12×12 mixed media collage; background newsprint K&Co Life’s Journey, border cut out pieces from graphic cardstock pad K&Co “Greenhouse” by Carolyn Gavin and then embellished with PITT pen. zetti strips and doodles pen and white acrylic paint by artist, fashion models/body parts from Marie Claire, Vogue, Elle, etc. Charlotte Bronte central figure from black & white image courtesy of New York Public Library Digital Images which was then hand colored with watercolors and pen. Various litho graphics dover.com/ entire piece painted with acrylic wash. Inspiration from Flickr artist ‘artvisionary’ http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/a/artvisionary/
Detailed work is absolutely entrancing and for me a way to unwind…

I am not exactly a fan of MTV”s ‘Jersey Shore” but there is a really hilarious character named ‘Snookie” who is about 5′2 with chubby thighs and a bumpit. She is getting a lot of press due to her Jersey inbred sub-intelligence. She seems to run on feelings rather than logic-hence the comic value here with the Bronte quote.

Now about Bronte…born in 1816 the third of six children in Thorton, Yorkshire. A gifted writer she wrote under a male psuedonym in order to be published. Along with her sister, Emily, wrote poems and stories, the most famous of which, Jane Eyre, made her a celebrity in 1847 when she was at last able to reveal her true identity.  Her life mirrored much of the story in Jane Eyre of tragic love affairs, family members hooked on opiates, and the grim reality of life in the 19th century which meant your life would most likely end due to TB or something that today is completely preventable.

Single until her mid 30’s she finally wed her father’s curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls. Sadly, she died while pregnant along with the couples first child in 1855 less than a year after her marriage. Researchers argue over the cause of death: Hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme morning sickness) or TB or typhoid! She was 38 years old.

Back in high school I was in love with the fashions of Ernest Tubb & the Texas Troubadors, George Jones and Porter Wagonner. Their album covers frequently featured them wearing ‘Nudie Suits” designed by the famous Hollywood costumer: Nudie Cohn.  I remember designing my own wardrobe of western wear and trying to find vintage nudie style shirts to wear to the grateful dead or new riders of the purple sage concerts in NYC circa 1974.

The closest I got to that Dale Evans look was when I wore a silk kimono with army fatigues and Frye boots to a Jerry Garcia show in Jersey City. I carried a toy pistol that came with my authentic childhood cowgirl costume. I got my picture in the local rock rag and it wasn’t because of the toy gun…

I have not attempted the cowgirl look since then. However, vintage cowgirls, like the kind on the album cover of the Byrds “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” still intrigue me-so when this week’s crowabout challenge had a pistol packin’ mama on it-I found my way back to my roots

Yeehaw Cowgirl!!!

week 43 was really hard for me…it took about five tries before i gave up and came out with this…so now everyone wants a BOOK/zine with the stories on the inside….I need a manager. i am up too late…had to wait for the frieworks to stop…

here is the collage sheet from Nancy; I used almost all the elements. I am seriously considering a small 12 page zine for my flickr crowabout friends.  maybe magcloud?

I have been complaining about the pain in my neck and just found out I will most likely need surgery. I have slacked off on doing almost everything-but can’t seem to stop submitting to Collage Play. Here is week #42. If you go to my Flickr page there is a funny little story about this piece. I am pleased it turned out-basically a pencil drawing.

I am hoping Santa will bring me a large format scanner so I can upload these 12×12 collages. This one is for Crowabout Collage Play week 41. I now understand how you can inadvertently ‘copy’ someone else’s idea-as I copied Zibelline’s cow head man without knowing it! Apologies, ZiB!!

It was so late when I did this-it’s sort of a blur. I did most of it in Collage Creator to save on ink and cutting.  I used 11 out of 17 images from the collage sheet: which is disappointing since the images were all really cool.

I did enjoy hand coloring the ‘eyes’ and making the film hair for the Britney WannaBe’s. The Twin’s were going to have cat heads until my computer froze up and I kept the cows as is. Wide Awake at 3 a.m. is scary. I must stop drinking the diet Dr. Pepper.

Crowabout Collage Play Week 39 featured some vintage ads and a rooster head I could not resist playing with. Here are the details on this 12×12 collage.

“The Wigwam Villages went out of business in 1939 after their award winning White Rooster “Big Daddy” collapsed under the weight of yet another insatiable female patron. The owner’s put up a sign explaining what ”happened” and why they had to close their teepees and lucrative side show entertainment featuring the 10 cent rooster rides and the Talking Tuxedos, two cats that did vaudeville schtick and who peed on command. The Most Unique Tourist Haven in America was truly an example of what my father called: High Weirdness. It has been rumoured that Big Daddy is still alive and living with Zibelline in Minnesota. The cats are still roaming about Cave City looking for handouts and clean litter boxes.”

Thanks, Nancy B for the collage sheet. *Rider* courtesy of Lunagirl Images. Cat heads are from NYPL digital image collection.

The body of the rooster is cut out of cardstock from K&Co’s fabulous dual sided Que Sera Sera collection. It was made out of  ten different pieces; four wing parts, one body part, two thighs, two legs and of course, the rooster’s head, which was enlarged and cropped from the collage sheet. Rider body was copied off of Lunagirl CD from ‘bathing beauties’ section and then hand colored to match the lady head on the collage sheet that Nancy sent.  Her bathing costume (and shoes) was created by making a vellum template of the orignal and then pasting pieces from the collage sheet onto the vellum. The patchwork was sealed with  clear tape and cut out and placed over the orignal. Hat was made from enlarged dahlia and embellished with adhesive gems. Pop dots, glue and doubled sided tape were used to put the rooster and rider together.

Columns and banner header were digitally manipulated from collage sheet. Banner was hand colored with pen and and ink to add more contrast.

Cat bodies/heads were reversed before construction. Text ‘yourself’  & ‘10cents’ from collage sheet; the rest from my computer printed on yellowing design scrapbook paper and then hand colored and cut out. Arrangement was difficult as my scanner only takes an 8×11 photo.  the 12×12 background is a cardstock page by basic grey.com (wassail/olive branch)

I will do some reserach on the Wigwam Villages…I would not be surprised if a Walmart has permanently replaced this property. The term “High Weirdness” was coined by Ivan Stang, founder (publisher) of the Church of the Sub-Genius, a compendium of oddball culture of which America is famous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Stang

The only energy I have when it is 93 degrees in the shade is to go to Safeway’s Starbucks and get a caramel light frappacino. Then, of course ,  I wander the aisles in air-conditioned comfort hoping they will not notice I am pushing an empty cart.

I was exhausted after doing Crowabout #38. Nancy was sneaky and posted the collage sheet on her photostream and NOT in the Collage Play with Crowabout group on Flickr. I think only 3 of us have posted so far.

I used bubbles on some images…

and photo slides on others…..

also pull outs and fold outs

the hard cover was made with card board and masking tape and then wrapped with designer paper and adhesive…

I drilled a screw into the  back cover and inserted some velour yarn to the front cover to bind the book shut cause it is so thick. I trimmed the bottom edge with some leftover trims from the sewing box.

I had started it in November and finished after the Christmas Donner Party snow event.

Unfortunately the story did not all fit on 14 pages–so I will have to do volume two!

The cover was rubber stamped and embossed with black detail powder. It is OOAK and was a wonderful learning experience. Stay posted for Volume Two.