Ready for Wrapping - Day 3

The latest on the Art-o-mat paintings: the paper cutouts have all been glued in place (successfully this time) and all blocks have had a coat of clear gloss. Definitely progress. I only lost 1 or 2 in the smeared-paint-gooey-paper debacle.

So, next up: they need to have labels glued on the back and then be wrapped in acetate.

Campaign Collage - Day 2

I don't often do collages and I never do politics, but just couldn't help myself today.

This collage is made from the campaign literature that found its way unbidden into my mailbox, under my doormat, on my doorknob, and in my landscaping. It contains snippets from ads sent both by people I voted and those I didn't. Equal time for everyone, you know.

The literature this year - and I think the campaign too - has gotten nastier and less substantive. Almost none of the literature has told me what the candidates stand for or what issues to vote for. Almost without exception, the ads have bashed the competition. 

They say: my opponent is a liar, my opponent will cost this state jobs, my opponent is corrupt. Almost nothing has said: here's what I stand for and here's what I believe in and here's what I want to accomplish. 

Oddly enough, very few of the ads even used the word "Vote". I had to scrounge - twice - through my pile of papers to find enough instances of the word. If I'd been looking for the words "liar" or "corrupt", I would have had plenty.

A short story: two weeks ago as I was cutting the lawn, a woman walked up and said, "Hi. I'm Mrs. Sunshine*, and my husband Mr. Sunshine* is running for office. Can I put a sign in your yard?" 

Notice that she did not say what office he was running for, nor did she ask if I'd heard of him and planned to vote for him. 

Yet she seemed surprised when I said "No". 

(I don't put anyone's signs in my yard. Nothing personal. She didn't know that.)

I believe it's important to vote, critical even, but it's been tough this year to figure out who and what to vote for. I'm finding it difficult to take anyone seriously. Even so, I did vote - and added my "I voted" sticker to the collage.


I'm fairly happy with the collage. I'll have to look at it for a while to see if it needs anything else. Then, when it's fully dry, it will get a nice long squash under something heavy to flatten out all the wrinkles. :)

p.s. I was going to title this: "Lies, Damn Lies, and Campaign Lies". Might anyway.

Is it Wednesday yet?

*Names have been changed to protect the no-so-innocent. My apologies any real Mr. or Mrs. Sunshines who I'm sure are perfectly lovely people.

Art Every Day Month - Day 1

Just squeaked in under the wire here! Today is Day 1 of Art Every Day Month. I've decided to try different things this month, things I wouldn't normally do - different media, colors, shapes, sizes. Expand my repertoire and get out of my comfort zone.

Here's today's start. It's 12x12 inches square, acrylic paint and alcohol inks on paper. The lines are done with an iridescent blue-white paint.

Not entirely sure that it's done, and can't say I'm all that thrilled with it, but at least it's a start.