Sweet art and kind thoughts

This summer I have been touched by the artistic culinary efforts put forth by two friends. Each made a cake that was very special to me (and others). My friend Linnea Franits created a cake for the reception that her and her husband Wayne hosted for me and Tom after the 60/60 Event at the Everson. She fashioned the cake after a collage I wrote about in my April 10th blog post regarding placing a circular element on a checkerboard background. She decorated the cake in a checkerboard pattern using licorice and then asked me to place the "circular element" (an Oreo cookie) appropriately. I was very touched (tear in eye) by her thoughtfulness. Thank you Linnea!!! The second culinary artwork that I experienced was just this past weekend in Boston. The band that I used to play in while I was in PA all got together for a reunion (from Wisconsin, New York, PA and Mass). The band was named "grimace" and we used to have a sticker of a frog. Heather (our gracious hostess) asked her neighbor if she could create some kind of special cake for the events of the weekend. What a fantastic job Liesl Weiss-Catanzano did for us! We were all very touched by the creation. I am blessed by the friends and creative spirit that surrounds me! Enjoy!

Economy & Collage

It's odd to feel like a stranger on your own blog. However, that's the story today as I take things into my hands and attempt to write here. I feel the rust between my fingers crumbling into the keyboard as I pull myself here to try to make up for lost time.
There's these wonderful people, like Clint Chadsey, who went out of his way to send me the most awesome packet of collage work; and Planet Susannia who also sent me a wad of art to drool on. These gifts bestowed with art love from comrades that I have not yet met...they are treasures that touched my heart and made me stop in my tracks. I wanted to run upstairs to the studio and pour out work like a machine, and send out wonderful packets in return! I wanted to write huge blog posts recommending their work and scan their pieces and show everyone the collage love that I received.
But I didn't.
It's not like I personally am suffering from anything other than the usual inflation, dissatisfaction with politics, and the like. It's me watching everything around me change and grind to a halt. It's the For Rent signs in downtown building windows in every upstate NY town from here to Albany, and from there to Syracuse. It's the slow sales at my fiancé's antique store...It finally has gotten to me. The economy has finally hit me. I have had to take on duties at my day job that require a lot more concentration with the same pay in order to keep that paycheck coming. I have had to step it up for my man Chris, and start helping him during his antique shows, at his store, and now online on his blog-Facebook-Twitter. I have had moments to myself, I admit, and altho I wanted to go upstairs and create, the need to pitch in and help seemed stronger. It's as tho my time has a dollar sign attached to it at the moment, and any deviation into personal enjoyment, creativity or reflection has been denied by the need to make a living. My conscience gets bothered when I sit upstairs cutting papers and painting, when Chris is working 15 hours a day and not getting any sleep worrying about our bills. How can I create?

I am not complaining, mind you! I am simply stating the facts of how it is in the great United State of Julie. I WANT to make. I want to make something. I have tons of really good new photos, and I even think I can see in my mind a new departure for some collage work. However, when the back of my brain is pounding about how we did the Cooperstown Art Show this weekend and how I am supposed to be blogging for Chris about it --hopefully to drum up some new customers and sales-- it's really hard to blog or create without feeling guilty. Like my time is wasted unless I can produce.
I hate that. I hate that to the inner portions of my heart. But I can't seem to stop this horrid feeling that I need to keep busy and pay off any and all debt and do my best to keep Chris' store afloat. I know that our debt is not overwhelming but I am scared of our future country's economy. Scared of how it could get worse. And somehow I feel like I am escaping it all by creating and it just isn't working for me at the moment. I feel the need to help. Not escape.

I am so grateful to Steven for taking up some of the lapses for me. I can't make excuses for my lack of content. But please understand I am busy working in life, trying to make ends meet. Hopefully the oppression I feel will end soon, and I can go up to that table and pour these new feelings out there where they can be more productive!
My blogging days are not over, but perhaps they are overshadowed by oil spills and global disaster in our oceans, credit cards, slow economy and my attempts to keep alive through it all.
Summer love to you all.

Events worth attending!

July 9 - 7:00 Rome Arts and Community Center Regional Fine Arts Exhibit (I saw some of the work and it looks like a great show which includes a number of collage, mixed media and assemblage works).

July 17th - 4:30 "Cazenovia Counterpoint" art exhibit and gallery walk (with LOTS of musical events in the village too. Check out the series of events across a number of days at their website)

Jackson details

I hope Julie doesn't mind me posting some more information (I'm hoping it may inspire of at least suggest some ideas for others).

I thought I should elaborate on my recent post of the three new pieces. I am showing here some detail of the Jackson piece. Each of the pieces shown on the previous post were done on small masonite panels (6" x 6" x 3/8"). This allows me to do some "wrap-around" of the elements from the front surface of the pieces to create additional areas of interest (I hope). I hope these photos will give you a better idea of what the pieces look like. In this particular piece, I really like the way the cut-out portion of the dark green element creates what looks like a little golden cube (BTW, the Golden's iridescent gold paint was purchased for very cheaply at a garage sale!). The dark green element was a serendipitous addition to this piece. I had been doing some "punching out" of that paper to get those oblong little pieces. When I saw what the "negative space" looked like, I envisioned it working with the rest of this piece. Serendipity is one of my favorite parts of collage work. Enjoy!

FYE

Thought you might want to see some of the new works from monkeybrain:

a couple of sites

Just thought I'd pass along a couple of sites for folks interested in looking at more collage sites. I particularly like "www.notpaper.net" which features many images from multiple artists as well as short interviews with some. Through that site I found a couple of sites of individual artists whose work I particularly really like. Marty Gordon's page is sub-titled "What would Jesus glue" and is at "martworks.blogspot.com". I also really like Brandon Mclean's work, which can be found at "www.elus1v.com". Enjoy!

After the long dry spell...

untitled
Originally uploaded by misphit

...A small bit of water

It's been a long time since I posted any collage work. Finally, something to share. I feel rusty...and out of place in my studio seat. Used some recent watercolors in this work.

"Intriguing"

Wow! The 60/60 Event at the Everson Museum in Syracuse was awesome! It turned out to be a beautiful evening in Central New York -- sunny skies and warm. When we arrived at the event the excitement was palpable. We set-up quickly under the tent and had time to amble about looking at other artists' areas and watch the artists prep and begin working. There were so many good artists there and the variety of media was impressive as well (although I was the only collagist). I met some really nice people including artist Jeff Allen (he did the lacrosse player piece shown here). It was so nice having family and friends there for support too, including my wife Mary Carol, Tom's wife Debbie and daughter Leah; my sister Michele and her husband Steve and friends and colleagues Arlene, Linnea and Wayne. Thanks to all of you for your support!!! So the time that Tom and I had spent working out compositional aspects of the piece REALLY paid off (although we were still "sticking" a little bit on the final touches of the bottom left quadrant). It took us just about the full 60 minutes to get things in-place and put-down. It seems like lots of people were "intrigued" by someone doing collage (and the major element of the old photograph I think was powerful and drew people to the piece). We spent some time talking with passers-by and the finished product was especially well-received by many folks. I was VERY pleased when they announced the "People's Choice" awards to find out the Tom and I had won the prize for "Most Intriguing". Cool! Another good bit of news is that my sister Michele won the finished piece in the raffle drawing. I'm happy that I'll get to see the piece once in a while! Then we were invited to Linnea and Wayne's house for a VERY lovely evening of good wine and GREAT food! The evening was a GREAT success! I hope to take part next year as well. Enjoy!

More locally -- The 60/60 Event at the Everson Museum

One week from tonight, the Everson Museum in Syracuse is hosting the 60/60 Event outdoors in the museum courtyard. This event will feature 60 artists who will be each be completing a work of art in 60 minutes! Yours truly will be one of the featured artists (together with my creative associate Tom Nettle). Not sure if anyone has done collage at this event in the past. Should be interesting. Here's a photo of Tom as we were working on composition ideas for this upcoming event. Enjoy.

National Collage Society postcard exhibit

Greetings collage comrades!
Just thought I would encourage all of you who haven't already done so to become members of the National Collage Society. The NCS offers two opportunities to exhibit your work. The annual "Wish You Were Here" postcard exhibit is non-juried and open to all members. Each submission is limited to a 4" x 6" format (like a postcard). Here is the piece I've submitted for this year's exhibit (entitled "I'll send you a wire"). The NCS also sponsors an annual juried exhibit. The deadline for submissions to this show is August 27th. From what I've seen of previous exhibits, assemblage pieces are very common. For more information, check out the NCS website at www.nationalcollage.com. Enjoy!

TAXCUT - Extraordinary work by Chad Person

Cobra AH, 9 x 12, US Currency on Canvas, 2007
WOW!
I found something seriously important to share with you today, the work of Chad Person. Reading this morning in my dailydose Flavorpill, I saw something about his latest work Taxcut and had to read on.
Taxcut is a really cool idea, accented with extraordinary detailed collage work.
You see, Chad is a professor teaching digital photography near an Air Force Base. He had one student named Harold that really pushed his buttons. I guess Harold was a mediocre student and failed Chad's class. Since he failed, he was going to have to pay the tuition, approx. $400, back to the Air Force...so the Air Force could re-allocate the monies to another deserving individual. So Mr. Person, decided to pass Harold...in fact pass him with an A+! Why?
Because he felt that it was a way to keep our government from spending even more of our hard earned tax dollars thru defense spending. This small sacrifice is an example of what needs to happen on a global basis. Imagine the sweeping change... if each and every one of us started to seriously consider the effect of our actions. Small sacrifices lead to bigger ones and eventually the wheels of life turn....
How does this relate to taxcut? Or collage even? Read this from the project info on his site:
" I have been destroying currency for my work for the past two years. As a professional artist, I deduct my material expenditures as a write off. If I slice up a hundred dollars to make an image, or a thousand, or just five, I am taking it out of the IRS coffers. Imaging the weaponry that I’m not buying with those dollars is a reminder for me that a little creativity can be quite empowering."
CRAZY idea right? Being able to use the money for work and then being able to use it for a political statement. Using creativity for the better of society. Terrific stuff!! I love the premise! And his work? Outstanding.

There will be a show on the West Coast of some of Chad's other work on a project called "Surviving The End of Your World". This is also a creative look at our political and environmental climate. The Mark Moore Gallery in Santa Monica will present this show in July. It opens July 10.

Eyjafjallajokull 3

Eyjafjallajokull 3
Originally uploaded by misphit

This time, I had no picture in front of me. I did the piece from memory. I wanted to use some other reds....and ended up adding alizarin in much larger quantities. I also wanted more fire drama, but I think perhaps I went too far! The extra vibrant flames were helped by Golden acrylics....I used pyrole orange and ink to make some smoke like stuff. I wanted to try working with the waves of the watercolor. It's so difficult. Nothing has every challenged me like watercolor!
I am also doing practice runs of scenery in my neighborhood. I carry around the watercolors and paper in my car looking for good scenes. Soon I shall sit down and begin working collage and watercolor together in tandem. I felt the need to hone up the painting skills a bit first!

Eyjafjallajokull 1

Eyjafjallajokull 1
Originally uploaded by misphit

Been silently working on my watercolor skills. I am planning on using my watercolors more often as a basis for collage works. The volcano intrigues me and I felt the need to explore it further. I had watched a lot of volcano youtube video...and I did a couple of screen grabs. This piece was the reality one. I didn't try to embellish or use my imagination much, i just was doing it to represent.

Interview with Grace Leeder

I got this really sweet request in my email a couple of weeks ago. It was an art student from across the pond looking to interview me for a school project. I spent a bit of time answering her questions, and I decided to post the email conversation here just because I have been an organizer lately instead of an artist and there has not been any new art in a few weeks or more. After a full year of crazy life, a solo show, a surgery and long recovery, my studio has had it. I had so much disorganization it became almost impossible to achieve anything creative. I spent all my time trying to find stuff! So I spent the last month totally revamping, destashing, and rethinking my studio space. I rolled over my ephemera collection and this past weekend, at long last, the procedure came to an end. I am ready to DO ART! Meanwhile, dear reader, enjoy the interview!

> On Apr 29, 2010, at 3:37 AM, Grace Leeder wrote:
>
> > Dear Julie Sadler,
> >
> > My name is Grace Leeder and I am currently studying for my art A-level in Norwich, Norfolk, England. I came across you work on the internet and was instantly intrigued. I especially liked your "Composition XX4" as I am a huge fan of collagist pieces.
> >
> > For my externally set assignment with the theme of "obsessions and passions" I have to research 2 artists who's work inspires me and that I am interested in. Along with Lisa Milroy, I would really enjoy responding to your fantasic works. To fully respond to any artist as part of my coursework, I have to explore contexual information about the artist, such as education, technique and background.
> >
> > Therefore, I would be honoured if you would be so kind to as send me some such information about yourself.
> >
> > If there is any way I could help this process, should you be so kind as to agree to help me in my studies, please email me and let me know. I would also be happy to pass on my art teacher's details if you'd like.
> >
> > Thank you so much for taking the time to read this email.
> >
> > Yours Sincerley
> >
> > Grace Leeder
> >
> >

>
>
> From: Julie Sadler
> To: Grace Leeder
> Sent: Fri, 30 April, 2010 19:35:20
> Subject: Re: Studying your work
>
>
> Hi Grace,
>
> I am honored that you would like to include me in your studies! I teach Design and Graphic Arts as an adjunct professor at SUNY Cobleskill. I am happy to help you in this project.
> Maybe it's best if you set up some questions and I can answer them. I get lost when I try to write paragraphs about myself....
>
> Let me know what I can do for you,
>
> Julie

From: Julie Sadler
To: Grace Leeder
Sent: Tue, 4 May, 2010 14:12:20
Subject: Re: Studying your work

Dear Grace, Thanks, this makes it much easier to figure out what you are seeking. Lets see what I can do here!

On May 4, 2010, at 5:33 AM, Grace Leeder wrote:

> Dear Julie,
>
> Thank you so much for replying to my email! Here are a few questions of things I'd love to know about - feel free to elaborate as much as you like on the question. Thanks again so much for taking the time to do this for me.
>
> • When and where were you born?
I was born in 1959...in Oceanside, NY. It's a place on Long Island, just east of New York City. I didn't live there long though. My parents moved briefly to New Jersey, and then to Michigan for a few years. I finished up high school in rural upstate New York, which is where I have stayed throughout the rest of my life. I consider this home.
>
> • What are/were your parent’s professions and has this influenced your work or lifestyle?
My father....was a research chemist. He worked with glue and resins. He is a sincere lover of culture, even though his job was an analytical one. He promoted music, dance, theater, art....and when our talents became obvious, he gave us extra training and support.
My mom...was a homemaker of the most creative type. My mom sewed...and i don't mean just clothes, I mean she could make slipcovers for couches, and beautiful elaborate valances for curtains. She learned to tole paint and made interesting home accessories. She learned stain glass and made windows for the house. She cooked like a gourmet. She knitted, crocheted. There wasn't much that my mother couldn't do! She was the ultimate host and the ultimate chameleon, creating things from nothing.
Through Dad's love for culture, and my mothers obvious penchant for living creatively, an environment of exploration was created. My parents' never stopped me from pursuing anything that interested me. I know the cultural background they provided me was the foundation that still allows me to think different, be different and therefore create.
>
> • What training or education have you had?
HA! This question is kind of funny to me, actually. When i was really young, I was in a store and sat down in front of the play organ and began to pick out tunes on it. My mom and dad heard this and were amazed at the fact that I had no training and I was playing music. So began a short career in music. I was given a flute in 5th grade, and my parents immediately started me on flute lessons, too. 2 years later, we also got a piano and I did lessons on that and flute until I graduated from high school. I liked music, and it was something I was easily good at. I joined up in symphonies...got scholarships twice to 2 different music camps. The second one, I won a summer at Chatauqua. 7 weeks exposed to art and music. While I was hanging out with some friends in a practice shack, I saw a girl doing some pen and ink freehand pieces. I was immediately enthralled. That fall, I signed up for my first art class. Unfortunately, I was already a senior in high school, and it was too late for taking any other classes. I loved art. I loved the private nature of it. I could create in silence, in private. With music, people watched me when I played. It scared me. I didn't have a lot of confidence back then, and having an audience all listening intently to me and staring at me was just too much. That and my parents were very annoying...making me practice practice practice when I wanted to go and hang out with friends and grow up. Abruptly...I just up and quit. It really hurt my Dad, who was grooming me for college on a music scholarship.
I am completely self taught in art. Thru the next decade, I got married and had 2 daughters. In my spare time, art was always a form of self espression. Pen and ink. watercolor. Later on, I learned rustic furniture skills and began drawing on baskets I would make from birch bark I collected in the woods. It was a slow process.
Finally my daughters grew up and moved on. That decade was spent intensely making collages. Until now it is second nature.
I took out library books from the Utica library to learn to use color. I put myself thru a rigorous watercolor study, and I painted en plein air in the buggy Adirondack woods for 2 years straight. Finally, I craved a change...some freedom. I saw some collage work on the internet. Immediately, I got myself a small journal and filled it with crazy dragonfly collages. This particular piece was my very first collage experience. I have it online here...
http://www.magikglasses.com/rustiks/dragonfleyez.html
My mom loved it. She told me I had talent in this. I was astounded. She never really told me that before. Not even when I was a musician. This must have held heavy weight in my mind, because I still remember it.
I joined up in several Yahoo groups...Art Erratica, Collage, Assemblage, and Altered Books. I absorbed like a sponge various mixed media techniques. It was a free for all, after the very restrained watercolor work and pen and ink work I had done previously. I loved it.
I tried altering a book....called it Dreamiverse. I also did the journal Composition XX4, that you mentioned. I loved this free attitude. This idea of making things look random, but yet having them work into something else, it was like magik. At the time I wore geeky yellow glasses. Hence, magikglasses....the website name.
My style kept morphing and changing. I did literally thousands of collages. Worked in peoples' round robin projects. Worked with Melissa to create AEZine and produced that for a few years.
Somewhere in here I learned how to create interactive pieces, using flash. It was something I needed for work, but ended up being helpful in my own artwork too.
Just recently I did a series of 6 movies, based on some collage pieces. I got to use my music skills, which sometimes I yearn to do.
The learning continues I hope forever.
It's all been so amazing. Published in books, been in a DVD. Had a successful solo show.
My latest project is barely started. I am writing/illustrating a fairy tale.


>
> • Did you ever consider an alternative career?
Well, actually I have one. I have supported myself in computer graphics since I was 25. I learned to typeset and paste up. Later, I learned desktop publishing on a Mac...and ran the department for a union print shop. When the internets became vogue, I learned web publishing, networking...
My day job consists of maintaining 15 websites, mac training in Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, InDesign. I advise on software purchases; I design 4 color ads for publication in magazines; it's a great job and always I am learning.
Last year, I got a part time job working as an adjunct professor at SUNY Cobleskill. I taught InDesign/computer graphics. This past semester I taught Design 111 in the art studio. It's been absolutely terrific. I love working for the college!
>
> • Are there any specific events in your life that have influenced you in your work?
My love for the Adirondacks...the balsam woods. The birches. There is a part of me that resists mankind and loves to be in the middle of a deep wood beside a lake painting. With no one around but an occasional squirrel or black bear.

>
> • Are there any artists that you take inspiration from?
!!!
yes.
Charles Burchfield: for his watercolors, and the idea of expressing sound with visuals
Homer: for his exquisite watercolor technique
O'Keefe: for her fantastic extravagant view on things
Maxfield Parrish: for his flamboyant color usage, and turning me onto the Golden Spiral
> The Canadian Group of 7: nature painting
Mark Ryden, Jeff Soto: lowbrow surrealism
Camille Rose Garcia: ability to create consistent characters across narration
Kiki Smith: feminism expressed in her art



>
>
> • Are there any artistic movements that you take inspiration from?
ALL of them!
I use everything and anything that I think will express my intention.
>
> • What are your favourite mediums and processed to use in your work?
Golden Acrylics, for smooth backgrounds. I use them like watercolors. The binder keeps the pigment from floating when I get heavy with glues or mediums.
Talas Jade, for gluing objects that have to have surface texture.
Photographs: for their realism!
Typography: I deconstruct it and it creates and odd otherworldly feeling

>
> • Have you explored any media in your career that you found unsuccessful? If so why?
I am looking into encaustic. Not sure it's for me. I haven't formed my final opinion on it yet.
I like the long term preservation of this media.

I would like to explore oils. But I don't think I have patience for it.

>
> • Are there any particular figures/objects/scenes that your enjoy observing and documenting?
Yes. I seem to be drawn to scenes without people. I love stumps, swamp plants. Woods. Forests. Forest animals. Lakes. Streams. After I work on a background, I most often am compelled place a figure in it. I know it's semi-autobiographical. It's me resting among the flora and fauna. Sometimes I have company in my mind...and in these pieces I place my lover, or my family. I try hard to change the scenes, let this all become more spontaneous, but when I let myself go into that creative trance-like state, usually a scene from nature will be poured onto the page, and not things of a man made nature.
I am also quite fond of the stars above. I feel the presence and influence of things that I don't think we can see directly. I try to place floating objects in a lot of my work. They represent these unknowns. I feel that the stars affect us in some remote way and lately I find myself taking photos of clouds and sky formations.
I predict you will see more of this in my future work!


Good luck Grace. Had we been doing this in person, I think I would have talked your ear off!

Julie!

>
> Grace


Dear Julie,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I can't wait to respond to your techniques - and I really think that the information you have given me will really give me the edge in my work - a lot of my class mates get rather good at googling artists and copying and pasting into their sketch books...I really appreciate your giving me such a personal insight into your life - past and present.
I look forward to perhaps sending you some of my work to see whay you think!

Thanks again

Grace

Fluxus pix Fest

These fluxus pix were taken April 16, Friday nite, at Printed Matter in NYC.

FLUXUS Pix Fest Intro

I am so sorry this took awhile to post. I have been out of town 2 weekends in a row and am still catching up. I wanted to do a nice formal blog post, and explain the beginnings of mailart and how important the movement is, and how these people relate to it all. BUT that whole process is delaying this post even further.
IN short, Melissa McCobb Hubbell and I met up with Cecil Touchon. He's a most inspiring collagist and fluxus artist that lives in Texas. He was in NYC recently for the Stendhal show featuring none other than Mr. John Held, Jr. and Picasso "Daddaland" Gaglione. This all gets so complicated with the history of it mailiart....but even Ruud Jensen is involved with this show at Stendhal called "Greetings from Daddaland: Fluxus, Mailart and Rubber Stamps". The show lasts till May 29, so there's still time to get thine hiney down to this gallery and check it all out.
Meanwhile, they had this rather impromptu Fluxus performance at the Printed Matter and while I used Cecil's camera to take a movie, Melissa took these pix of the show. It was quite the spectacle and did enlighten me on what the movement is about. What loving people, to support each other to the extent that they would fly across the world to be there for the show. I am impressed.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to research these peeps' names and affiliations and websites. If you know who they all are, feel free to post in the comments.