More Shadowboxes

I just finished a couple more shadowboxes recently that have been shipped to the Visions West Gallery out in Denver for the holiday season. I'm very much still enjoying the process and this format. Perhaps a good place to hang out for a while.

"Imagine, She Said, If I Allowed This Temple to Bloom"
Copper, enamel, etched brass, mixed media.
12 x 8"

"Brewing"
Copper, enamel, etched brass, vacuum tube, magnifying glass, mixed media.
11 x8"

Shadow Boxes

I've been using Ampersand cradled panels lately for my work as a base, the ones with the 2" sides. The other day I realized that the back of these panels seemed WAY more interesting to me than the front. I suspect there are many others that feel this way too, but it was the first time my own brain went there. I really enjoyed working with the dimensional quality. Here are my first two and I'm thinking there will be quite few more...

"She Started to See This Whole Vast Mystery Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts"
Etched nickel silver, copper, enamel, glass, mixed media. 8x8"

"This Small Temple She Calls Home"
Etched brass, copper, enamel, glass, mixed media. 12x6"

Photo Tiles

More exploration with the photos transfered to enameled copper tiles that have been torch fired. I am thoroughly enjoying the Photoshop work - it all seems so magical to me still. The creative process hasn't changed however. I tend to layout all sorts of images and sketches first, and then just keep trying to mix it all in some different way. I see it as a collage with Photoshop verses a collage of found objects. I am always amazed how my subconscious can bubble up through it all and give it meaning to me. Something is working behind the curtain. I love that part.

"Below the Surface Swims an Answer or Two"
Copper, etched brass, enamel, mixed media

"Listen Said the Voice, Time to Fly"
Copper, enamel, etched brass, mixed media

Gail Severn Gallery Opening

This last weekend was the opening for my show at the Gail Severn Gallery out in Ketchum, Idaho. I thought I'd post a few images of the work there. I've been working more and more with antique photographs lately. Using them as a starting point and making many layers of additions and changes to them, then outputting the images onto enameled copper 'tiles'. This transfer method allows the rough quality of the fired enamel to show through the finished image. I'll attach the tiles to a fabricated copper background or a wood panel, then create a dimensional "frame" of copper  tubing with figures, vines, boats, awnings, etc on top of that.

Feels like it's right where I'm supposed to be - at least for now.

His Personal Circus

Copper, enamel, etched brass, acrylic, mixed media, 25x27x4"

She Aspires to a Life of the Imagination

Copper, etched brass, enamel, mixed media, 17x15x4"

One Day She Stopped Numbering & Counting & Let the Small Voice Love What It Loves

Copper, enamel, etched brass, acrylic, mixed media, 27x16x4"

When Fear Says Hello

Copper, enamel, etched brass, mixed media, 19x11x4"

Brewing

Copper, enamel, vacuum tube, mixed media, 10x6"

Kiln Fired Glass

Back in January I did some research on how to transfer black and white imagery onto glass, something that I've been intrigued by and wanting to experiment with for sometime. Turns out there's a pretty simple method using a film that is run through an old style lazer printer (not ink jet). It is a decal that then can be soaked off the paper backing and attached to (very) clean glass. After that it is kiln-fired. The iron in the lazer printer toner cartridges is the "active ingredient" fusing itself into the glass and coming out as a sepia photo image. Pretty amazing stuff.

Since then I've made some pieces that have the kiln-fired glass attached.

"One Day Clarity Appeared With the Greatest of Ease"

"She Is the Yin to His Yang"

It's a little hard to see in the photo of this one, but there is a dancer in front of the kiln-fired glass section.

"Holding It Inside as If It Belonged"

This piece has wall mounts on the back (which you can barely see in this photo) that push it out from the wall about 1.25 inches. And unless one clicks on the image to enlarge it, it's a bit of a challenge to see the shark image within the skirt area.

I don't own a kiln, so I want to give a big "thank you" to Brian Brenno here on this island who generously offered to fire these experiments for me. I dare say all the Photoshop work (I'm such a beginner still) that I did just to get these images out seems to be calling me in a new direction.