv, I thought I'd try to do a chef collage.

I don't know what kind of cocktail that is (it was from a tequila ad), but it looks yummy...and I rarely drink anymore.





This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".

Day One Hundred Fifteen

Orange cat with purple mittens drinking a hot, comforting beverage. Ahhhhhh....

This tiny portrait is for my series "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat®.

Day One Hundred Fourteen -- late!

Dammit...I missed the midnight deadline (self-imposed) by just a couple of minutes and I am not quite done...I need to finish the background color.

Lots of silly drama today...then I didn't get home until late. Pooh.

Here is a Cheshire Cat for "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat®.

I will be back before I go to bed to post the background color. Geez...I hate it when I miss the deadline!

Later...that same late night


Okay...here we go again with the color not scanning right. The background is looking orange, when it is actually yellow and I tried taking several photos and it is too dark in here right now for it to come out right. I will have to update this tomorrow after I get home.



I am very annoyed...can you tell? I have to go to bed and I am not tired. I did not get the work done that I needed to do today. I do not feel prepared for tomorrow's yard sale. Everything will be fine...but I don't feel prepared. Wah, wah, wah...

I need the sign from my friend Kells' dance lesson studio that says "NO WHINING". I need it bad.

4-26 update
As if anyone besides me cares...LOL

This is closer to the actual yellow of the background. Not sure why it is so hard to scan or photograph.

Day One Hundred Thirteen

"Penciled In" is my series for Art-o-mat® of small portraits done in colored pencil on MDF, with a handmade twisty wire hanger on the back.

This is one of my characters who first appeared on a ceramic tile. This is Wolfy...in blue(s) this time.

Some colors seem to "fit" some characters better than others. I first made Wolfy green. I've made some blue versions and a red version and I think I made an orange one. I like the green ones and blue ones the best.

Day One Hundred Twelve

Mermaid Net. Yep, someone actually named a paint color Mermaid Net.

When I get paint chips to choose colors, I have to turn them upside down and tape them to the wall and look at them from a little ways a way so that I can't choose the color by name.

That is how I ended up with a bathroom that is painted Japanese Fern. If I had seen the name, I never would have chosen the color.

The last time I fell for the name thing was when I had the red brick fireplace painted a shade of white. I chose Snow Leopard. Couldn't help it.

ANYway...

This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".

Heh...it happened again...that synchronicity thing. Just now. Perhaps in the rabbit man's world he is on a tv show called "Mermaid Net" and he is some sort of bizzaro beach-y Joe Friday.

I didn't actually want to be a cop.

Day One Hundred Eleven

Tick, tick, tick...

Yes, she's the office temp. Oddly enough, she actually doesn't mind making the coffee & donuts run. At least it gets her out of the office.

But if she hears "Hey, Ewe" one more time...

This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".

Day One Hundred Ten

Ooooh it's a gloriously lovely rainy day...and you know what that means! ART ABOUNDS!!! Yay!

Mr. W. is a guy I started before and abandoned because he just wasn't working out. Inspired this morning by my rainy day, I revisited him. I think he works pretty well now. And the bottom edge where your finger goes in...oooooh, so soft!

What can I say, Mr. W. was a posing fool. I chose his best two shots to share with you.

Here he is doing his impression of a Kill Taupe bunny and also "disguising" himself as a refrigerator magnet. This guy is pretty playful.

This is a finger puppet for my Art-o-mat® series "All Ears".

tee hee...I snuck in that picture of "my" goat Hershey...I sponsor him at SASHA Farm.

Day One Hundred Nine

This is another of my "Animal People" collages for Art-o-mat®.

Making art daily is not the hardest part of maintaining this blog. For me, writing something about each piece is difficult. This is one of those days.

I've been sorting rubber stamps all day in preparation for a multi-person yard sale next weekend. Man, have I ever got a lot of rubber stamps! Hopefully they will find new homes soon.

Well...back to work!

Day One Hundred Eight

I've been trying to make some "Animal People" collages for Art-o-mat® with animals other than cats and dogs.

Today I made this ferret lady. Pretty and proper and oh so classy with her white gloves.

I like the flowery vines in the bottom layer of background paper and I think the cut out flowers work fairly well with them.

Day One Hundred Seven

There was a clue there.

Did I ever tell you that one of my favorite aunts -- Aunt Libby -- raised llamas? Too fabulous.

This is another collage I would like to keep for myself. If I keep doing this, I won't have any to send to Artists in Cellophane. (see day ninety-seven - Lord Mangrove - click the labels below)

Sheesh.

Maybe I will just keep him on my desk for a while and when the time comes around to pack up the 50 "Animal People" blocks, I will be able to let him go. or maybe not

Heavy sigh.

KT Goodlove for April 17

Wow -- Here is block #50 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

I shipped the completed "KT Goodlove" set to Artists in Cellophane last week and Carol is beginning to send them out to Art-o-mat® machines across the country! I ordered 10 for the Michigan machines, but I think I am going to hold onto them (once they arrive) for the Detroit Comics machine...you know... Buckety.


(Scroll down and you can see Buckety over on the right column of the front page of this blog...the teal colored machine.)

Detroit Comics is having their 2nd Anniversary Party on June 6. Kettle and I will make a couple of larger collaboration pieces to kickoff the series at the party. They will be available as prizes. Details later.

Day One Hundred Six

Ooooh this guy is trouble!

Are you ever watching the news or some show where there is a reporter on the scene and people are in the background trying to get into the shot? That is this guy all over the place.

Every time I tried to shoot something, he jumped into the frame. Sheesh.

This is a finger puppet for my Art-o-mat® series "All Ears".

KT Goodlove for April 16

Still conjuring the image...


I am leaving the conjured image up to the viewer's imagination.



This is block #49 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Day One Hundred Five

Several years ago, she accompanied her father on a trip to Europe.

Is the robot the cat girl's father? Is he just wishing her a bon voyage? Is he another passenger making a new friend? Does he want a sip of her coffee? So many unanswered questions.

It is doubtful I will get home in time to make a separate Arto-piece today, but here is block #48 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Day One Hundred Four

Eeee...I am going to be late. I will try and write more later.

This is a fluffy orange cat for my "Penciled In" series for Art-o-mat®.

Update/Thursday: pic on the left is closer to the actual color of the background. A shade of green with a shade of blue. Pic on the right is closer to how the cat looks. argh

April 14th KT Goodlove

I have to hit the road...I hope I will be able to re-write this post later on tonight. In the meantime, let's call it "Rockin' with Mr. Toast".














This is block #47 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Day One Hundred Three

Sooooon...sooooon...soon the flowers will awaken from their slumber.

This is another collage block for my "Animal People" series for Art-o-mat®.

April 13th KT Goodlove

"I was always fascinated by my father's work."

Once again, which character is speaking?


This is block #46 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Did I ever tell you about...

You know this Art-o-mat® I am constantly yakking about? Did you know they have an online store? You can get Arto-tees, patches, tote bags, or a carton of artpacks.

They have a few limited edition items, too. One of them is a book called "Unpacked". I participated in this really cool project. If you look at the book and click on it, it will enlarge and you can flip through the pages. I am page fifteen.

Here is the description of "Unpacked" from the store:
Inside this hand-bound book, you will find 18 different, original works of art created by members of Artists in Cellophane (AIC), the organization that produces the Art-o-mat project. Only 200 books have been produced and are available for sale. This is a unique opportunity to own larger works from some of the most active participants in the Art-o-mat project.

Subliminal Message: Come on...you know you really need a copy of "Unpacked".

Day One Hundred Two

"Obviously, that's why I did it."

I am thinking since I've passed the 100-day mark that I should perhaps revisit the background explanation for my collages.

I first began cutting paper when I was in my teens and my mom taught decoupage (and other paper arts) to ladies who didn't want to do their own intricate cutting...they paid me to do it and was hooked.
I have been making "Animal People" collages since the early 90's but these creatures have been a part of me for a long time and were/are frequent denizens of my dreams. I've always been a lover of fairy tales and of children's book illustrations...surely they were deep seeded inspirations. Collage works best for me because I don't have much confidence (patience?) in my drawing or painting abilities. I have a very difficult time getting what I see in my head onto paper or other surfaces.

Also, shortly after I started making the collages, I became aware of J.J. Grandville and his incredible animal headed people...I have/had no interest in the context or politics of his drawings, just the fantastical characters themselves.

I make my "Animal People" collages for Art-o-mat® with cuttings from magazines that are on the way to the recycle bin. Everything is hand cut and glued...no digital wizardry. I often wish I could alter the size of pictures and print them myself or get interested enough to take classes to learn how to do computery arts. The same chip in my brain that governs math, how to pack a suitcase efficiently or be interested in current affairs also covers the techno stuff...and it has been missing or damaged for a l-o-n-g time...LOL.

I am frequently amused by the synchronicity that occurs when the Universe asserts itself into what I am think I am doing by myself. Take today for example -- "Obviously, that's why I did it." -- was a snippet from an interview in a magazine that I was flipping through. I wasn't reading the article, it just jumped out at me. It fit because I rarely have any meaning in any of the collages I make. And when I was struggling with what to write today I decided to do all of this explaining.
When I re-read it just now before posting, the humor of it all falling together made me laugh out loud. Coincidence?... Perhaps.

KT Goodlove for April 12

"I am so happy"


This is another of those out of context phrases on a block where you can't tell who is saying it. And it changes the storyline, depending on who is "speaking".






This is block #45 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

Great article about Art-o-mat®.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina artist Clark Whittington -- the creator of Art-o-mat® -- sent me a link today to a GREAT interview he recently did with FLYP.

I've never heard of FLYP (but that isn't saying all that much...I haven't heard of a LOT of things) so I Google'd them. Here is what their "about us" page says:
FLYP uses an innovative palette of online tools and Web 2.0 user functionality to provide an engaging and enriching multimedia experience. We approach the Internet as a new medium—not just a new distribution channel—and we strive for a form of journalism that fulfills its possibilities on topics that range from politics and science to art and music.

Combining high-quality text, video, animation and design, FLYP goes against the here-today-gone-tomorrow tendency of journalism on the Internet. Our biweekly issues full of stories on topics ranging from politics and science to art and music are meant to be experienced, and not just read. Merging the best characteristics of print journalism with appealing interactivity, FLYP tries to offer up a dynamic magazine.

FLYP is created and published by Digital Media International, LLC.

To read and see and hear the fab-o arto-article/interview, click here!

Ha...I just read/listened to/watched the article again -- the first time through I didn't realize Herbert Hoover had a small video interview in there as well!

Herb makes the delightful pewter cast saltine crackers and pretzels found in Art-o-mat machines.

Day One Hundred One

Yay -- I actually got up and made a piece of arto-art like I wanted to!!!

Here is one of my bumble bears in his party hat.

This block is for my series called "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat®...tiny portraits made with colored pencils on MDF blocks with a handmade twisty wire hanger on the back.

KT Goodlove for April 11

"We caught up at Heathrow for the return flight to New York."

I really like this block. I like the similarities in the shapes of the ears, the looks on the faces of the cat girl and the rabbit and the wording.

Oh those gadabouts of the jet set.

Here is block #44 (out of 50) in the Kettle + Took collaboration series "KT Goodlove" for Art-o-mat®.

I also like how there is a tortoise and the hare theme going on with KT Goodlove blocks 44 & 43. Who got to London first?

April 11 -- Another Bout Day!!!

Yep -- It's Bout VI of the Detroit Derby Girls season. Tonight we have The Devil's Night Dames vs The Pistolwhippers.

You can read Holly Hitsville's interviews with two of the team members.

Holly's "The Infamous Summers Eve-L" is here. Summers Eve-L skates for The Devil's Night Dames. And "Diesel Doll Brings the Pain" is here. Diesel Doll is a member of The Pistolwhippers.

I LOVE this poster!!! It is by the very talented local lad Stephen Vincent. Read about Stephen and find links to his artwork at his MySpace page.