Fabulous Land

Fabulous Land, mixed media on canvas, 8”x8”

I can never say enough how important it is to experiment.  A little 4”x4” collage of vintage postcards for the 2011 Project has lead to an ongoing series of postcard collages.  This latest piece is made entirely with postcards from the Fabulous Land (aka California).

Put the 2011 Project on your iPhone

Put the 2011 Project on your phone.  The 2011 Project website has site has six wallpapers formatted for your iPhone.  Go here to download them all for free.

Little Eurocollages

European Collages, all approx. 2.3”x4” each, mixed media on board 1997

As I continue to organize and archive I came across these forgotten treasures.  I started making small mixed media collages long before the 2011 Project.  This series of 12 geographic, travel themed pieces were done in 1997.  Each was for a different European country.  I printed these images and used them in handmade magnets.  Nowadays printing technology has improved and become less expensive.  I see cool artists magnets at shows and craft fairs all the time.   Back in 1998, I sold about 25 of the magnets in a small shop in the Richmond.  If you have one, hang on to it — it’s a collector’s item.

As far as my current work, one could say its come full circle, as I am working on a series of travel-themed work for an installation later this year.

February 29, 2012 – Leap!

The 2011 Project had 365 parts, one for each day. This is the unofficial 366^th. Happy Leap Day!

101 Years of Airmail

101 years ago today the first airmail letters were sent. It was a short distance - from Santa Rosa to Petaluma, CA. Last year I commemorated the event with a piece for the 2011 Project. I used postage stamps, aerogrammes and other airmail labels throughout the year in many of the 365 pieces. Some of the examples are above. 100 years from now it may become difficult for artists to incorporate stamps in their art as mail becomes less common. In the meantime, I have a box of stamps to keep using.

I knew this would happen

As predicted, as 2012 marches along I know I am going to keep thinking of pieces I should have done or the 2011 Project. This morning I was enjoying the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park and realized I missed this. I did a fortune cookie piece (see above). Legend is the cookies were invented at the Japanese Tea Garden. I need to do some piece about the garden anyway, even if 2011 is over.

Reflecting on 2011

Now that 2012 is a few weeks old and 2011 is behind us, I am beginning to miss making a 4”x4” piece of art every day. Last year the 2011 Project became the focus of my artistic life. There were a few days when it felt like a chore, but overall, I truly enjoyed working on it. Gradually my wall kept filling with the grid of piece after piece. But it really wasn’t until near the end of the year that the impact of the project began to feel “real” to me. Around November I was reaching the point where I had that I did it feeling. I’ll never forget the final moment when I put the last coat of varnish on the last piece on the evening of December 31^st. I was sad that the long journey was over but also had a sense of accomplishment with having actually made it.

When I conceived the idea for the 2011 Project, I was experienced enough to understand that I could not really predict how the project would unfold. I had the basic concept of a piece of art every day. Having spent years exploring pattern and making grid like collages, the idea of using 4”x4” canvases and laying them out in a big grid was natural to me.

Starting with the commitment to making a piece of art every day, I quickly realized I also wanted to explore a different idea every day. There are reoccurring themes and styles throughout the project, but I really did strive to make each individual piece about an individual idea. There were many themes and materials I was well versed in and they started to appear in the project. As I began looking for new ideas it also lead to new styles, materials and subject matter. There are so many things I painted for the first time ever in 2011, everything from magnolias, to a goat to a quahog shell. Maps appear in plenty of the pieces and I also used other materials that I had used previously like old photos, vintage postcards and stamps. But the list of new materials grew to include: naugahyde, MUNI passes, dice, jigsaw puzzle pieces, Eucalyptus leaves, candy wrappers, wax and incense boxes to name just a few.

One advantage of working small was that each piece took me about 1-3 hours to make. There was some additional prep time and scouring around for materials. But basically, as an artist, each piece was a small commitment. This brief amount of time opened me up to experimenting. Unexpectedly, many pieces have become studies for future projects. The 2011 Project is also a vast personal sketchbook of ideas I will be expanding on for months and years to come.

Each artists needs to develop their own rules. And, I do not want to be one of those artists that tell other artists what they should do. But I will suggest that by imposing a disciplined structure for yourself, if even for a month, you will likely have a similar experience of positive and unexpected results.

The year 2011 is over, but the 2011 Project is far from finished. There is the need to show as an installation(s) in 2012. Then the separate pieces will be distributed to supporters so they can curate them for the future. And some point 10 years, 20 years or even further into the future, it will be even more interesting to revisit the project.