September 6, 2011 – Sylvester

Do ya wanna funk? Won’t ya tell me now? If ya wanna funk, let me show ya how.

Gaze into the disco ball. If you’re blessed, you may have a vision of San Francisco’s legendary disco diva Sylvester smiling back at you on the dance floor. We lost Sylvester way too soon but his spirit still lives and watches over the City he loves. Today would have been Sylvester’s 64^th birthday, but he really wasn’t born until he came home to San Francisco back in 1967.

Sylvester said, “My life started when I moved to San Francisco.”

Many of us feel the same way in our magical city. We know it is where life really begins.

September 5, 2011 – Made in the USA

Take the Labor Day Challenge. The American unemployment rate is officially at 9.1%. In real terms the rate is about 20% if you count those whose benefits have run out, are not eligible and/or are underemployed. The Labor Day Challenge is to try to find something in your home that is Made in the USA. Antiques and vintage items don’t count. Nor does the crafty coffee mug made by a niece or nephew. Also, food items are off the list. At least we still produce most of what we eat in America. Now, look for things in your home, every day items, clothing, etc. that were manufactured in the United States.

See, it’s not as easy as you think. There is virtually nothing. I do have some everyday drinking glasses that were made in New Jersey (I was shocked when I read the package at my neighborhood hardware store). But it is really hard to find anything you might buy that is actually made in the United States.

People everywhere in the world need decent work and an opportunity to make a living. It’s not that America should stop importing goods. The issue is we need to also make goods and be an exporter as well as an importer. The key to getting everyone back to work is to make more stuff here.

As for the challenge, the winner is art supplies. I have art supplies from all over — scissors from Finland, brushes from the Dominican Republic and Japan and the 4”x4” canvases I use are from China. That said, I was finding quite a few things that were Made in USA, from paper, to my Sharpies, tape, the Golden Medium, and most of my rulers. The Utrecht acrylic paints I use are also Made in the USA. At least when I buy supplies and make art I am helping to keep other Americans working. Now to find some sneakers made in America…..

September 4, 2011 – Music for Every Mood!

I am not sure where all the paper sleeves for 45’s even came from, but they are in one of my drawers of collage fodder. No records, just the paper sleeves. Tell the people from Hoarders to back off! I am making art with them.

Some of the artists were from rather obscure singles. I particularly liked (and used) the sleeve from Mercury Records that was labeled Music for every mood! That sleeved listed some of the big stars on the Mercury label. A few I had never heard of — Rusty Draper and David Caroll for example. Of course I know who Patti Page is (I grew up on Cape Cod). And I have a stack of Dinah Washington CD’s. I even have seen one the artists live a few times – Dick Contino of course, he usually headlines at the Cotati Accordion Festival. And right now I am listening to Quincy Jones because I always need music to make art too. I just worry if the neighbors hear What’s New Pussycat? one more time they’ll start pounding on the ceiling…..

September 3, 2011 – Waste Not

Today was a productive art day. This morning’s tasks included painting and prepping paper for other pieces. When I moved on to the trimming phase, I realized I did not want to waste some of the scraps being trimmed off the edges. I often save bits of things, no matter how small, for future collaging. Some pieces are just too good for the recycling bin. Perhaps the burst of color can also be attributed to the mix of Brazilian music I listened to while I was working. Today, nothing went to waste.

September 2, 2011 – Harlem Renaissance Man

One hundred years ago today one of America’s true Renaissance Men was born. He was an educator, a writer, a musician and an artist. Romare Bearden was an artist at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance and he was a true Renaissance Man. Bearden could be considered the Father of Modern Collage. His work has influenced countless artists, myself included. I personally considered Romare Bearden a major source of influence and inspiration on my own work. With that in mind, a Beardenesque collage for today’s piece for the 2011 Project.

September 1, 2011 – Thornton’s Birds

I am conflicted when it comes to the idea of cutting up old books. It never seems right but as a collage artist it can also be necessary. I gravitate towards out-of-date atlases for maps and other tattered and often discarded books for additional collage material. Every time I find a book by Thornton Burgess it is in rough shape and usually falling apart. And the condition of his old books might truly speak to their quality. A book that is so worn out is a book loved and read often.

You don’t have to look hard to find an old Thornton Burgess book. He enjoyed a long career living and writing mostly from his home in Sandwich on Cape Cod. He wrote over 170 books between 1905 and 1965. The Burgess Bird Book for Children with illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes turned up at a sale after being “retired” by the library. It had a good run, and now some of it is preserved for years to come in the 2011 Project.

August 31, 2011 – Collage Monsters

Today’s piece for the 2011 Project is an experiment. And with 240 previous pieces so far, there are plenty of scraps and bits to work with. I like these little monsters, so stay tuned, more to come….