Thursday, April 30, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 43

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Sanctuary of the Esquiline Venus
Hello friends. Today is my forty-third day of mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As I wait for an end to this world health crisis I continue on with a collage practice almost daily.

With this collage, titled Sanctuary of the Esquiline Venus, I was attempting to keep myself confined to working with the Esquiline figure and the pink and blue sheet music, adding just a bit more embellishment. What I ended up with though, is quite a bit more decoration than I had envisioned.

The piece began with the sheet music. Once I cut the section I wanted to use from the sheet music book, I was initially drawn to the idea of juxtaposing it with a figure of some kind, so I paged through a copy of The Horizon Book of Ancient Greece. I chose the Esquiline Venus because of its simplicity.

Once I had those two main pieces sitting next to each other, I knew I wanted to place a large floral element behind the figure and keep that area on the left side open. Then I had the idea to add the climbing vine to the figure. Once I did that it seemed like the sheet music needed some detail.

So much for trying to confine myself to just a few elements! I've discovered that I rather like tiny details and the painstaking process of cutting the thinnest of lines and the curviest of curves. But I do like the idea of the modern sheet music and the ancient marble sculpture placed side by side. It feels new and exciting - like in this sanctuary there is a 'good vibration', if you will. Maybe it's a refuge for kingfisher birds, which no doubt need such a place in the real world.

Thank you for looking and I do hope you have a creative practice that you are able to work on while you stay home and stay safe.

Take care and see you again soon.

 
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Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 41

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Hello friends. Today is the forty-first day of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic here in the state of Oregon.

Last week Governor Kate Brown released Reopening Oregon: A Public Health Framework for Restarting Public Life and Business with the goal being to keep the curve flattened. It has been known since early March that putting in place protective measures to flatten the curve would guard against an unprecedented number of coronavirus cases, keep vital health care services from becoming overwhelmed with patients, and allow the state to properly address testing and readiness needs.

The lifting of restrictions will not take place until certain criteria are met. For example, there must be a downward trajectory of illnesses and cases for at least 14 days and hospitals must be able to treat all patients without crisis care. Of course, testing and contact tracing, along with ensuring hospitals have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are prepared for a surge of patients are also part of that criteria.

The plan will then shift to protecting the health and safety of workers, with an emphasis on keeping social distancing and face coverings rules in place. Continual monitoring to mitigate rebounds or outbreaks will determine whether any of the three phases (lifting of restrictions) will be restarted or if there will be a return to an earlier phase. (The details of the three phases are in the above link.)

What this means is that we Oregonians will still be in this quarantine for awhile. We must await the Governor's direction before any of the reopening phases can begin.

Which, for me, means I will continue to be out on mandatory leave and I won't be able to see my mom, who lives in a care facility, for several more weeks.

And so, we continue to wait.

Thank you for reading and I hope you and your family are able to stay safe.

 
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Monday, April 27, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 40

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Hello friends. Today is the fortieth day of my mandatory leave from my government job due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Like so many of you, our family has been quarantined under a stay at home order and I've been documenting my thoughts, feelings and experiences here on the blog since the first day I was mandated to stay home.

Do you have a loved one living at a care-giving center? I do. My elderly mom lives in a skilled nursing home in my neighborhood. I have not been able to visit her since March 11th when they stopped allowing visitors due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Today I went there to deliver a bouquet of flowers and a card to my mom. These gifts are allowed however I had to ring a bell at the entrance and a staff member came and accepted the items for my mom. Of course I wore the mask I made and safety gloves. 

I was going to say hello to mom through the window in her room but she was in the dining room having her lunch and the windows there are too high off the ground for me to see her. So I will try that again soon. But I was able to refill the bird feeders Jim and I had placed outside of mom's window back in February. I think next I am going to plant some flowers in the flower box which is also outside her window. The nursing home usually does that in summer but now is a better time, right?

Well, that's all I have for today. I do hope if you have a loved one being cared for somewhere that you are able to, at the very least, send in a greeting of some kind.

Till next time. 
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Sunday, April 26, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 39

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Defenders of the Golden Tree Forest
Hello friends. Today is my thirty-ninth day of mandatory leave from my government work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Since the chaos of the pandemic settled down and our family established itself into the new reality of quarantine for the foreseeable future, I've been able to develop an art practice that is consistent and am making steady progress towards having a body of work.

I am a slow maker. There is never a lack of ideas for content, rather I enjoy the process and take my time. I usually know what my starting point is and have fun anticipating the direction the creative process will take me in and what supporting elements will show themselves.

For example, in Defenders of the Golden Tree Forest, above, I knew that I wanted to place the woman and the spoons together somehow. Yes, those are spoons. Art Deco spoons. Gold Art Deco spoons! (Did you notice that shine?) Hand forged, no doubt. Once I cut out the woman and the spoon elements and placed them together I realized that the woman's hands are positioned exactly right for wielding one of the 'golden trees' from the forest she is defending. When I did that, I had to laugh to myself because I was sure that my son Tayo would like it as he has a great interest in role playing video games. And sure enough, he did like it!

The rest of the composition came together by searching around in my stash of vintage books, where I came upon the coyote (the other 'forest defender' in this story), mushrooms and birds.

I'm looking forward to showing you my next collage that I am currently working on. Plus I have one other one ready to be glued down. Progress.

I hope you are also settled into comfortable routines in your quarantine and are finding interesting ways to keep your body healthy and your mind sane.

See you again soon.


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Saturday, April 25, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 38

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Hello everyone. Today is the thirty-eighth day that I have been on leave from my government job due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

It's Saturday and Jim and I ventured out just one time the entire week for groceries. Before we headed out on the trip I contacted our daughter Audrey to see if she needed anything at the stores we planned to shop at.

Really though, it was an excuse to see her. Since we live in different households we have been keeping our social distance. So, since Audrey did need a few groceries, I was happy to pick up the items and stop by her place to drop them off. Of course, that means when I arrived I placed the items on her porch and walked out to the side walk. Then Audrey came out to retrieve them and we talked for awhile...at a distance. No hugs.

Such is life in this new and strange time.

As I mentioned, it's the weekend and on that same shopping trip the other day I picked up ingredients to make a chocolate cream pie. The kids like it quite a bit and it feels like everyone needs a bit of a treat. I also bought flowers. I always need flowers - they brighten my kitchen and elevate my mood.

I spent most mornings this past week working on collage projects. Above you can see a sneak peek of what I'm currently working on. I finished the piece today and hope to get it photographed and share it here on the blog soon. I'm reading the latest issue of kolaj magazine. I enjoy seeing what other collage artists are working on and reading the essays.

Such are my weekend vibes.

I hope you are safe and that you are finding activities to keep you busy during this great pause.

Till next time.

     

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 37

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Hello friends. Today is the thirty-seventh day of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and there is still no definite news on when I will be going back to work.

So while I am waiting for the world to open back up again, I've been spending my quarantine days either in our small backyard garden weeding, planting and watching the grass grow or working on a collage project. In the evenings I've been here on the blog talking about my thoughts, feelings and experiences regarding the pandemic and sharing my collage work, nature photography, and love of collectables.

Last week I decided that each Friday I would share one of my favorite art and creativity podcasts here on the blog. So today I am excited to tell you about Canadian collage artist Danielle Krysa, host of the podcast Art For Your Ear. The podcast, Danielle tells us, is about the "inside-scoop stories from the artsiest people I know." She interviews contemporary artists, mostly women, about what it's like to be a working artist - how they got where they are, the challenges they face and what their favorite snack is. There are plenty of business tips and advice on facing your inner critic.

Danielle started her blog The Jealous Curator in 2009 as a place where she could show artwork that made her jealous. She admits that she was jealous of other artists' work, their lives, successes and their studios. As if the jealousy wasn't enough, Danielle experienced bouts of inner criticism and comparison which kept her from discovering her own creative journey. Not to mention an art professor who, back in her undergrad days when she was an art major, told her she should never paint again.

The blog has developed over the years to become a very popular site that showcases the art of a wide variety of mostly women artists, whom Danielle can now call her friends. From colorful paintings to fun and imaginative sculptures to thought provoking installations, there is something for everyone.

Oh, and Danielle also runs a companion Instagram account for the blog, also called The Jealous Curator.

As if all of the above isn't enough, Danielle is an author of several art and collage books, a public speaker, and has presented her ideas about the challenges of dealing with the inner critic on the Tedx stage.

So if you are interested in hearing real and delightful conversation between artists, need inspiration for dealing with your own inner critic or want tips for how to navigate the professional world of showing your art, then Art For Your Ear is the podcast you should be listening to!

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a peaceful evening.

 

 
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Thursday, April 23, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 36

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Hello friends. Today is the thirty-sixth day of of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Also today is Vintage Finds: Fitz and Floyd Chinoiserie Mantle Cats.

Since I became enamoured with all things chinoiserie a couple of years ago, I discovered that cats, like these cuties, and especially Staffordshire and Pekingese dogs are a thing as far as decorative mantle pieces go, and so I knew I needed at least one pair. So you might imagine my excitement when I spotted this set at my local charity shop one afternoon.

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Fitz and Floyd is an American company, having been in business for over 50 years here in the United States. This pair of cats was manufactured in Japan, probably in the 1970s or 1980s, and features a lovely and unique cracked glaze finish. In addition, there are subtle differences in appearance and shape. And the fact that they are hand painted individualizes each cat.

Here's the cat on the left:

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And here's the cat on the right:

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Did you notice how each cat sits on a royal blue pillow, complete with tassel embellisments? I love that!

The original sticker bearing the Fitz and Floyd marking is still present on the bottom of each piece. The bottoms are covered with a dark colored non-slip material.

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And lastly, here's a photo of the backs of the cats.

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Thank you for joining me for another Vintage Finds post!

I hope you are safe and well and making it through this pandemic without too much heartache.

P.S. The chinoiserie fabric backdrop is a remnant of Waverly Williamsburg Asian Arcadia Sapphire from 1502 Fabrics, from when I made a valance style curtain for my kitchen window.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 35

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Happy Earth Day!
Hello friends. Today is the thirty-fifth day that I have been on leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Happy Earth Day.

The bad news: 2.9 billion birds have disappeared over the last 50 years.

The good news: Thanks to conservation efforts, North American duck and geese populations have grown by fifty-six percent since 1970.

Birds are an 'indicator species' meaning because they are diurnal and found almost everywhere in the world in almost every habitat, they are easily observed and studied.

In general, the presence, absence or abundance of an indicator species reflects environmental conditions and can signal a change in the biological condition of a particular ecosystem. This helps scientists diagnose the health of an ecosystem. In particular, the presence and behavior of birds act as an early warning system for pressing concerns such as climate change because they have the ability to relocate to more favorable conditions.

In other words, humans need birds more than birds need humans. Birds control pests, pollinate plants, scavenge, spread seeds, transform landscapes, keep coral reefs alive, and inspire scientists like Darwin.

What better time to celebrate birds than Earth Day?

Thanks for looking and I hope all is well with you.

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Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 34

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Hello friends. Today marks thirty-four days since I went on mandatory leave from my government job due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Since The Great Pause began I have been naming every blog post after the number of days I have been away from my work site. But the real title of this post is Vintage Finds: Hedi Schoop Art Creations Ceramic Figurine.

Every February the Asian American Counsel of Oregon sponsors the Asian Festival here in Eugene. And in honor of that event, my favorite charity shop, The Assistance League, puts on a special Asian Celebration sales event, offering asian-themed clothing, art and home wares.

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In fact, I'm on the email list for the shop and I get a 'sneak peek' notice with photographs once the store has been reset for a new sale. That is how I found this green clad gentleman. He stands 13" tall and carries a small bucket.

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As soon as I saw him in the photo I knew I would be heading to the shop at my first opportunity to see if he was still there. I have been actively working on my home decor goals for a couple of years now and knew that this vintage figurine would fit my chinoiserie-themed home perfectly.

Hedi Schoop was a ceramics designer from 1940 to 1958. Born in Switzerland in 1906, she emigrated to California after a career as a dancer and cabaret artist. Hedi opened a ceramics production line in 1940, creating home ware items such as flower pots, candle holders, figures of rural people in national costumes, bowls and lamps. By the late 1940s her company had more than 50 employees and produced more than 30,000 pieces.

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This piece will be added to several other asian-themed people figurines I've already collected. It's become a thing...

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If you like this figurine and would like to see more of Hedi Schoop's designs, I've created a Pinterest 'Hedi Schoop Ceramics' board for you.

Thanks for looking and I hope you are having a quiet, peaceful stay at home week. See you next time.

P.S. The backdrop I used is a leftover piece of Waverly Mandarin Prose wallpaper, purchased from Mahone's a couple of summers ago when I wallpapered my dining area. 



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Monday, April 20, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 33

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Shelter in Place

Hello everyone, today is the thirty-third day of my mandatory leave from my government job due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thirty-three days and as of now there is no end date in sight. 

I'm glad I have a stack of old National Geographic magazines and a bunch of vintage books. The possibilities for collage are endless. And of course the current crisis is top of mind and spills into the work. After all, staying in one place for a period of time can tend to grow on you - hopefully in a good way.

Take care in these uneasy times and see you again soon. 


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Sunday, April 19, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 32

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Hello friends. Today is 'Day 32' of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Since I last spoke here on the blog about my Etsy shop Vintage Tea Treasures, a few sales have rolled in and I am thrilled. I know these are uncertain times for many people, so I appreciate it all the more.

I had a chance to faff with one of the sold items before packing it up and shipping it off to its new home in Canada. This lovely vintage bone china teacup and saucer set is a Royal Grafton #1454 in pastel yellow. It features a beautiful mixed floral bouquet in red, orange, white and purple, and the floral arrangement is embellished with greenery.

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Another lovely feature is the gold gilding on all the rimmed edges, standard on most teacup sets of this era (1950s).

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There is also a decorative gold band around the outside of the teacup.

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And the pattern on the saucer matches the teacup.

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Pottery decorator Alfred Bailey Jones (A.B. Jones) is thought to have started his pottery career selling his wares at the Eagle Works, Station Square in Longton England in about 1876. Around 1900 his Grafton works was built in Longton across from the Grafton Junior and Infants School. Grafton then became the trade name of his business and Alfred was joined by his two sons. A royal warrant was give by Queen Mary and the business then was known as Royal Grafton and survived into the 1970s.

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Every time I find another vintage teacup set while charity or estate sale shopping, my heart nearly skips a beat. There is such beauty and a timeless quality in the pieces I find and I love that each one will eventually find a new home and begin its life all over again.

So if you are looking for that timeless quality or if you need a special tea gift for yourself or a friend, Vintage Tea Treasures is at the ready. Just use code PLUMBLOSSOM10 and get ten percent off your order.

Thank you and I hope you have a peaceful evening.

 
 
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Saturday, April 18, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 31

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Plant Lady
Hello friends. It's the thirty-first day of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Today was a typical Willamette Valley spring day. Dark and cloudy in the morning, followed by early afternoon sunshine, which prompted Jim and I to get out in the backyard to do a few chores. After about an hour it suddenly began to shower and we scrambled to pick up tools and fold up chairs. We got back in the house just in time to watch the rain come down hard for about an hour. It stayed dark and cloudy for the remainder of the day.

Here's my version of a collage theme I've seen on Instagram quite a bit. I think it's both creepy and funny at the same time. Also, it's a fun challenge to limit myself to just a couple of elements and still make an impact.

How are your days in quarantine going? Are you finding something creative to do to keep yourself occupied? Creativity is the one thing in life that can keep you going, even in difficult times.

See you again soon.




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Friday, April 17, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 30

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Hello everyone. Today is the thirtieth day of my mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thirty days...

I can't think of anything in my life over the last fifteen years that I've done consistently for 30 days except eating and sleeping...

Until now.

For the first time since I started this blog I have shown up here for the past thirty days to write about whatever is on my mind, in my heart, or what art I've created. And all because a pandemic has placed me in quarantine.

I've always had the idea to share some of my favorite podcasts here and it feels like now is the time.

I am especially excited to present The Observatory, a podcast hosted by Michael Bierut and Jessica Helfand. As designers, Michael and Jessica discuss design, current events, and current enthusiasms. I've linked the current episode which I just listened to this morning.

In the episode Jessica announced that she is now writing a daily essay series entitled The Self-Reliance Project. The writings are intended to prompt one to think about "what it means to be a maker during a crisis - to think through making, to know yourself better through the process of producing something - and how this kind of return to self-knowledge might just be the entire point." The essays can be found on their website Design Observer which "is a great place to meet for conversation about all the ways design affects our lives."

Thanks for reading and see you again soon.


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Thursday, April 16, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 29

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The Transformation of Thomas Babington Macaulay 
Hello friends. Today is my twenty-ninth day of mandatory leave from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and I spent the morning finishing another collage that I had started several months ago and had set aside to gather dust apparently...

I cut this book cover off of Thomas Babington Macaulay's 1854 German translation of The History of England to use as a base for this piece which is titled The Transformation of Thomas Babington Macaulay. I originally bought the book (at a library book sale) because it has an interesting font. You can see the font on the last collage I shared here on the blog entitled Reviving the Dance.

The portrait of Mr. Macaulay is an engraving by E.U. Eddis. I find the portrait a bit disturbing to look at because the rendition is very realistic - in a creepy kind of way. It looks like a high quality black and white photograph and Mr. Macaulay is looking intently straight back at me. Do you see that?

The starting point for this piece was one of those serendipity moments. Once I had decided to use Mr. Macaulay's image for collage I cut it out of the frontispiece of the book and when my attention was called away, I tossed it on top of the book, took care of whatever bit of business called me away, and when I came back to the project my eyes opened wide as I stared back at Mr. Macaulay looking at me as he sat perfectly framed, just as shown here, on top of the cover of his book. That's when I decided to cut the cover off the book.

I said to Mr. Macaulay 'you need a transformation'. He resisted saying his authority and public standing would not allow a transmogrification of any kind. I laughed as I pulled out scissors, and a copy of Flowers, A Guide For Your Garden and commenced the transformation.

It is camellia season, after all.




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Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Flattening the Curve, Day 28

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Well friends today is my twenty-eighth day of quarantine from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and I experienced what perhaps by now many of you have already experienced.

Today is our daughter Audrey's birthday and because of the strict social distancing measures in place, also due to coronavirus, we were unable to celebrate in our usual custom of sharing a nice dinner and a celebratory cake together.

Instead, Jim and I visited Audrey at her home and placed her gifts on her front porch. We then walked out to the sidewalk and called her to let her know we were there. As Audrey opened the door to come outside we held up the family 'Happy Birthday' banner, torn, tattered and taped from years of use, and greeted her with big smiles and a happy birthday salutation.

In truth as we waited for Audrey to appear, I held back tears. I had a sudden moment of overwhelm as I stood next to Jim, anxiously waiting to see our daughter, and thinking about how crappy it must feel for a young person to not have a proper celebration surrounded by friends and family.

But those thoughts and feelings passed as Audrey came out, dressed for her special day with her hair nicely styled. She was upbeat and said despite the situation that she was having a good day. She told us about how her friends had visited her earlier in the day (adhering to social distancing of course), bringing gifts, and that her step-sister Kaede had sent birthday greetings. And she said that tonight she will be watching a movie with friends via Skype.

It was so good to see Audrey and I felt much better after hearing about how her big day was shaping up.

Happy Birthday Audrey - I love you!

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Flattening the Curve, Day 27

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Reviving the Dance
Friends, today is the twenty-seventh day of my mandatory quarantine from my work site due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and today I took care of some unfinished business.

I started the collage above, entitled Reviving the Dance five years ago! I remember when I needed to get new tires on my car, I brought an Italian printed vintage book, titled Ceramiche e porcellane cinesi, along with me to the tire store. As I sat waiting for my car to be serviced I cut the three images of women, known as mingqi or 'furnishings of the spirit', (shown) out of the book, knowing I wanted to use them in collage. Of the three women, the standing figure on the left is a 'court lady' from the Sui Dynasty (589-618) and the other two are dancing tomb figures from the T'ang Dynasty (618-907). Both were part of a broad afterlife tradition known as 'furnishings of the spirit'.

There were several 'false starts' with the three figures over the years as I stumbled through various ideas, but it wasn't until I was looking through a copy of North American Wildlife (another great vintage find) and saw the dancing Sandhill Crane (middle panel). Part of the description for the Sandhill Crane states "Pairs perform together during courtship, but dancing is confined neither to the breeding season nor to pairs; hundreds of birds may dance at the same time."

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That was my 'a-ha' moment. Dancing ladies and dancing cranes - now that's a party! During one of my failed attempts to make this piece, I had punched out the brown and light blue floating balls or dots, and it seemed like the work was coming to life at that point but it wasn't until I started cutting out the cranes and experimenting with placing them with the dancers that it felt like the energy and emotion of the dance was becoming more apparent.

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The last problem to solve was how, because the figures are all similar in size, to create some interest in how they each sat on the page. That's when I got the idea to find some kind of base for two of them to stand on. Now the figures are all grounded, yet each sits at a different height, which gives the piece more interest. And, finally, the work is ready for the imaginings of the viewer to wonder what this dance is all about!

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I'm very happy with how this collage turned out and that I was able to finish something, even though it was started five years ago. Now, I wonder what other unfinished business I may have in my art box?

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How about you? Do you have an unfinished project of some kind laying around somewhere?

Thanks for looking and I hope your day is good and your night is restful. 


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