Two Tuesdays - year end recap

2012 Collage Challenge

Hard to believe that 12 months have gone by since I was trying to come up with an idea that would keep me creating and blogging on a regular basis during 2012. 

A friend who knows that Tuesday is my day off and studio day came up with the name "Two Tuesdays" when I mentioned I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up with completing one collage every week. Every other week did sound a lot more realistic so that became my goal. I was excited about the chance to work in collage all year and about trying out new ideas, new materials and colors until the what if 's started. What if I couldn't keep up, What if I ran out of ideas, What if... What if... Fortunately, I didn't let the what if's take control. After all I was the only one expecting anything and keeping track, so I got started and 38 collages later here we are on the last day of December.

Before I finished and set my focus on something new I wanted to make one last collage where I used fabric instead of paper. This uses scraps from my collection of fabrics and some new rust stained fabric that I made recently. 

© K. Johnson 'Standing Tall' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Only a couple times did I think I might not be able to keep up with the challenge and with a sketchbook full of notes for things I didn't get a chance to work on yet, running out of ideas was not a problem. Not every collage created was a success as you can see from the pile of "rejects" in the picture below but I had a lot of fun and it feels great to have completed the goal I set in January. 

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #25

2012 Collage Challenge



© K. Johnson 'Bringing gifts' - 5"x 7" collage on paper

Well, this is the second of the Two Tuesdays collages for December and the last one for this years challenge. I will follow up with my thoughts about this past years work in a recap post in the next few days. 


All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #24

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Flourish' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

So far, all the Two Tuesday collages have been done using color. This week I limited myself to just black and white - not as easy as I thought it would be. I found I didn't have that many things in my collage stash that are just black and white. It took more time to find the elements that worked together and I spent more time than usual moving them around to find the right balance.  That said, it was still fun!

© K. Johnson 'Travel All Over' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Have you heard of washi tape? I guess it's been all the rage for a while now but I'm a little slow to catch on to these things sometimes : )  It's a decorative tape that comes in every color and design imaginable. I found the black and white dotted tape you see below at a local craft store. The tape can be repositioned so it's easy to try different arrangements before making a final decision about placement. 

I used white artist tape to make some washi tape of my own. My tape is the horizontal stripe through the middle printed with black permanent ink using several different stamps I have or made.

© K. Johnson 'Chance Encounters' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Blooming Cactus

 

I can't believe the show of blossoms on my Christmas Cactus this year. 

This plant stayed outside all summer long on the deck completely unpampered and ignored. I didn't even remember to bring it inside until after the second frost.

 

It is now enjoying a nice cozy spot by the window in my dining room.

Doesn't this blossom look like a butterfly?

Tis the Season

I enjoyed the opening of the Art=Gift show at the Hygienic Gallery on Saturday night. What a great job the show organizer and resident artist Susan Hickman did putting this show together. It looks fantastic!

Sierra Drift is the name of a new series of small mixed media pieces I worked on for this show. I'm so happy with them that I plan on doing several more before I call the series complete. Here are two of my favorites. 

 

 © K. Johnson 'Sierra Drift #2' 4" x 4" mixed media on wood



© K. Johnson 'Sierra Drift #3' 4" x 4" mixed media on wood
 

This was the first year the participating artists were given the option to make ornaments.
I was so excited when the email with this info arrived. I haven't done anything crafty like this in a very long time. It was so much fun. A nice variety of ornaments are now decorating the front windows of the gallery.

I found an old dressmakers pattern in a thrift store a couple years ago that had green and red cutting lines on it instead of the usual black. It was so interesting I had to get it and figured I'd use it for something someday.

 

To make this ornament I glued the pattern paper to the front and back of pages from a garden book and then cut out petal shapes when dry. The petals and small wooden beads are strung together with wire and finished off with a button and raffia ribbon for hanging.

The show runs through Sunday Dec 23rd. Stop by and see the works of other local artists including Laura Gaffke, Diana Sartor, Millie Donovan and Sadie DeVore. 

 

Two Tuesdays – Collage #23

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Aqueous' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Playing with some more painted tissue papers. Getting away from the fall colors from the past couple of weeks and working with one of my favorite color combos - turquoise blue and spring green.

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #22

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Late Fall' - 7"x 5" collage on paper 

Not many leaves are left on the trees in my yard after Hurricane Sandy came through last Monday. Tuesday morning after the storm was so strange. We had no power and looking out the window you could see debris everywhere but the sun was shining to start a new day as if nothing had happened. My home was lucky to have power restored by Friday morning as many in my town were still without.

My thoughts are with the many who have been deeply affected by this storm and send hopes for the quickest possible recovery.
 

© K. Johnson 'Transition' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #21

2012 Collage Challenge

I love taking walks this time of year with the air is so crisp and cool. As I'm getting my exercise I take in all the colors of the leaves as I kick through the piles that accumulate across the sidewalk. I can't help but to pick up a few as I go and by the time I get home I have a handful of leaves that were just to pretty and special to leave behind. I always put them in an old phone book to dry and flatten for later use. Although most of the time I do use the actual leaves in my collage work this time I tried something a little different and used scanned and printed copies of the leaves. 

© K. Johnson 'Autumn Joy' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Settlin In' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this Two Tuesdays series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #20

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson ''Tangerine' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Along with some gray rainy days it's been getting noticeably colder these past couple days so I thought I would put the brown bags to rest for a bit and have fun with some color instead.

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Beat the Deadline

I heard about the Prayer Flag Project and the Call to Artist’s for an exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art by following the blogs of Jane LaFazio and from my friend Ileen who has been making flags since the project began. I was really excited about this exhibition because I lived in Oceanside for 13 years before moving back east and I always loved visiting the OMA.

I just barely made the deadline for sending in my flag. I was in a bit of a panic the day I was bringing it to the post office to mail – I lost track of time and got there barely 5 minutes before they closed.  I’ve been having a problem with procrastination the last few months - very bothersome because this is not like me at all. I've been making a real effort lately - I don't want this to become my new bad habit!

© K. Johnson 'Serenity' 8"x 5" Mixed Media, Fabric

This is the flag I sent in for the exhibition. One of the most peaceful and calming things I enjoy is walking on the beach.  I can really relax and love finding bits of driftwood and sea shells along the way.  My intention and wish for making this flag is for everyone to find and enjoy that special place that brings them peace and serenity.

Yea! My flag did get there on time.  Jane posted a picture of a group of flags ready to hang and you can see mine in the top left of the photo.  Aren't they all gorgeous? After all my worry I see they extended the deadline. The museum will keep hanging the flags as they arrive so it sounds like you have until Oct 14^th to send one in. Show dates - Oct 15th - Dec 31st, 2012.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #19

2012 Collage Challenge

2 weeks ago after I finished the first collage using a few brown bags from my storage/recycle closet I still had so many interesting pieces left on my table that I just wanted to keep going and see what else I could come up with. Here are the results. 
Do you recognize any parts from bags where you shop? 

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 2' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 3' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 4' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

This morning I found a few more different bags while cleaning so I don't think I'm quite done with these brown bags yet.

All the collages in this Two Tuesdays series can be seen here. 

Two Tuesdays – Collage #18

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #17

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Summer Plans' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Inside an old gardening book I found at an estate sale a couple months ago were some folded up hand written notes from someone’s garden plans. As I was cutting and gluing these found notes into this collage I was wondering about what plants were their favorites and what their garden might have looked like.

I’m forever jotting down ideas for future garden plans. Some so grand that I’ll probably never get to them but it’s always fun to have a vision and dream a little.  

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Peaches - Pick Your Own ...

I've picked strawberries and apples at those "pick your own" places many times but I had never picked peaches.

A few Sundays ago my Mom and I went to Scott's Farm in East Lyme, CT.

 It was a beautiful not too hot sunny morning and we had the whole orchard to ourselves. 

They are such beautiful trees with their long slender glossy leaves.

I thought I might make a peach pie but I never did get around to that. Before the peaches over ripened I peeled and chopped a few to put in the freezer for making smoothies. Coconut water, almond milk and peaches in the blender - easy as can be! 

Two Tuesdays - Collage #16

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Reflections' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #15

2012 Collage Challenge

While looking for some collage material I pulled out a pile of unfinished and less than perfect gelatin plate prints I had tucked away in a drawer. It's always fun to go through these piles with fresh eyes and find small sections that have some interest to see if they can be reused in a new piece. 

The theme for this months sketchbook challenge is circles so I've been seeing them everywhere I look including on these old old gelatin plate prints



© K. Johnson 'Circles I' - 7"x 5" gelatin plate print collage



© K. Johnson 'Circles II' - 7"x 5" gelatin plate print collage

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #14

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Bluebells' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Independence Day

Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford, CT

From every mountain side

let freedom ring.

         ~Samuel F. Smith, "America"

 

Two Tuesday's - Collage #13

2012 Collage Challenge

For the first time since I started this challenge I didn't think I was going to have anything ready to show this week. I've been feeling pretty scattered with many projects on my mind. Even when I did manage to steal a little time to sit down and start a collage I would get to a point where I couldn't figure out where to go with it or knew it just wasn't going to work at all.

Over the weekend I was thinking about and making notes for all the things I had to do to get ready for company coming on the 4th of July holiday this week. One of the notes was a reminder to put the flag out and that's when the red, white and blue theme came to mind.  I went through my bins of paper and pulled out all the red, white and blue I could find and spread them out on the table. I started with the very structured and planned out blue one Sunday evening and cutting it a bit close, started and finished the throw it together quick and don't think about it red one this morning.

© K. Johnson 'July 4th - Red' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'July 4th - White' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'July 4th - Blue' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #12

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Tranquillity' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

Autumn used to be my favorite season. Although I do still love that cool crispness you can get on an October day my negative side now only sees it as bringing on the cold and dark days of Winter.

This collage makes me think of my new favorite season Summer. The relaxing, tranquil, easy days. The longer days of light to enjoy the garden or a walk on the beach later in the day. What is your favorite season? Has it always been the same? What is it that makes it more special than the other 3 seasons?

Today is the last full day of Spring and the Summer Solstice will bring us the longest days of the year this week. Get outside and enjoy!


All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage # 11

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Royal Bloom' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

Using some of the tissue papers I painted with acrylics recently and an Indian wood block stamp found at an antiques store.

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #10

2012 Collage Challenge

On Sunday I wrote about a recent Paper Swap and the Flower, Plant and Tree themed papers I received from Eliz in Singapore. These are the collages I created using only papers from this swap. It turned out to be more of a challenge than I thought working from a group of papers chosen by someone else. There were certainly enough papers to pick from but maybe that was part of the difficulty - having so many choices.

© K. Johnson 'Lucky Fish' - 5"x7" collage on paper

These warm yellows and oranges are colors I wouldn't naturally pick up but I actually like this one the best of the four.

© K. Johnson 'Dragonfly'' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Singapore Green' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Rosy' - 7" x 5" collage on paper

All of the Two Tuesdays collages can be seen here.