Monday, February 18, 2008

Growing Glass No.1

My stars... I am all a twitter at the moment and so so so excited to share these photos with you!! I have said for a while now (here.... in emails to friends..... chatting over dinner...) I want to (need to) start exploring art outside glass beads and jewelry. And it is not that I am not lovin' every minute I spend making beads and jewelry... it's just that I think I need to expand my horizons to spark my creativity. LOL, I am thinking of that line in Shrek where Shrek is telling Donkey that Ogres are like onions... they have layers. I got layers people.

I shared with you on Friday a link to Sally Jean Alexander's website. Her book "Pretty Little Things" was a birthday gift. I have spent every day since getting it pouring over the pages. I love it. Now, this isn't the first mixed media art book that I have ever looked at. Oh no, I actually have several of them. The thing I am drawn to most isn't the soldered trinket boxes, or the doll heads on dinosaur bodies, or vintage tape measure tassels... it's the collage.

In college, I had this one teacher that had us do train of thought/splash board/brainstorming stuff. It was my favorite way to try to get ideas for new projects. We would be given a topic (ex: summer picnic) and we would take a giant piece of paper and just start writing anything and everything that would pop into our heads (ex:crawling ants, checkered cloth, red, white, flags, soft breeze, band playing, music, golden tones, rock bands....) I could go on and on.

Anyway, in the new book I was gifted, Sally uses a technique for collaging that reminds me a lot of what we used to do in college. I love it. She has you write words on slips of paper, put them in a bowl and build the layers of the collage randomly from the words that are pulled from the jar. I think I have kinda held myself back from going-for-it with collaging because I didn't know where to start. This made it click for me.

I can't not tell you how much I loved working on this. I am calling it "Growing Glass No.1". I love the feel of paint under my nails, charcol on my finger pads, the smell of drying resin.... my stars it is heavenly. Almost like a coming home of sorts. I have told you before, I have an art background. I went to college on a scholarship for painting. I didn't realize how much I missed it!!



Alright, calm down, take it easy... don't worry you little heads about it... this is just a distraction I am indulging. I am not in anyway shape or form giving up on the jewelry thing!! What I am going to do it pop into a frame shop and get one of those shadow box thingies for this!!

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback... what do you think? Mixed media is an art form that I have only peaked around the corner at... so is this cool? Would you hang it in your house some where ( know I would)? I am hoping to do a series of these over the next several weeks and finally get something posted in the Beyond Jewelry section of my website.

And by the way... blogger still hasn't fixed the spell check, so sorry... I stink at spelling.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kerry,

LOVE IT!! Truly! I am a huge fan of Mixed Media Art. It think it is fantastic and yes I would absolutely hang it up! Love your colors, "misty blues". Also, I see you were referenced in the new wire magazine, step-by-step?? I think? Wow...short memory sometimes! Sorry! But really, great job and I really love it! Beautiful!

Leslie G.

Anonymous said...

Kerry,
I love the mixed media artwork. Keep exploring and sharig. I would DEFINITELY hang this in my house.

Anonymous said...

yep!!! I would hang it up too!!! Kim

Anonymous said...

I love the artwork probably because I love those colors. I would hang this in my house.
keep exploring you creativeness but don't foget about the jewelry.
I saw the glass on the artwork and immediately thought they would have made some nice pieces but that's the jewelry lover(or as I have called it the jewlery Ho) coming out of me.

Kerry said...

Thanks so much ladies!!I appreciate the words of encouragement.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Kerry,
I would hang it in my house.
You are truly amazing.
Kathy

Anonymous said...

Kerry,
This piece is beautiful! WOW! I love seeing this side that we rarely get to see (other types of artwork)...the colors, sketching, and combination of wire, paper and beads are amazing. I think this is a GREAT direction to be going....
~ Cindy

Anonymous said...

I have just the spot for that kick ass piece, Kerry. No kidding. I just re-did my living room. Took off the floral wall paper and painted the walls (horse hair plaster) with a soft, matted color. Perfect for art - which is what you've got there, chica.
I'm exicited for you. Let the games begin!!!

Melissa Villadiego said...

Lovely Kerry! I love the colors and how you incorporated your glass pieces.