Lucky Me!

Posted on December 2, 2024 by cecelia

Recently, I had the VERY good fortune to receive a gift from my son Brad. Now, this is not the first time Brad has given me something special. The best present was his arrival on December 1, 1965. But, aside from that, his recent surprise gift can’t be topped. It is a two-volume set of all the ArtEveryday blogs that appeared on my website from 2012 to 2023. They are still online at www.studio7310.com/ArtEveryday.

The books were designed and published by PixxBook. They are stunning! The blogs are there in their entirety with superb layouts of text, art, and photographs. Brad did all the technical heavy lifting to ensure the final product would be exceptional.

Here are the book covers and some of the pages.

If you’ve followed my blog through the years (time really does fly) some of these pictures may look familiar. Throughout my years of blogging, I have tried to provide insight into the “how” and “why” of my art practice. It’s been a long and ongoing journey of self-discovery. Having you along for the ride has been a pleasure.

2012 to 2023 may seem like many years but it’s only a moment in time. It’s wonderful to revisit what the blogs captured during those years. “Thank you” can hardly express my deep appreciation for these amazing books but Brad knows the depth of feeling those two words convey. I am savoring these books now; I know I will return to them often. Surprises await with each turn of a page.

At the end of the blog on March 7, 2012 I wrote “Do what you love or you won’t love what you do.” I hope you all find your happy place. I found mine.

Artfully yours,

Cecelia

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD!

A Little of This and A Lot of That

Posted on September 3, 2024 by cecelia

Showtime!

Here is a preview of what I will be exhibiting in “Paper Trails” at the Gallery at UTA (the University of Texas Arlington), opening Thursday, September 5^th with a reception from 5:30 – 8pm.

The collages on exhibit are from various series that explore connections and relationships of color, line, shape and space within and between series. These relationships are often unexpected and lead to changes as the work develops.

I have previously blogged about specific groups (series) of collages and how I use layers on monotype prints, solar plate etchings, acrylic painting and marbled paper. The collage may include inked and printed stencil shapes, cut up found paper, marbled paper and pieces of repurposed collagraphs cut into various shapes. I often recycle early works (prints and photos) to use for cutout shapes.

The collages are on and of paper. Sometimes, words and phrases are added as in the “Fortune Cookie” series.

#1355 Take Nothing For Granted monotype, solarplate etching, sun print, collage 30x22_ 2019

#1356 Catching A Conversation monotype, solarplate etching, sunprint collage 30x22_ 2019

#1384 Happenstance 2021 suminagashi marbled paper, monotype collage 22x30_

#1385 Riddle Me This 2021 suminagashi marbled paper, monotype collage 22x30_

#1390 The One That Got Away monotype, sunprint, photo collage 25.5×19.5_ 2021

#1391 Breaking Loose monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5_ 2021

#1403 Leave Well Enough Alone monotype, embossing, collage 22x30_ 2022

#1407 Cascade monotype, embossing, collage 22x30_ 2023

#1414 Fortune Cookie-Your Mind Is Creative, Original and Alert monotype w. pencil, collage 30x22_ 2023

#1415 Fortune Cookie-Big Journeys Begin With A Single Step monotype w. pencil, collage 30x22_ 2023

Some photographs from my “Underfoot” series are included in the exhibit. They present abstraction expressed in a different medium.

.Underfoot- Bentonville, AR 2014, 12×16, digital archival print

Underfoot-Portland, OR 2015, 12×16, digital archival print

Underfoot, Dallas, TX 2015, 12×16, digital archival print

I hope you’ll join me at the opening where you can explore the connections between the individual pieces and the relationship, over time, of one series to another.

The Past Is Present

Posted on November 8, 2022 by cecelia

A new life for old photos. Monotype print + vintage photo + collage = new work.

The collages began with monotypes left over from the “Mystere” series of years ago. They lay waiting for something. So did my collection of vintage photos of people, many of them as postcards which were sent to friends and family. Who were these people, anyway? I think of that as I sift through them, looking for the right one to add to the monotype. If I wait much longer the monotype print will also be “vintage.”

This is not the first time I have used vintage photos in my work. Years ago, I made Xerox (when did we stop using that word?) copies of photos and transferred them to monotype prints. Here are some examples of that combination.

#590 Untitled Monotype Xerox Transfer 22.5×15 1995

#630 Untitled monotype, xerox transfer 22×12 1995

I have also adhered actual photos to monotypes like these.

#570 Untitled monotype, collage 22×30 1994

#579 Mama,1886, monotype,collage 30×22 1994

#593 In The Pursuit of… monotype, xerox transfer 25.5×19.5 1995

This time I photographed the original vintage photo and printed it from my computer rather than use the actual photo. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe, in case I wanted to do something with them in the future. Who knows?

There are only three finished pieces in this series. Each starts with the faint tangle of lines across the “Mystere” monotype. The posed people (staid, aren’t they?) in the photograph are a foil for the swirling lines all over the monotype. Etched shapes and printed shapes are added. Lastly, additional paper collage elements move in, over and around the photos, anchoring them to the page.

#1400 Long Ago and Far Away 1 a. monotype, collage 22×302022

#1400 Long Ago and Far Away 1 b monotype, collage 22×30 2022

#1400 Long Ago and Far Away 1c monotype, collage 22×30 2022

Here are the other two pieces in the group. Just the final piece.

#1401 Long Ago and Far Away 2 monotype, collage 22×30 2022

#1402 Long Ago and Far Away 3 monotype, collage 22×30″ 2022

The mysterious people from a different era now inhabit our world. They’ve been brought forward into this century. I hope they are happy.

8 AM Pearl Street Boulder, CO

Posted on October 10, 2022 by cecelia

8 AM.

An early morning walk along Pearl Street in downtown Boulder. It will be busy later but this is what I see now. A lone dog walker. A guy on a bike. A few people getting their morning coffee at one of the local independent coffee shops. Quiet.

I can walk a mile or so down one side of the street and return along the other side seeing what catches my eye without being distracted by people and traffic. It is an exercise in LOOKING up, down, and sideways. Stopping and starting. Seeing the ordinary, the overlooked, the mundane, and the discarded. Finding patterns, textures and colors along ONE street in a busy city.

Pearl Street mall

Pearl Street alley

There is construction and deconstruction.

There is art on the walls and on the street. There are artful window displays.

There are signs which inform and are usually not given a second thought as we hurry by. Well, maybe, sometimes.

Objects all lined up make a “group” if you see them that way.

There are patterns and textures. Look up, look down.

There are even some “underfoot” markings and graffiti.

Things left behind make me wonder about the “who” and “why.”

Nothing will be the same tomorrow.

Winter Musings

Posted on February 21, 2022 by cecelia

It’s that time of year in N. Texas when “iffy” is the operative word. Late winter means the days are getting longer but the temperature can go from 20’s one day (O.K., several days) to 65 the next. Brilliant sunshine, blue skies, then thunderstorms, hail, “wintry mix” (that means freezing rain, maybe snow). I kid you not. February seems to be the “it” month. February 2021 had 139 hours of below freezing temperature. We Texans are not cut out for that sort of thing. This February we had only 48 hours of “freeze.” Fingers crossed that will be it. The daffodils are popping up, a good sign.

During my “hunker down” days I thought about all the fun road trips my best friend, SF, and I took during our almost 59 years of marriage. Of the many stops we made while passing through small town(s) U.S.A. the fun and memorable ones were often at country cafes, roadside luncheonettes, gas station bar-b-q’s and soda fountains at the back (or front) of “emporiums.”

So, here’s to those special places where there’s always a “howdy” welcome and a slice of homemade pie or ice cream soda, sometimes both. If you are SF a chocolate ice cream sundae will do just fine.

Enjoy the ride unless you’re skiing.

St. Jo, TX

Clines Corners, NM

Homer, AK

Round Top, TX

Bells, TX

Canton, TX

Somewhere in OK

Minturn, CO

Eagle, CO

Redstone, CO

Marble, CO

Steamboat Springs, CO

Jefferson, TX

Hico, TX

P.S. SF is Stanley Feld (which you probably guessed) for whom there can never be enough chocolate ice cream.

Texas Rambles

Posted on March 5, 2021 by cecelia

I came to Dallas in 1969. From then, until Covid-19, hubby and I traveled a lot. We traveled to countries near and far, throughout the U.S. and much of Texas. We have not seen all of Texas, it is big, you know, but we have seen a lot; large, medium and small cities and towns and parts that are still rural and undeveloped, although for how much longer I can’t say.

Recently, looking at photos taken during those travelin’ days, I was reminded of the impact that those places had on me. How extraordinary the most ordinary things can seem if looked at in a different way.

With that in mind, I invite you to join me as I mosey down the highways and (mostly) byways of Texas, a big state with similarities throughout and great differences east to west and north to south. The stops along the way are in no particular order but they are real places and can be found on any Texas map.

Along many country roads there are buildings, still standing, which make a statement, sometimes hard to miss, sometimes easy to dismiss. They arouse my sense of curiosity and make me want to stop and ponder – who, when, why?

St. Jo

Honey Grove

Round Top

Whitewright

Honey Grove

Whitewright

Bells

You have to slow down (literally) when small towns are along your route or your destination. Main Street, where businesses once thrived still have “Antique” stores containing all those reminders of bygone days.

Comfort

Honey Grove

Sherman

Nacoma

McKinney

The local café was always a place to stop, stretch and grab a bite. Some had quite a reputation.

Round Top

Jefferson

Ferris

As I walked the streets of these small cities and towns I found myself hoping that the attempts at gentrifying and repurposing the neglected or vacant buildings would be successful. The parts of town that are not front and center often have “character” which is a way of saying they were once important and in some cases still are although they could use a good dose of TLC. Then there’s the question, “If you build it, will they come?”

Cisco

Honey Grove

Whitewright

Denison

Nacoma

McKinney

Texans are generally gregarious and like to gather at auctions, on front porches and county fairs. Small towns are famous for all of those.

Denison

Ravenna

Whitewright

Fannin County Fair

We went to Marfa, in West Texas, many years ago. Marfa gained notoriety when the Chinati Foundation was established; Donald Judd’s sculptures are displayed inside and outside on the many acres around the building. It became a mecca for tourists and gave a decided “bump” to the town where Judd lived.

Chinati, Marfa

There are more places on my Texas Rambles list, too many for one blog. When travel once again becomes a reality (I hope), remind yourself that the ordinary can become the extraordinary if you stop and look, really look.

McKinney

As one of my favorite country singers says, “I can’t wait to get on the road again.”

Who’s On First?

Posted on January 23, 2021 by cecelia

This is about ball caps, specifically those belonging to Stanley Feld. In an effort to de-clutter, a la Marie Kondo (“The Art of Tidying Up”), I persuaded Stan to document all his caps, keep the most beloved, and donate the rest. Thus was born the Ball Cap Project. What better way to start 2021, ten months into the pandemic?

Would you believe me if I told you there were more than 100 caps in various places all over the house? I know there is a song or poem there. This abundance of headgear fell into several categories; sports teams, travel, farm/ranch, hotels/resorts, bands, entertainment venues, and colleges/universities.

As we sorted through the piles I feared Stan would get lost in a sea of nostalgia, reminiscing about where, why and how he acquired each cap. But he was a good trooper and happily posed for a keepsake photo in each one he kept. That kept us moving along nicely. Still too many in my opinion, but you can’t win ‘em all. Another time, another Marie Kondo try.

To quote Rod Stewart, “he is my lover, he’s my best friend…”

And so, here’s to my guy, Stan the man.

Florida Marlins

Colorado Rockies

Dallas Cowboys

San Francisco Giants

Univ. of Kansas

Univ. of Illinois

California Angels

Boston Red Sox

Cleveland Indians

Univ. of Illinois

California Angels

Boston Red Sox

Univ. of Nebraska

St. Louis Cardinals

Univ. of Utah

Dallas Mavericks

Univ. of Missouri

Omaha Royals

Minn.

NY Yankees

Texas Rangers

Astros/Rangers

NY Mets

Texas Tech

Midland Angels

Chicago White Sox

Montreal Canadians

Seattle Mariners

Philadelphia Phillies

Baltimore Orioles

Montreal Expos

Brooklyn Dodgers

Detroit Tigers

It’s A Wrap

Posted on October 6, 2020 by cecelia

The collage series TIME is finished (maybe). The previous blog, “Since I Don’t Write Poetry”, described the how and why of #1366-1369. I posted questions in that blog that I asked you to ponder. The last two collages in the series are #1370 and #1371.

Each element in the collage is a shape that can be named and exists as a ‘thing.” When it becomes part of another thing it becomes something else. Continuing to add elements continues the change even further. The parts lose their identity, as they become the new entity. The end result (the collage) is the sum of its parts.

Here is #1370 “This Time”

#1370 This Time

I thought it might be fun to show a bit of the sequence in assembling the collage. It may take the fun out of guessing how it all comes together but I’m not really giving away any secrets. So, here are some shots showing areas before and after collage elements have been added to #1371 which is at the end.

#1371

Here is the finished collage #1371 with all of its relationships for you to consider.

#1371 That Time

The idea of mindfulness in meditation is what I apply to my art practice. It is being present and open to the possibilities that arise during the time spent working on a project. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time. I just didn’t know what it was called. I have the following poem tacked to my studio wall. It is a powerful reminder of the need for mindfulness, in art and life, especially now.

WORDS FOR EACH DAY

Daisen-In Temple (Zen), Kyoto, Japan

Each day in life is training.

Training for myself.

Though failure is possible.

Living each moment.

Equal to anything.

Ready for everything.

I am alive.

I am this moment.

My future is here and now.

For if I cannot endure today when and where will I.

Be well, my friends, and practice mindfulness.

JOY

Posted on August 27, 2020 by cecelia

I’ve been thinking about the meaning of the word joy and how to find it and embrace it in this off-kilter time, the year 2020.

I have come upon scenes of joy in so many places all around the world. I explored my archives and found images of people and places that caught my attention for their expression of joy. Often, something in a place that made me smile. People, young and old, near and far, anytime, anywhere doing something that makes them happy. Smiles. Joy!

Here is what I found.

Eat Dessert First

CU Boulder

Feld Days Spring Creek E.S.

Vietnam

Japan

Chile

Buenos Aires, Arg.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

A Must Have, NYC

Music In The Subway, NYC

Boston

Redstone, CO

Music at the Met, NYC

An Unexpected Pleasure, NYC

Ljubljana

So Many To Choose, Ljubljana

Beaver Creek, Co

Cinque Terre, Italy

What a Ride, Cinque Terre, Italy

Travel and photography are experiences that bring me joy. Another, which occupies more of my time, especially during these months of isolation, is working in my studio. It is the joy of discovery working with familiar or unfamiliar materials. The what-ifs, maybes and perhaps. Keep this, change that, see what happens. The road to discovery can be straight-ahead or long and winding. Minutes, hours, days, or weeks. No matter. I sink down into the work at hand and emerge at some point thinking “finished” or “unfinished.” That’s it. Next.

My Studio

Outside my studio is the natural beauty of my farm in North Texas. It exerts its special brand of calmness on me and brings me huge amounts of joy. A special part is the Tally-Ho Trail, named by my granddaughter when she was young. It meanders through the woods, gently rising and falling, twisting and turning, following the creek. It’s not Colorado, but it’s our little piece of heaven in Texas. I’ll be on it as soon as it cools off. Summer does seem to last forever here.

Tally Ho Trail

Joy can be a small thing or a big thing. If we open our hearts to the possibility of giving and receiving JOY who knows what might happen?

Life Is Art

A Pandemic Diary In Pictures – Part 2

Posted on May 21, 2020 by cecelia

Days turned into weeks, then months. Still “sheltering in place”, still walking the Preston Ridge Trail early in the morning. Strength training at home. Still noticing.