Life gets busy, especially when you own your own business and have a small child. Making time for art can be a struggle, but it helps to have a collaborator! I am glad I know Mary England, my artist/blogger friend who is always working on new, collaborative, creative work, so I can make art by way of collaboration.

Recently Mary organized a Puzzle Art Project, inviting 36 different artists from around the world to make art on their assigned blank puzzle piece. We all created something special on our puzzle pieces and returned them to Mary, who assembled the puzzle and affixed it to an abandoned building in Baltimore to bring a little beauty and joy to the area.

Here is the puzzle piece I submitted:

I used this puzzle project to finally experiment with some dried flowers I had and decoupage, a technique I had never really tried before. I had been saving some dead flowers for a while but didn't know what kind of project I should use them for. Luckily the puzzle piece afforded me a manageable blank canvas to attempt something new.

Here is a picture of the assembled puzzle and the work installed at the space:

Pretty awesome! The other artists and I all felt very good about working together and making such a successful piece. All the credit goes to Mary for coming up with the idea and getting us together on this. 

For more information on the project and to order a puzzle of our puzzle (so cool), check out Mary's blog directly: http://uncustomary.org/puzzle-art-project/.

Somehow this summer I've found myself collaborating with artist friends in more than one group projects with an environmental theme. I have always considered myself a bit of an environmentalist and included nature in my abstract works, but this year it's been nice to work with others to make some statements about man's relationship with nature.

First, I came across a fun opportunity to do a performance art piece in a pool for DC's SynchroSwim event. We had a blast making costumes and putting on a show! See my SynchroSwim webpage and my friend Mary's blog post for more.

Then, last Friday I went to my friend Michael's house to work on some puppets of dead sea animals. He went to Ocean City this Labor Day weekend with the puppets to raise awareness about Obama's approval to use sonic cannons in the Atlantic coast, a practice that uses extreme sound to search for oil that can kill, deafen, or otherwise impair animals, particularly dolphins and whales that rely on sound for survival and communication. I was unfamiliar with the issue but reading about it definitely raised my concerns.

I'm hoping Michael will have some pictures from his time at Ocean City with the finished puppets, but here are some pictures from when we were working on them:

Being a part of this project reminded me that art doesn't have to a solitary, complex, or exclusive endeavor. Team up with your friends and find your own audience!

A couple months ago I came across a great call for entry for a show featuring feminist art. The especially nice part about it was that the artist would get 80% of the sale, and the other 20% would go to a nonprofit focused on women's issues. Most artists know that it's great to get anything over 60% of the sale when you exhibit your work, so this opportunity was very appealing. 

I created a work especially for this exhibition. I called it "What She's Thinking". It was a very small collage made from handmade paper and found text in catalogs. While it wasn't an "in-your-face" feminist piece, I meant for it to be a reminder that babies and humans (and therefore females) are thinking creatures. Babies, girls, and women absorb the information, behaviors and cultures around them, so shouldn't we take a little responsibility as individuals and as a society to make sure the females of the world are happy and healthy? Shouldn't we encourage and recognize positive and powerful thinking in women? I was hoping this art piece, though simple, would provoke some important questions.  

As you can probably deduce by the title of this blog post, my piece was not accepted for this exhibition. Lately I have gotten pretty good at applying for opportunities that are relevant to the type of art I make, but apparently I was off the mark this time. I felt a little hurt and yes, rejected, in this instance that I was not accepted, but it didn't last long. 

My view is that applying for competitions, shows and opportunities is just like applying for a job every time. You have to first read carefully about the opportunity to make sure you would be a good fit, then you have to make sure your application materials show your work is relevant to the opportunity. A wise extra step would be to do a little research on the judge/jury of the opportunity. You should normally try to do this, especially with calls for entries that require a fee. You don't want to throw away your money on an opportunity you're not likely to get because the decision-makers have completely different perspectives from you. Applying for these opportunities takes time and commitment, just like when you apply for a job. And sometimes "they" like you, and sometimes they don't. It comes down to being a good fit.

The bottom line is, when you are rejected for an opportunity, it simply means you were not what they were looking for. Some people think that's a tough pill to swallow, but really it's not. Everyone should know by now that art is highly subjective. Just because you believe your work is "feminist" enough, doesn't mean others will. Or, the issue may simply be that your work was too big, small or otherwise problematic when grouped with the other pieces in the space. Or, maybe it was the space altogether--sometimes certain lighting, walls, and other factors would not be complimentary to your piece. Also, there are times when your art might a good choice under other circumstances, but maybe the curators have too many collages this time and want to include more sculptures for the exhibition.

Then there may be times when you should take part of the blame for your own rejection. If you know a particular exhibition aims to sell as many high-priced art pieces as possible, and you submit a work with a suggested price of $50, you probably recognize there is a high risk of rejection. Also, if your work is getting consistently rejected though you believe you are applying for the right opportunities, there may be a problem with how your work is photographed, the accompanying information you're providing, your professionalism, or maybe the work itself is not what they're looking for. When you find your work doesn't appeal to a very wide audience, that can become very discouraging, very fast. If you realize most of the world doesn't "get" or like your art, it is up to you whether you want to modify your pieces and create new work that is somehow more "mainstream", or continue working in the same manner, but just realize you'll need to toughen up and work harder to find the opportunities right for you.

Though there are times when I am rejected from exhibiting in a show that I wanted, I do think it's harder when I don't win competitions because there are chosen "winners" and that means I'm the "loser". Even in these cases, however, the fact remains that I was not what the judges/jury/gallery/museum/art buyer were looking for. Everyone is looking for something different, and sometimes I am not it. But, just like applying for jobs or anything worthwhile in life, you have to keep trying. Over time you change, the judges change, the world changes, and sometimes you just have to wait for the stars to align. 

But you have to be ready, willing, and watching for the next opportunity.  

Father's Day came and went, and it was beautiful outside! 

To my pleasant surprise, a father and friend of mine decided to get outside for Father's Day and visit Gwynns Falls Trail. He and his family checked out my piece #TakeASketchLeaveASketch, and his daughter sketched a little something to leave in the box.

Though I haven't made many interactive works in the past, it makes me very happy that people are actually interacting with this piece. From what I've observed, usually kids are the ones who leave a sketch.

One of the best things in life to me is to share my art with others. And #TakeASketchLeaveASketch is about giving others the opportunity to share their art as well. I'm glad kids are compelled to sketch something and share it, but I hope more adults will jump on board too! You are never too old to let your creativity out.

When was the last time you shared your art with others?

Recently I discovered Cher's new video for "Woman's World" and recognized something familiar in the very first second. See it for yourself:

Does her newspaper wig remind you of anything?

Cher's wig is exactly like my 2012 piece Yesterday's News. She just put it on her head! While of course her wig got my attention, the media is making a pretty big deal out of it too. Some articles are saying her "wig game" is back. One online article said, "...Cher came back with a vengeance, rocking what may be one of the greatest looks we have ever seen on the icon — a wig made out of newspaper shreddings." I of course like the wig... I just wish she would have called me instead of having someone else make it. I'm definitely not saying anyone plagiarized my piece, I'm just saying I could have made that for you, Cher!

Any other celebrities or performers out there looking to make a wig come-back, contact me. I'll think of something for you.

Yesterday's News is on view at the Notre Dame of Maryland University, now through November 22.

My new exhibition, Basics, is now on view at the Notre Dame of Maryland University. Thanks to everyone who came to the opening; it was so nice to have such support from friends from all over Baltimore.

This exhibition features a mix of older and newer works, with some that have never been seen outside a classroom or studio. I will also have my first-ever Gallery Talk on November 13 at noon, so please spread the word and attend!

Tomorrow I will be installing my new show, Basics, at the Notre Dame of Maryland University. Preparing for this show has been a lot of work, and there is still more to do! Last night I found myself browsing the internet for last minute ideas on how I might want to hang my most recent paper works. Take a look at some of my favorite finds!

The above piece is a collaborative installation created by students at the University of Toledo. For my work, I am always searching for ideas on how to present paper art without simply gluing it all down as a collage. I love the floating elements here, the light, the colors, and the different size circles coming together. Well done, students!

I have also been thinking about using pins to float paper off the wall, and found good examples of that being done effectively in the works of Hope Hilton.

I enjoy Hilton's installations for her use of simplified, symbolic shapes, and her way of grouping and spreading out the shapes to create feelings of crowdedness, isolation, sameness, and organic change. The way these pieces float alone from the wall also gives the sense isolation and tension, suspended in mid-air by one vulnerable pin. Many of my installations use grouping and repetition as well, though the shapes I create are more varied in color, shapes and texture. It is intriguing to see Hilton's way of working, though, with clean, consistent laser-cut shapes and colors.

An artist that demonstrates color and texture quite well is Britt Bass. I found her work by google-searching paper sculpture, and was very inspired by her beautiful installations, full of movement and found materials.

I like to work on a large scale as well, often with found materials, so this work is very exciting to me. It looks like this is a very young artist too, graduating with her BFA in 2011, so I am extra impressed!

Another artist who is using found materials and making incredible large-scale installations is Abhidnya Ghuge. It seems she's been working with paper plates quite a bit, creating installations that cling to the wall in certain places but also hang from the ceiling in others. I am love the colors, shapes and depth she creates by transforming and amassing plates of different colors and patterns. I enjoy that she is creating actual new environments in some of her work, not just art on a wall.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

It has been quite the summer. Some highlights:

I did another class at Mesh Baltimore, one of my very favorite groups in Baltimore, where people gather to share knowledge and skills with each other. I taught about making art from recycled materials- it was a blast as usual and students got to take some scrap materials off my hands!

Also this summer, I enjoyed having my first show in Frederick, Westmaryginiasylvanington. As the name of the show suggests, this was a regional exhibition featuring artists within a 50 mile radius of Frederick. Andrea Pollan was an excellent juror and speaker for the show, and Adam Farcus from Hood College did a fantastic job of putting it all together. I really loved the art from the rest of the artists, so it was great experience!

I also finally installed in a new, stable mailbox for #TakeASketchLeaveASketch at Leakin Park at Gwynns Falls Trail. People have been leaving sketches, too! Check my page to see the updates on that.

Another highlight of the summer was visiting my home state Colorado. We went at the end of August before the big rains hit. The flooding is mind-blowing, by the way. For those not familiar with the Colorado climate, it is generally dry throughout the state, even desert-like in many areas. Heavy rainfall is not common at all, and I literally cannot believe my eyes seeing how much water landed over the state. I think this article does a good job explaining how unusual this type of weather is.

Anyway, while we we visiting, some attractions like the Royal Gorge were closed due to wildfires since there has been a severe drought until just recently. But,we did get to see many other areas of the state that are quite beautiful. I particularly enjoyed going to Seven Falls, which has always been within minutes of where I have lived, but I had no memories of actually being there before.

Though my hometown of Colorado Springs was spared the worst of the flooding, I learned from my parents recently that many trails have been washed out by rain, and Seven Falls actually did flood. Anyway, I recommend that everyone visits Colorado, it is a beautiful state with a lot to offer, and, despite the extreme weather, most days are so nice there.

Another thing I really enjoyed this summer was participating in some flash mobs. My friend Mary is doing awesome things as a blogger and an artist (see blog here), so I decided to participate in her Human Rainbow flash mob and Sidewalk Chalk flash mob. Both were at the awesome Federal Hill Park in Baltimore.

I love Mary's projects because they're always fun, bring people together, and I get to see Mary, who is such a positive, joyful, creative leader.

Well, that's it for now. As far as news goes, I will my first solo show in Baltimore this fall at the Notre Dame of Maryland University from October 21 to November 22. I am very excited about that and am currently working on some new projects for it. Also, make sure you visit my #TakeASketchLeaveASketch page to see the latest sketches.

How was your summer?

Well, July was quite a busy month personally, professionally, and artistically, so I'm glad I am able to find the time today to blog! As you may have noticed, last weekend I had the privilege of teaching a workshop at Mesh Baltimore on how to make art out of recycled materials. As an artist and experimenter myself, I wouldn't say there are any "rules" to making art out of recycled materials, but I have made a lot of recycled art and can share some of my thoughts and insights with others. So, here is some information I put together for anyone wanting to create new things out of the objects around them. By the way, you can see plenty of my own work out of recycled materials by visiting my Man webpage and Handmade Paper webpage.

Suggested Materials: Newspaper, cardboard, plastic bags, junkmail, found objects (twigs, leaves, bottle caps, trash, broken jewelry, nails, screws), discarded/second-hand frames, any kind of grid material, found board

Suggested Supplies: hole punch, scissors, glue (acid-free paste, gorilla glue, acrylic medium), needle and thread, string, yarn, epoxy.

Suggested Processes: collage (layering 2D objects on a backing), assemblage (sculpture or 3D installation comprised of found objects), sewing, crocheting, weaving

Design principles: repetition, contrast, texture, value (light and dark), scale, composition

How to approach your piece: Always make it fun—experiment and make a lot! Art is a practice, so spend some time getting your ideas out, learning your materials, and learning the things you like to do. Are you patient and can spend hours on a piece, or do you like to work spontaneous and fast? After time, you may want to think harder about what ideas, themes and meanings you can express. Consider the following: What is the meaning, association, of my materials? How can I use their inherent properties (color, texture, normal use/context) to make a statement? Examples of themes: irony, past, present, future, humor, culture.

Tips:

- Research and study handmade objects and processes. Collage is not the only thing you can do with recycled materials. Get inspiration from how quilts, rugs, furniture, paper, pinatas are made.

- Think about what you can do with your hands already. Tie knots, braid, crochet, knit, origami, woodworking. How can you apply your skills to the materials?

- Think outside the box: twist, cut, shred, harden, glue, connect, fold, crumple, dangle... art is often about verbs.

- Think about the objects (trash, papers, bottles, etc.) that accumulate in your life. What do these things say about you? About society? About today?

- Repetition can be a strong and easy way to give your piece more conviction.

- If you're using printed materials, what does the text or images say? Is it important? How can you highlight that?

- Think about presentation. How will you display it?

Ideas often come from looking at other things. Check out these links or do your own research to get inspiration:

El Anatsui, artist
Indo, window display artists
Mary England, artist and blogger
Kyle Bean, artist
How to make handmade paper
How to make a pinata

So, there you have it! What kind of art have you made out of recycled materials?