The Real Crime Scene

 The way we hurt ourselves and each other . . . . that's the real crime scene. That's what these are all about. 

I'm enjoying the mix of photo stamps, a bit of scribbling with the mouse and then the graphic images. I think this is working out well.


 

I printed the top image onto a t-shirt transfer, ironed it on, peeled the backing paper off in great anticipation only to find that I had ironed it on upside down! It does look good, except for the fact that my chest distorts the image!!! What I need is a guy to try this out on. And no, my old man is not about to volunteer . . .  not really his style. So, if you are reading this, have reasonably flat front and you fancy being a guinea pig the let me know and I can have another try . . . .  the right way round!

Anatomy of a Picture

 
This is where it started, with a doodled shape done in Photoshop. I'd had a couple of frustrating hours trying to get stuff down on paper. It just wasn't working so I thought I'd give it one last bash but in Photoshop instead. Nothing to lose.

Stamped that a couple of times and I'm beginning to feel mollified because it's looking the way I wanted it to.

Add a bit of this

and a stamp made of this. Junkyard are great for interesting textures and shapes!
 

Now I was intruiged because I hadn't really expected this combination to work. Like it in black and white but love it in red.

A bit of colour added, more out of curiosity than any real plan, and this is what I ended up with. Now where the hell did that come from? A question I find myself asking quite a lot. I'm crap at on-purpose art but the accidental-oh-blimey-look-what-I-just-did is where I seem to excel. Go figure!

 

Mandala Collaboration - Art that Circles the Earth

This has been the most fun, collaborating with Shana Goetsch as part of her Art that Circles the Earth project.This was the very first piece that she sent me, wool glued to a circle of card.

I really wanted to give those colours a 'pop' so I dug out some bright blue painted card. But I'd also been thinking about prayer wheels and astrolabes so my next move was to cut out the middle and mount the circle so that it could move. Back it went to Shana . . . . .

Then just after Christmas I got this in the post. Gone was the blue card, a round of mosaic like pieces now backed the original circle. I love this process because each time what I got was something so different from my usual colours/style. Bloody brilliant, makes you think a little bit more.

Again I felt that the colours needed a little bit of a 'pop' so I bought a white gel pen and went round the edges and the middle. A bit of silver paint went on top of that to give it a bit of lustre and gold pen to work into the little mosaic pieces. I wanted to enhance them not lose them. Once I'd done that I thought about sticking the two circles together and losing the moveable element. It needed something more . . . . .

Oh yes, it had to be done! Turn that baby round and the eye follows you round the room! It made me laugh which is always a good sign in my book. So off that went to Shana, our collaboration now complete. I told her to let me know when she received it but I knew . . . . yesterday, a funny little bump sensation and she came quite clearly into my mind.

All the collaborative pieces will be in an Community Arts Thesis Exhibition from April 25th so if you are in the Baltimore area then go along and check it out. I so wish I could be there.