Found Art Location for 10-31-06

So just where would I leave La Bruja? As I posted yesterday, I thought about putting it into a trick or treater bag. By the time I finished my entry yesterday, I had decided the tick or treat bag would not work because there was too much risk it would be thrown out by the child before it ever reached home. I had a hair cut appointment today and thought that the studio might be a good place to leave La Bruja. Abbey Road Studio is located in Crystal Lake. It is one of several small stylist businesses that share a beautiful building. When you enter, there is a reception area with a nice long table. I laid the work on the table with a hand written note that said Happy Halloween. Of course on the back of La Bruja, there is info about found art, my blog site and a cute little poem. It took about an hour to get one fab hair cut and the work was still there when I left. Hopefully someone will get an extra nice treat today!

Happy Halloween to all.

K

Found Art Topic 10-31-06

How fortunate that found art Tuesday is Halloween this year. One of my favorite holidays, I was hoping that Rosa would choose Halloween as a topic. Sure enough, logic prevailed and Halloween is our topic. One of my fascinations with Halloween is the lore. Witch stories were told to me when I was young and I remember being so frightened. The witch in Hansel and Gretel really kept me awake at night for some time. So I decided to conjure up my own witch for this weeks found art. I drew and painted this witch! I am trying to incorporate some of my own images along with the many found papers used in my collages. Found art topics allow me to practice my drawing without the intimidation. After all, no one knows me! This is a mixed media piece using found papers, inks, acrylics, and stickers. La bruja's warts are green brads. The witch, as mentioned, is my own creation. The substrate for this work is a mail post card (5 by 7 inches in size). I entitled this work La Bruja (witch in Spanish) and it is dedicated to my new found internet friendship with artist Rosa Murillo. Muchas Gracias Rosa, para la opportunidad found art!

k

10-24-06 Found Art Location

Today I had only one errand to run. I needed to pick up dog food and a few snacks for my pups. I purchase all my dog supplements, snacks , and food at a local store named Thomas Tails. It is in downtown Crystal Lake and specializes in holistic approaches to pet care. I love this store and am so grateful to have such a wonderful resource for my greyhounds. I must say they eat healthier than any of us. Anyway...I had my found art work, Secrets, in my pocket and decided to leave it in the store. I found a very obvious and safe place to perch the work. There was a wire shelf that contained dog food lids (to use on open cans of food so that they can be stored safely in the refrigerator) and I just slipped my Secrets in with the lids. I could easily see it from across the room. The store was very crowded but even with the work in plain sight, people just walked by without even noticing it. I finally had to leave or I would look too obvious. I will be returning on Thursday for a few items that I forgot and check out the wire shelf.

So another found art week has past. Maybe this time the finder will visit my blog!

k

Found Art Topic for 10-24-06

This week the topic is Secrets. Rosa gave some serious thought to this. I felt I had to meet her "challenge." When I started to really think about what my secrets are...well, lets say I am not ready to divulge any..even in an anonymous format. My secrets are locked away where only I can access them. So the work came together very fast after I realized that. I actually drew something! My heart! I think the rest is evident. The work is mixed media and I used acrylics, cut out words from various sources, inks, and black tape... all done on a coaster that I think I nabbed from an Olive Garden restaurant in Santa Fe, NM. I titled the work "Locked Away." As far as where I will leave this work ... I am still working on it. Stay tuned.

K

Found Art, Found at Starbucks 10-17-06

So today I left my altered coaster (see below) at a Starbucks in Crystal Lake, IL. I put it in front of the napkins in a napkin holder. Then I set myself down with a vanilla latte and waited. Starbucks always has traffic and so the likely hood that someone would see the art was pretty high. I watched as about 6 people walk right by the napkins (what is it about people and napkins...Doesn't anyone use them anymore, are people using their sleeves or what)? Then a young man, who I recognized as an employee, went straight to the napkins and picked up the work, read the back, smiled, and walked off. At least I know it was not trashed! Well, I hope this young man enjoys the work. I did get my smile. And that says something!

k

Found Art Tuesday: 10-17-06

This week topic, Coffee. How perfect considering I only have a bazillion coasters from Starbucks. So I grabbed a coaster to alter, laid down several acrylic washes, stamped images, and added a napkin from Starbucks as the background. Had one of my favorite Rembrandt images, his self-portrait, on hand and decided to use it. I am not sure if Rembrandt ever had a cup of coffee; but I bet this is how he would look on a Monday Morning if he was caffeine deprived (which is why I call the work "Monday Morning")! The coffee stains are real. Used a concentrated solution of freeze dried coffee to paint some areas and to make my coffee rings. So I will leave this at my favorite Starbucks in Crystal Lake, IL this Tuesday. Art for the week will include some deco pages and a collage for a friend.

k


K

Spooky Mood

Here is a deco page I finished a while back but saved until now to post. I had to be in that kind of spooky mood! My children and I just completed the finishing touches on our Halloween decorations and so in the spirit and mood....BOOOOOOOOOO!

This work is a mixed media collage. The moon is a magazine page that I altered with De-Solv-It product. You never know how this type of alteration will turn out but in this case..it was perfect for the moon. The trick or treat bag I made from a lunch bag. The substrate is 140lb cold pressed water color paper. A variety of acrylics were used as well as inks and stamps.

K

A Message for Robyn

I received a lovely message from Robyn in Dekalb the other day. I think the Found Art bug has bitten her. Robyn, this is really a lot of fun and I enjoy the challenge of making a piece very quickly to get it out there (so to speak) in just a short time. I usually begin my found art piece on Saturday, in between transporting my children to and from dance, homework, laundry, and such. If I get time, I finish up on Sunday. If not...I finish on Monday after I come home from work. I am hoping Found Art will catch on in our area. There is so much nastiness in our world, that I am sure a small piece of art, found unexpectedly, will elicit a smile. At least that is my hope. As far as the other art that I do, well, one day, I hope, to have more exposure. I know it takes time, but one day maybe....

k

Found Art Tuesday 10-10-06

My family and I went to a local Borders in Crystal Lake, IL last night. They have a coffee bar called Seattles Best Coffee and I left my work, "Feel The Warmth," just under the first couple of napkins in the napkin dispenser. It was obvious to the eye if you picked up a napkin. Then I settled in with a latte to watch. Well, I bet 20 people went to that self serve station (with the napkins and lids and such) and not one took a napkin! After about 40 minutes I was discouraged and then the waitress walked over to wipe down the self serve area. I thought for sure this was it...WRONG. Oh she wiped near the napkins but never even looked down! I gave up and left. So we shall see if who ever finds the work, emails me.

If you go to Rosa's journal, you will see that someone who found one of her works, did indeed email her. How exciting is that!

k

"Feel the Warmth" Fount Art for 10-10-06

This past week I was down and out with a stomach flu. I hate that. On Monday I was so wrought with fever that I could not even function. The kids all had major exams and I could not even hold a notebook to quiz them. My "poor" husband had to fill in for me. I was pretty much out of it for three days. I missed out on Found Art Tuesday too. Just did not feel like "art." Rosa posted a theme of "Home." I did manage to start it but did not finish. Maybe I will finish it this week and leave it somewhere anyway.

By Thursday I was feeling human again. I did a couple of deco pages and cleaned the house! On Friday my family and I went to see the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. I came away with my own little treasures, a collection of artifact cards from various tombs, including Tut's. They should be fun to alter. This exhibit was absolutely fabulous. If you ever get a chance to see it, GO! The jewelry was incredible, as were the sculptures.

So that brings us to the theme for this upcoming week's Found Art, Sun. Now that I was feeling so much better, I actually felt like catching some rays. The Title of the work is "Feel the Warmth." It is a mixed media piece on a child's flash card. I just love altering things like that. Hand-dyed papers were used along with inks, and acrylics. I actually drew the main figure...and I don't draw, but Rosa's work convinced me I could do whatever I feel like...so why not experiment? This work is about the joy of sunshine, feeling the warmth of the sun's rays on my skin, savoring that warmth because it will soon be winter here in northern Illinois.. If I could actually catch those rays, what would I do with them?

k