Collage Your World

Finding Inspiration on a Wing & a Prayer

Me and my “Fly Girl” (2006) piece which is made up of: antique & magazine fragments, beads, sequins, miniature bottles, metallic glitter, labels, charms, quotes and acrylic paint.

Where does an artist draw inspiration from for their work? I’d say from many sources: life experience; dreams; nightmares; visions; fears; wishes or even their idols… the list goes on. Their skill and imagination takes these things and transforms them into art. Ever since I began creating collages, my favourite sources to draw from are extraordinary people who’ve shaped my life view. Lately, that list has grown to such proportions that I’m just bursting inside to create a series devoted to them. For a long time, I’ve been thinking almost nothing is more important than the relationships we have with people in our lives: real or imagined. I feel as humans getting on with the daily grind of our lives, it’s the compelling stories of other inspiring personalities that can make us feel that perhaps we too have the possibility of becoming more than we really are… more than fate has determined us to be…

When I was working as a secretary many years ago, someone gave me a poster of the famous pilot Amelia Earhart for my office. Drawn to the image, I became smitten by the stories of twentieth century women pilots. Why? Well, because they worked so damn hard against all odds to achieve their dream of flying! In some way, I felt their dream of flying and attaining a sense of freedom through the skies was a lot like me striving to become a visual artist. At that time, women didn’t just flow into the profession as their male counterparts did, instead, in a century teeming with technological wonders, women were expected to take on age-old traditional jobs. Yet, even still after playing their customary role in the service, beauty industries or as housewives, some women longed for more. Pilot Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran (former beautician and nurse) had this to say about becoming an aviator: “I might have been born in a hovel but I am determined to travel with the wind and the stars.” This adventurous outlook on life had a profound effect on my imagination and spirit; I was compelled to translate their stories into a series of mixed media pieces about women aviators – “Fly Girls” as they were called… ones who flew to the stars and further beyond into history books! This is why you see the image of the woman aviator “Fly Girl” on the main page of my website… without her as a source of inspiration, Collage Your World wouldn’t exist. I’m so happy with this particular piece – like a compass, it has set the direction of my art business. I was so proud to have it featured in Somerset Studio magazine some years ago. Today fly girls still haunt my imagination… and their inspiration comes to me just in the nick of time, too…

It isn’t every day some one wakes up and says, “Hey, I want to be wing walker!” That’s what Carol Pilon had to say after witnessing someone walking on the wing of a plane. She decided then and there that this was what she longed to do… feeling this was what she was put on this earth for. The only problem was she knew absolutely nothing about the field or where to get the answers to the many questions she needed to know about it. What she did have all along, however, to help her achieve that impossible dream was her tenacity. When I make my next vision board, I’ll definitely be making that word the central element on my board thanks to Carol! Through years of research and practice, Carol found a way to learn her craft from the best wing walking experts in North America. She has built her own team of pilots and planes (Third Strike Wing Walking) to carry her safely and boldly through the skies. She sees herself not only as a wing walker but as a story teller (*sigh*, such a kindred spirit!). Her life story thus far is filled with triumphs, as she’s considered an innovator in her field, as well as tragedies, such as the death of her pilot husband some years ago. Nevertheless, she’s leading an amazing existence. If you’re intrigued to learn more about Carol Pilon you can read further details about her career on the link below. I don’t have too go to far to find her — I hear she lives in a little town not too far away from me near Wakefield, Quebec. One day I hope to see her perform… and, I’m quite sure one day this wing walker will find her way into one of my collages!

Even though I’m achieving my dream of running an art business, some days are tough. I say to myself: What will I do next? What am I doing here? Who do I think I am? Is what I have to offer any good? Am I good enough at what I do? I look around and feel very depressed some days not finding satisfactory answers to these questions, or realizing the answers will take me some time to find out. But then out of the blue, I’ll read a positive article about someone going through a parallel situation in another field and I pick myself up, dust myself off and start believing in my dream again. All because of a story of an ordinary person doing something extraordinary… and you my dear reader, where do you unearth your sources of inspiration for your work? I’d love to know…

Special thanks to photographers Peter Farris-Manning (on the home page and portfolio) and Carmin Davidson (above) for taking such incredible images of my “Fly Girl” mixed media piece.

Everything I do during a performance is to absolutely move somebody. I want to touch people’s hearts with aviation. I want to inspire them to be a part of my world. Aviation is one of the last bastions where you can truly be free, because you’re expected to be ultimately responsible, and being ultimately responsible is the only thing that leads to ultimate freedom. (Carol Pilon, Wing Walker)

Note: Just to let you know that I’ll be away the next couple of weeks… back again on November 4, 2012!

Autumn Memories…

Michelle Casey, Journal Page, "Autumn Memory", Collage/Mixed Media: magazine images, gel pens, rubber stamp designs, acrylic paint, 5 x 7 inches, November 9 2009

As in nature, the fall season has always been a transformative one for me… it’s been a time of saying goodbye to the things I’ve grown to love and of stepping through a dark doorway to another world where I never know what tomorrow might bring… of all the memories of autumns past, one special one shines brightly even after all these years. It was this very week in October 1970 that my family emigrated here from Pakistan. As much as we loved our homeland, an impending civil war and religious and economic discrimination led us to the safety of Canada. Our journey here was fear-filled but hopeful …

After surviving a bomb threat as well as having one of our planes fly through an ominous thunderstorm, at age six, I felt like Dorothy landing in Oz as our plane safely touched down at the Ottawa airport. It did so, despite my grandfather Gerald’s prophetic warnings that we might be blown to smithereens by a terrorist’s bomb while still in mid air! – the seventies was a time of air terrorism which scared many travellers. When we landed, the first thing I wanted do was to kiss the ground!

Besides my father’s relatives who were waiting for us, the very first person I remember seeing at the airport was a real “red Indian”. When I saw him, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was not an Indian like us, but the kind my grandfather told us about – the ones he saw in Hollywood movies who painted their faces, rode bare back on horses and scalped settlers! This Indian, however, was nothing to fear; he had no horse, was dressed in a suit… he was a traveller just like us on a journey of his own. To this very day, I think it was most fitting to be greeted by him upon my arrival in Canada. His presence made me re-consider so many things later in my life about what it means to be an “Indian”. In fact being in Canada would turn around many of the silly notions grown-ups had told me about the place.

Another thing that shook up my vision of Canada was the lack of snow. Where was it I wondered?! I carefully scanned the horizon and runway as we landed and, to my absolute dismay, saw none! I soon learned snow comes to Canada mainly (with some exceptions) in December and not October. I would have to wait for winter. Imaging it rose to the heavens and swallowed cities whole, I never realized snow had a frosty, flakey appearance or was icy, wet to the touch – initially I thought it was just millions of cotton balls falling from the sky! Even still I enjoyed the fall season. I began school and made new friends; I enjoyed the golden glow of autumn leaves which I collected and preserved between ironed sheets of wax paper. I fell in love with the smell of chimney smoke as it spiralled through the air, and for the first time, I felt the cold weather chill me to the bone. I enjoyed the sweet, tangy taste of candy apples and delighted in the lightly spiced aroma of pumpkin pie… it was exciting to be immersed in such an exotic world!… like Dorothy in the land of Oz I’ve made many good friends here, faced a great and powerful wizard as well as many villainous foes …and even longed to go back “home”… only to discover home is a place I carry in my heart and soul.

And you, my dear reader, what kind of images and memories does fall conjure call up for you? Do you live in a place where the trees change colour? Or is it another season entirely? How have the seasonal changes melded with your life experiences? What are your autumn memories: its sights, sounds, tastes, smells and textures? Perhaps you’ll make time this weekend to jot some down or create a quick collage about them in your visual journal. Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers! It’s been a pretty decent long weekend weather-wise for us.

Journaling Workshop Coming Up Soon!

Speaking of visual journaling… don’t forget the deadline for registering for my collage journaling workshop is October 13, 2012. If you’re interested in taking it, there’s still room! I look forward to hearing from you. Please see my Workshops Page for more details.

Collage Tip #11: Collage Your Own Stationary

Page 1: letter to Josephine on my collage stationary, September 2004.

Another period of studio clean up has gone by in a flash! This week the arduous task of sorting through umpteen boxes of supplies began. I love this stage because it’s a lot like unearthing buried treasure. I’m finding all kinds of materials and past work I’d long forgotten. For instance, I ran across some collage stationary I’d made several years ago. I even had the body of a letter I’d included in it to a friend. It was from a rather tumultuous year in my life when I’d had a close brush with cancer which fortunately turned out to be nothing to worry about. It’s funny how one can bury away those traumatic memories. Anyway, as a result of it I decided to make some much needed changes in my life: the most important one being to begin to do away with my pessimistic outlook on life. Coincidentally it was also the same period that I began sorting and organizing my studio and art supplies for the first time – it was my way of saying I was taking myself more seriously as an artist. It was also a magical time. I had just finished reading Anosh Irani’s The Cripple and His Talismans: a fictive tale of a young man who travels upon an incredible journey of self-discovery through Bombay looking for his lost arm! Since it was a tale set in India, the land of my heritage, it conjured up all kinds of visions that made my collaging spirit more adventurous. The stationary I made that year was the direct result of the creative energy I drew from Irani’s story.

I remember I had sent that letter to my good friend Josephine: a watercolourist and jewellery maker who made the most exquisite art. At 50 years of age, she and her family moved from Ottawa to British Columbia on the west coast to begin life anew. For a few years after this, she’d send me the most beautiful handcrafted gifts; one year she made me a hanging mobile of sea shells and driftwood from a nearby beach which she had entwined with Swarovski crystals which still hangs in my studio today. She spoiled me so much! As you can imagine, in response, no ordinary store-bought stationary or thank you card would do. I reciprocated Josephine’s kindness with some of my own art… and I tried to be as adventurous as she was in her art making – she was so inspirational! That’s when I came upon the idea of making my own stationary; something that would give her visual insight into my mental and emotional worlds that transformative summer.

Although we live in an age where digital media supersedes our need for paper, I love to send handmade letters and cards to special friends whenever I can. I want them to feel loved and I want my thoughts and feelings to be concretized in some physical form rather than be swallowed up in a sea of digital information. Digging up the letter brought back such memories and it also has me thinking of new designs for stationary. So today I thought I’d share some tips for making your own.

Page 2: letter to Josephine on my collage stationary, September 2004.

Collaging Your Own Stationary: Eight Easy Steps

Supplies: 8.5 x 11 inch black-coloured paper*; bits of your favourite magazine images, photos and patterned papers; glue stick; masking tape, scissors. Pen, markers for drawing; rubber stamp design and stickers are all cool, too… but optional.

* I suggest using a rich, black art paper for your stationary background because colours stand out so beautiful against it. Here I recommend the smoothest pastel paper or cover stock you can find; craft and construction papers are good too, but not as deep in colour. Using white and other coloured papers are fine too.

1. Arrange your images and bits of paper in a form you like leaving room for text on the paper.

2. Ensure you glue them down around the edges of your paper leaving a quarter inch margin around the edge of your paper.

3. Type or handwrite the body of your letter.

4. If writing, compose on pieces of blank paper; write each paragraph in different styles: cursive, full caps, printing or calligraphy.

5. If typing in a word processing program, use different kinds of legible fonts. Changing the font style makes the letter look visually dynamic and intriguing. If this is too unsettling for you, you can choose a favourite font style that goes with the mood you want to set for your letter.

6. Personalize your letter by signing it by hand.

7. Cut out your paragraphs in various shapes and use masking tape to stick them down. This way, you can remove the text and re-use your stationary collage for a new letter to someone.

8. Scan and print OR photocopy the original collage letter (this copy is the letter you will send). At this stage the fun continues as you can also choose a colour scheme to suit your letter’s tone: black and white, monochromatic or colour.

That’s it! Have fun designing your own stationary! Feel free to email me for further clarifications.

Page 3: letter to Josephine on my collage stationary, September 2004.

Free Collage Stationary Give Away

Here’s a sample of my three-page letter to Josephine above. If you make or have made your own stationary, I’d love to hear about it. In fact, I think I’ll give away a free sample of my next collage stationary design to the first person that sends me a comment about this blog entry!

Studio Update & Paris-Inspired ATCs

Michelle Casey, ATC inspired by Paris Vogue (2011), Collage, 7.5 x 3.5 inches, September 2012

As my studio and home renovations progress, our place is quickly becoming a maze to navigate in! Besides re-organizing my studio and relocating my office to the second floor of our home, we’re also re-arranging things in our bedroom, another spare room as well as attending to the details of a fall landscaping project. As I glance around the house and see furniture, boxes and cleaning supplies filling the hallways, I’m feeling a bit claustrophobic. Since my physical space often mirrors my head space, I’m finding it difficult to keep up my usual working momentum. Moving around things physically and mentally really zaps my energy! This has been compounded by the fact that I also picked up an infection last week and have been suffering from the side effects of the medication I’m taking… needless to say it’s been like that old adage: “When it rains, it pours!” One day this week, totally exhausted, I curled up on the only clear spot of our bedroom floor and took a short nap! Needless to say, I was forced to slow down and re-prioritized some goals which would allow me to get the more pressing things done by the end of the weekend instead of trying to do everything in record time! Early next week, the studio furniture moves will be nearly finished and the next phase of sorting storage boxes and shelves will begin. It’s a lot of work, but it feels great to get each little bit done.

And despite all this chaos, I still managed to create a collage! For the past few months I’ve been so busy with the business end of things, I’ve been missing my monthly Artist Trading Card (ATC) meetings. Earlier this month, I vowed to participate no matter what! Our theme alone, Paris, was one sure to motivate me to creative action! I decided I would make a three-page fold out ATC with fragments from a Paris Vogue magazine in my stash. The only catch was to find out where it was hidden under a mound of boxes, papers and piles of furniture in my studio! Sure enough a couple of days later I triumphantly dug out not one but two issues! My next challenge was to clear a space large enough to work in… the only spot left was on my computer table… there a small cutting mat in a 12 x 12 inch space did the job nicely. Allowing paper fragments to fall to the floor and sticky ones to cover my desk, I happily worked away until, at one point, I could no longer find my computer mouse under all the mess! Within a day, my card was ready. I was pleased with the images and word play I managed to achieve with it despite my fuzzy medicated state.

Once that was done I was glad to escape the house and visit with artist friends. Our ATC meeting was held at Wendy Southin’s Dragonfly Dreamers new studio which officially opened this weekend! Wendy’s cozy, comfortable studio is nestled in a beautiful rural setting just west of the city; it’s a great space to sip tea, create and chat in. Being in her studio gave us much to contemplate in organizing our own studios. We exchanged helpful advice regarding mixed media techniques as well as had spirited discussions about our visits to various art venues this summer. Needless to say, everyone’s Paris-themed ATC was terrific. I was privileged to trade cards with Veronica Smith who incorporated an actual museum ticket from the Louvre into her ATC! Thanks Veronica, it’s a beauty… it’s so wonderful to add a souvenir of this famous museum to my collection.

Veronica Smith, Paris ATC, Mixed Media/Collage, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, September 2012

My friend painter Susan Ashbrook keeps pestering me to teach a collage ATC workshop for her this winter. I was so pleased to be getting back into the groove of making them again, I think I will! What about you? Made any interesting ATCs this year?

Other Related Links:
A Personal Glimpse into the World of Artist Trading Cards

September 2012 Bits & Bytes

Why not take a Collage Workshop?!

If you’re thinking of acquiring or improving your fine art skills, why not take a collage class with me! I just posted my fall workshops line up. This season I’m continuing to offer two popular classes: the vision board and daily ephemera journaling workshops which are great for beginner or intermediate levels. In hopes of enticing former students, I’ll be offering these workshops at a reduced rate; please email me for more details about pricing. This winter, I’m seriously considering offering mixed media journaling and Artist Trading Card classes in conjunction with my friend painter/instructor Susan Ashbrook.

Still not sure if collaging is for you? Just take a look at what collaging has done for some of my former students…

A lovely display corner in Wendy’s Southin’s new studio, fall 2012.

Wendy Southin’s Dream Studio: Moving on Up!

My vision board students have not only been envisioning wonders in my workshop, they’ve been busy making their dreams a reality! You may remember Wendy Southin, my good friend and mixed media/jewellery artist who a couple of years ago entertained a vision of buying a new house. Not long after the workshop upon further reflection of her vision board, she realized what she really longed for was a new studio! Getting down to business she’s relocated her basement studio to the upper level of her home and is now ready to open her amazing new studio/workshop to visitors on September 22, 2012 (See Dragonfly Dreamers for more). Congratulations Wendy – you’ve accomplished an enormous goal! I wish you the very best and am looking forward to taking more of your incredible workshops this season!

Maggie “Free Spirit” Jordan (centre) proudly standing amidst her latest landscaping project, summer 2012.

Maggie Jordan’s Outdoor Designs: Nature in Full Bloom

As Wendy Southin dreamed of a new house, in that very same workshop, artist Maggie “Free Spirit” Jordan, tired of her current job, dreamed of finding a more fulfilling one. She created a board in that first workshop to motivate her to change and a second one a year later to hone in on the attitude she needed to find a new career. Soon after, she gathered the resources to build her new business Maggie Jordan Design, a landscaping endeavour born of a blend of her professional expertise in visual design and landscaping. Now she’s literally moving mountains (of earth) with teams of capable contractors to help others realize their landscaping dreams! It’s a lot of hard work, but I hear she’s loving livin’ the dream. Bravo Maggie! – your indomitable spirit as well as your ability to plan and build a lucrative business is an inspiration to us all! May it continue to bloom and grow in exciting directions!

Andrea Harrison’s latest collage features the iconic Hollywood actress Marlene Dietrich… it's interesting to note both Andrea and Dietrich possess beautiful blonde looks and artistic flair!

Andrea Harrison: Hollywood Inspiration!

Three years ago Andrea Harrison took my basic collage workshop and has been collaging up a storm ever since! I continually admire her ability to incorporate art into her everyday life… especially since she has a hectic day job and as well as being in the midst of major home renovations. It’s nice to hear that she finds collaging helps her deal with the daily stressors of life. She often shares her new collages with me as well as with friends on-line – it was a great delight to see her using a portion of this beautiful collage (see above) as her Facebook icon! Way to go Andrea! I love the way you’re extending your use of collage to the realm of social media.

Johanne Leveille’s Book Spine Poetry

Responding to my latest newsletter call to create collage in innovative ways through book spine poetry, artist Johanne Leveille sent me a submission. She reveals: “The idea of creating poems with titles is inspiring… Creating a quick poem with things one has in their proximity can be quite revealing.” Here’s her poem:

Non-violent communication

Music and imagination
Haiku inspirations
Daily meditations
The art of tea
Return to Love

Wow. I love it! It provides such great insight into your mindset. I believe from this information I could make a collage about you! Thanks so much for sharing Johanne; it made my day to receive your poem!

It’s All about Me!

Collagemania is catching… this week my friend artist painter David Kearn highlighted my website on his blog as well as the positive aspects of collage which often get a bad rap in some art circles. Be sure to check out his Break a Brush blog for more on this. David will be offering some wonderful classes this fall… feel free to stop by his website for a peek at them. I highly recommend classes with this beautiful and passionate creative soul. David, in the words of the great sci-fi Vulcan Spock: may your brush stroke live long and prosper! Thanks for promoting Collage Your World!

That’s it! I hope these tidbits inspire you this autumn.

September Reflections

My latest collage in progress on my work table, September 8, 2012. Don't know what I'll call it. It has to do remembering, forgetting and death. I feel it needs some text.

This week, in keeping up with my big re-org plans, I tended to a couple of challenging projects in my studio: cleaning out one large shelf/storage unit and sorting hundreds of magazine images and daily ephemera piled up on my work tables. All summer long, I’ve been dreading the thought of having to re-arrange the studio; the task seemed so daunting, but now that I’ve finally got the ball rolling, I’m feeling more energized and excited about getting things in order so I can begin new collage projects and workshops this fall.

In between cleaning I’ve been reading cartoonist Lynda Barry’s: What It Is: a graphic novel-like collage book drawn from Barry’s life experiences of making images, journaling and creative writing. It’s such a feast for the eyes! Every page is filled with tantalizing bits of visual information arranged on each page like a secret visual code Barry has invented for the reader to decipher. I could easily spend a good half hour reflecting upon all the thoughts just one page of her book conjures up! She’s such a brilliant collagist and writer. I can’t wait to tell you more about it later on. A big hug to my friend artist, Diane Salter, for recommending this gem!

This week I also granted myself a holiday by paying my first visit to the home/studio of my friend fibre artist Krystyna Sadej who lives in Navan, Ontario. Having a tour of her home was like travelling through a wonderland! Krystyna recycles and transforms virtually every conceivable bit of the material world into some kind of weaved wonder! Colourful tapestries, paintings and drawings created by Krystyna, her family members and artist friends adorn the walls of her home giving it a special feeling of warmth. In every room I uncovered visual delights! In her studio, she has woven discarded plastic bags into ice-age inspired marvels: hanging tapestries and a giant snow ball-like sculpture! In her daughter’s room, a skilfully chosen selection of necklaces looks dazzling upon a small section of a wall*. On the piano in the living room, Krystyna has woven old watch pieces into a display of colourful baskets – so magical! Her most recent work, an installation in progress (“to be continued” as she likes to refer to it), is in the backyard surrounding the pool… there she’s been collecting large water bottles and filling them with recycled materials of different colours and textures – on a hot summer day they make beautiful reflections upon the pool. It was such a memorable visit. Thank you for your hospitality, Krystyna! It was a wonderful day. I’m beginning to truly appreciate all the hard work that goes into weaving your incredible art pieces.

By the end of my week after reading Lynda Barry and hanging out with Krystyna, while sorting collage fragments on my work table, I dove right in and made my first collage in months! What release! What a relief to know that I could still collage! Believe it or not some days I have my doubts! I’m sure some of you must understand this feeling! This summer some of my life’s happenings have gotten me down but all it took to transform my attitude was immersing myself with work in the studio (cleaning is always so therapeutic for me! I’m hoping one day Kev will think so too! 😉 ) and drawing on the inspirational magic of friends to get back into the creative stream of things! Weeks like this, I feel so fortunate to be an artist.

*Note: Seeing Krystyna’s artfully covered walls made me think of Geraldine James’ book: Creative Walls. See my blog entry: Christmas by the Book for more on this.

Art Studio Remix

This month, re-organizing my art studio has dominated my thoughts. Over the last few years, solo shows and several workshops have taken their toll on my creative oasis; things in the studio are beginning to pile up and take on a life of their own! Every now and then, I love to re-arrange my house and studio; giving the place a new look always regenerates my artist spirit. Reflecting upon the myriad changes I’d like to make has brought to the surface, memories of my art studios past…

When I got my hands on my first arts and crafts materials at age six, I designated a small patch on the living, dining or bedroom floor as my studio space. All I ever needed to complete the ambiance was to add a little music for inspiration and I was set to go! Having this kind of shifting, temporary space was fun; a little hard on the knees though. In a family of five kids, however, it wasn’t always the most conducive to producing art. I had my share of dealing with younger siblings continually demanding my attention, wreaking havoc with my art supplies as well as their begging me to help them with their school art projects! Even then, my childhood and teenage studio space was a lively place of learning and excitement … best of all, my younger brother and sister turned out to be very creative souls.

In my mid 20’s, my husband presented me with my first drawing table when I began taking nightly art classes. I got great use out of it especially in my late 20’s when I enrolled in a fine arts program at university. In my final year of studies, I got squeezed out of my school studio space which I shared with several other students and I resorted back to making art work on the bedroom and dining room floors of our apartment! I produced some of my best work on them. Funny how a small humble space like a floor can still help you achieve so much!

Flash forward to my early 40’s when my hubby and I were finally able to buy our first house. When viewing the plans for new homes, we excitedly chose one with a nice open concept and finished basement. We wanted the latter to be our shared office and studio spaces, respectively. It didn’t take long, for my studio space to begin encroaching on my husband’s office… especially several years ago when I began reading Claudine Hellmuth’s mixed media books and began amassing art supplies, storage boxes and shelving units! As you can imagine, the IKEA furniture store became my best friend. At the moment I have over 60 storage boxes and shelves filled with collage goodies and reading resources. As I look about my generous studio space filled with many beautiful treasures, I’m grateful for what I have and realize how far I’ve come as an artist.

So enough wandering down memory lane… here’s my latest studio remix wish/to do list… after several discussions with Kev, much note taking, planning, budgeting and producing a list of items to buy or recycle, over the next six months, I’m hoping to:

1. Move my studio office to a spare room in the house (office work distracts my studio mind set!).
2. Devise a cool workshop demo space for my materials and computer screens.
3. Design/dedicate a wall space for collage pieces I’ve made or collected over the years.
4. Add a couple of comfier work chairs for students.
5. Remove as much clutter from my work tables as possible.
6. Improve studio lighting.
7. Change the carpeted floor to something that’s easier to clean up (if possible).
8. Add a fresh coat of colour paint to the studio.

Item number one is already in progress! Will keep you posted from time to time. Here are some pics to give you an idea of my “before” space. And, no, I didn’t bother to make it look good for your “visit” – I know, it’s hard to believe, I’m usually such a neat freak especially when visitors are coming over! Instead, I’ve made the photos real teeny so it’s harder for you to see the mess!

Welcome! Come downstairs for a short studio visit (left). A glimpse of my backyard from the studio door is always inspiring (right).

My busy side of the studio (left). Kevin’s area is much more minimal and serene (right).

I love to have objects all over the studio that inspire me… my doll collection (including Catwoman!) and a porcelain hand (right) I bought for a steal!, family photos and notes/mementoes from friends.

My vision board is here to continually inspire my art practice (left). At the moment, my cluttered studio space is definitely in need of a makeover (right).

So, what’s your concept of an art studio? Does size or space matter to you? What was your first studio space like? Do you like your current one? Are you in the midst of renos, yourself? I’d love to learn more about your creative spaces, as well. If you have any suggestions for my studio renovations, I welcome your advice.

Artist Mentors I: Paul Lowry, Madman or Genius?

Many of us know that we’d never be the artists we are today if it wasn’t for the inspiration we received from our artist mentors of the past. I found mine at university in the departments of photography and art history. There, a few special professors brought art to life in a way I’d never experienced it before. The passion and commitment they instilled in me continues to guide me. Today, I’d like tell you about Paul Lowry, my non-silver photography teacher.

Anna Atkins, Algae (Cyanotype) in "Photographs of British Algae -- Cyanotype Impressions" (1843-53)

Non-silver photography offers alternative methods of making photographs not based in traditional gelatin silver emulsion. One such example being using a photocopier as a camera to make pictures. Another, made popular over a century ago, involves making special chemically-based light-sensitive papers to create blue (Cyanotype) and deep brown (Vandyke) tinted images. Printable on watercolour paper or fabric, the exquisite images this latter technique produces is an amazing blend of the handmade and mechanical worlds. Seduced by its expressive potential, students flocked to register for the non-silver class. I was drawn to it for its collage potential. In previous years, I’d seen students layering photographic negatives to make cool surreal images and was eager to learn the process. At first I hesitated taking it… my butter fingers approach to first-year photography hadn’t exactly inspired confidence in my abilities as a fledgling photographer. But, I crossed my fingers and dove in!

Paul Lowry was new to the department; I remember he commuted to Ottawa from Montreal for the class and always looked a bit rumpled after the trip. He was a middle-aged, unassuming man with curly brown hair. When he spoke, however, we all took notice as he animatedly relayed the history of photography and its methods to us. His dramatic manner of speaking was reminiscent of a master magician about to relay his most prized ruse to his apprentices… but more often than not, he reminded me of a mad scientist! If you caught a glimpse of his work, you might think that Paul had stepped out of a time long ago to make his photographs which looked like they had been spirited away from the fictional labs of Victor Frankenstein or Henry Jekyll! (His Unstill Photograph: “First Sight” is a great example of this!) But Professor Lowry was not mad; he was a photographic genius, a great story teller and a splendid actor. His images almost always involved himself as the main character. His grotesquely contorted and anguished figure added a deep, dark psychological and sometimes mythological mysterious element to his work. His art: part photo; part drawing and part painting (and now animation) has the ability to touch and disturb viewers on many levels. As students, many of us wanted to absorb Paul’s inventive and intensive approach to art making.

One day I remember struggling in the dark room with a couple of classmates wondering what the hell Paul meant when he said we needed a “punchy” negative. Confused, we nervously went about our work as he stood watching. Eventually we confessed to him that we had no two clues as to what we were doing (!) and further we didn’t know if we’d be able to survive the technical end of the class! We had nothing to fear — Paul told us all we needed to know and more. We were then free to roam wherever our imaginations took us! I can’t tell you what a feeling that was… it was like free-falling!… it was finally being able to unleash our wishes, fears and demons into the world… it made us feel like real artists. I remember transforming an image of a business man into a corporate toy doll; I even devised a special cabinet to house my dreams and nightmares!

As a result of Professor Lowry’s teaching, we happily worked over-time to bring our creative visions to life. In his class, the photo lab became a wonderland! Paul had a way of instilling confidence in everyone with his enthusiasm for their ideas. Asking compelling questions that struck at our minds and souls, he also made us realize the responsibility that came with putting images out into the world. We worked hard to consider the meaning behind the icons we used, the marks we made and the stories we wished to tell.

Paul Lowry, that wonderful teacher – artist, scientist, magician, and genius. I don’t know what he’s up to now. But I did locate his website. If you like you can stop by and lose yourself in the amazing worlds he creates.

Everyone needs artist mentors to push them further in the field. Did you have any artist mentors? Who are they? Did they come from the field of art or some other space? I’d love to hear your stories too. Soon I’ll be posting another entry related to making your own cyanotype prints so stay tuned…

Other Related Links:
Paul Lowry’s Website
Non-Silver Photographic Processes
Anna Atkins, Mistress of Blueprint Manor (by Liz Hager)

What’s in a Namesake?

Michelle Casey, "Namesake" (for MM), Collage/Mixed Media, 10 x 14 inches (approx.), April 2012

I recently finished my “Namesake” collage dedicated to Marilyn Monroe so I thought I’d share some more insights into life with my namesake with you. After all, a collage is never truly complete until we ponder its existence in our lives….

My Naming in a Nutshell…

Ever wonder where you got your name? Or what your parents were thinking when they named you? This has always been a great source of curiosity for me. In the mid 1960’s with the arrival of their first child, my parents chose the name “Christopher” for their first-born son. Instead, I popped out and the naming games began! A devout Catholic, my Mom ensured one of my three names would reference a saint and chose “Maria”, a variation of Mary (the Mother of Jesus)… it was also the name of my paternal grandmother. Next, she asked her precocious youngest sister, Angela (a teacher), to be my godmother; she agreed on the condition that my parents name me after her favourite student: “Michelle”. Then my parents chose my first name: “Maralyn” (spelled incorrectly by Church officials!) after their favourite Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe. When I was six we emigrated to Canada and I chose “Michelle” as my official name for school because it sounded so French, so Canadian! – I really wanted to fit in. Meanwhile, I lived a schizophrenic life being called a pet name at home, Michelle in school and Marilyn by my maternal grandmother Sophie. Why she insisted on referring to me as Marilyn I’ll never know, but by age 9, I had seen enough Marilyn Monroe movies to know that this little brown Indian girl would never hold a candle to the beautiful, white Hollywood goddess — not in reality, anyway. Pushing it aside, I moved on with my life.

I Remember Being Completely Obsessed by Her Fish Net Stockings…

Yet thoughts of Marilyn persisted… through the movies of course. While my parents were courting in Pakistan, going to the cinema was a staple of their lives. Being huge Marilyn Monroe fans whenever one of her movies was on TV, we all re-lived those “good old days” with them. I remember loving “Some Like it Hot” — I watched it umpteen times as well as “Bus Stop”. In that one, I remember being completely obsessed by the skimpy outfit and fish net stockings Monroe wore in the film. Then there was “The River of No Return” set in the wilderness; Marilyn roughed it in the bush with handsome actor Robert Mitchum. I remember one scene where they were paddling down a wild river; it was cool to see the polished actress still managing to look gorgeous through it all! I remember she sang the film’s title song: “The River of No Return”; her breathy, tormented voice was so haunting. Recently, I enjoyed her performance in “Niagara” as a scheming young wife who plots her husband’s demise. What I especially loved about Monroe was the power her beauty wielded over men… and her arsenal of fabulous costumes, hair, make-up and sultry female style that assured her victory over them.

Even Such Beauty Couldn’t Stop the Grim Reaper…

Decades after her apparent suicide, as a teenager coming to terms with mortality, the full force of Monroe’s untimely death hit me. Even such beauty couldn’t stop the Grim Reaper or side step tragedy. Over the years I’ve read snippets of Monroe’s biographies and seen movies recounting her life. My favourite is “Norma Jean and Marilyn” (1996); in it she is simultaneously portrayed by actresses Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd who respectively bring to life Monroe the famous actress and Norma Jean, the tormented girl inside. After taking in much Marilynmania what struck me was her desire, like many professional actresses, to be taken seriously and carve out a respectable name for herself in Hollywood. I was surprised to learn she studied method acting with Lee Strasberg; married famous playwright Arthur Miller; studied the comedic style of Charlie Chaplin; opened her own movie studio (way before other actresses did… see Lois Banner’s “Marilyn” for more incredible details) and even wrote poetry.

Marilyn’s Inextinguishable Beauty Stands Firm…

The more I discovered about Monroe, the more I admired her tenacity; every time life took something away from her; she found a way to transform herself and give back even more. In this way, I feel she’s such a great role model for me. I grieve her passing as we do with personalities who’ve “gone too soon”. For me, Marilyn’s inextinguishable iconic beauty stands firmly in line with Cleopatra or Nefertiti, ancient beauties who commanded the attention of whole armies and nations! Today more than ever the life force that was Marilyn is still alive through the media. My parents could have never imagined the power her name would invoke, even today. I’m so proud to have her as my namesake. Although I don’t officially use her name, I carry her spirit in my heart.

Do you know something of the history of your namesake? Has it had an impact on how you view yourself? Has she/he inspired you? I’d love to hear your story…

Note: If you’d like further information regarding the collage’s image references, please email me for more details.

Ruth Ann’s “Gifts from Heaven and Earth”

“Gifts from Heaven and Earth” (Dedicated to Arlene Margaret O’Rourke), Ruth Ann McClure, Mixed Media/Collage, 16 x 20 inches, 2012

Today, I take great pride in sharing “Gifts from Heaven and Earth” a commemorative Vision Board created by Ruth Ann McClure. A number of my spotlights have focused on students wishing for particular things: a garden, a new home or a job. This vision is novel in that its goal is not to seek a particular thing, but to re-create a series of memories of a loved one. Not long ago, Ruth Ann’s mother died after a lengthy battle with cancer. Rather than focus on the painful aspects of her death, Ruth Ann’s vision was to celebrate her mother’s life. Working with personal memorabilia, she set out on a journey to piece together her most cherished memories of her mother. Here are her reflections about the process…

Ruth Ann McClure and her son Alex

1. Ruth Ann, please tell us about your background?

I am the Faith Formation Director at St. George’s Parish in Westboro. I have been a volunteer at our parish since 2005 and currently sing in our Sunday family choir and sit on the Pastoral Council. I have 15 years elementary teaching experience. Most recently I have been teaching in a Montessori based prepared environment that is designed to teach children about our Christian faith.

2. What attracted you to the Vision Board Workshop?

I had left my grief counsellor’s office to go to the library to reflect on my next piece of homework. I arrived too early and found the library closed. I walked around the foyer and to my surprise saw Michelle’s beautiful display and invitation to “Collage My World”! It was there that I saw all the incredible collages and it struck me to collage about my relationship with my Mom. This would be an opportunity to put all my thoughts, feelings and positive memories together in an artistic way in memory of Mom. The final years of Mom’s life were tragic as addictions held her away from family and living her life to its fullest. That was really difficult to be part of, yet was God’s plan and I trust Him. Having collage to motivate me to gather images of Mom was super healing in my grieving process. No longer did I focus on cancer, the mixing of alcohol and drugs, self-destruction and Mom’s depression, I let go of that to find my loving healthy Mother who cared for me and encouraged me to be the best that I can be.

I chose to create a collage to tell a story of all the gifts that Mom has given me, memories of special times together, images from my five senses. Scents that remind me of Mom, (perfume, cooking) sounds like Mom’s high heels on a linoleum floor, tastes like homemade spaghetti sauce or turkey dinners, feelings and memorable events in my life that Mom was proud of.

3. How did you find the process of collaging your Vision Board? Was visually setting down your ideas helpful to you or revealing?

The process was exciting, fun and time consuming. Setting down the ideas was a relief. To purge a file box full of papers down to about 100 pieces was like running through a finish line. Yes, revealing in the fact that now I could see all the gifts in one place – what a beautiful activity!

4. Ruth Ann, you collected many items for your Mother’s board for months. Was it hard to edit out some of these very personal items?

When I saw the size of the board, I realized I had way too much for the size of the board so I began sorting the images in categories. Once that was done I focused on essential words, images that were self-explanatory. That was fun too. This sorting and purging took a lot of hours. Good work takes time!

5. Where is your Vision Board now? Is it working for you?

My Vision Board will hang with honour in our home to be shared with friends and family forever.

Items included on Ruth Ann’s Vision Board: personal letters; family photos; photocopies of: photos, products (Vicks Vapo Rub, Johnson’s Baby Powder) and favourite book covers/titles (recipe and children’s stories); magazine: photos, drawings, cartoons and slogans; colouring book images; fragments from spiritual certificates and favourite quotes.

One of the biggest challenges of creating a commemorative Vision Board is deciding what aspects of a life to choose for your board. Ruth Ann spent months collecting a big box of memorabilia related to her Mother. Upon viewing her 16 x 20 inch board, she knew she would have to do a lot of editing! New to collaging this was a formidable task for her, but over a few weeks she managed to whittle down her collection to just under a hundred images! (See image above for a short list of items she included). As home was a busy place, her next dilemma was to find a peaceful spot to assemble her collage. When I offered her my studio for an afternoon, she leapt at the opportunity. I observed in amazement as Ruth Ann composed her Vision Board in a simple mosaic style: laying out groupings of images based on events she wanted to remember and then filling in blank spaces with other appropriate words and images. As she glued the pieces down, she relayed the stories behind each set of images. For me, her Vision Board is a beautiful blend of historical novel replete with family dramas as well as a beloved patchwork quilt filled with warm memories.

Ruth Ann had her Vision Board framed; she stopped by one day to proudly show it off. As we reviewed portions of the board, tears filled our eyes. Sharing this moment with her was a memory I’ll always treasure as a teacher; knowing that with collages such as this, as well as glue, love too is holding together the sacred pieces of someone’s life to cherish for all time. Thanks for sharing “Gifts from Heaven and Earth” with us, Ruth Ann. You’ve created a very special board; I hope it will keep fond memories of your Mom alive for a long time.

“I sprinkled grass seed and placed sunflowers at Mom's grave. I drank a coffee and remembered Mom with the help of my collage. It started to rain, so I am on my way. Next visit there will be more grass and I'll bring some low growing grassy perennials for the base of Mom's head stone.” (Ruth Ann McClure, August 2012)

Collage Tip: Ensuring the Durability of a Commemorative Vision Board

I recommend students use permanent glue stick to adhere magazine images or thin papers to their Vision Boards. Since an element of spontaneity is vital to creating a Vision Board, I find a glue stick is the easiest medium to use and clean up after. Unlike liquid mediums (which are great for thicker papers), glue stick doesn’t make magazine papers ripple when they dry. I use Coccoina glue sticks recommend to me by artist Kelly Kilmer. They stay moist longer than other glue sticks which allows more time for re-positioning pieces. If adhered with care and attention to the types of paper used, a collage will hold together for quite some time. A Vision Board is often viewed as temporary artwork it’s not meant to last forever. Of use for specific period of time, after we’ve achieved our goal in weeks, months or a year, its role is over and it can be stored away. In Ruth Ann’s case of the commemorative board, however, I suggested she have it professionally framed including opting for UV glass to protect her images from fading. This ensured her original board would be durable as well as give it a formal quality for hanging in her home as a legacy/discussion piece for family and friends. I also recommended she get a high resolution digital scan of it which would give her an excellent quality print if something ever happened to her original piece.