Jen September 3rd, 2008
MONTHLY CHALLENGE #4
I don’t know about you but September always means "change" for me … change of season, change of routine, the start of school and classes and new friends and new ideas … so very invigorating. But maybe a little scary too. It’s often a time of moving beyond one’s comfort zone.
This month’s theme is, you guessed it: CHANGE
The Challenge: Explore the theme in as many ways as you’d like - draw change, photograph change, assemble change - but whatever you choose be sure to push yourself beyond your own comfort zone.
Post’em: Post a link to your homage to CHANGE in the comments. Use our Flickr group if you don’t have a place to post photos.
Due: September 30, 2008
A heads up, next month we will be going back to a once a week Challenge. Until then … Go! Make Change!
Jen September 1st, 2008
Thanks so much for all your responses to my ponderings on future challenges. Guess what?!? You’re ALL winners.
Amanda, Sheba, Cody, Michele, Carla, Rebecca, Ronna, Cory and Dale (and hopefully I didn’t miss anyone!) … send me your snail mail address (even if you think I already have it … because I am OLD) via email (jen@jenworden.com) and I’ll randomly package up the jewelry and fire it off to you. Again, my thanks for your invaluable input and ideas!
September’s challenge will be posted later today or tomorrow …
… in the meantime here’s a little goofiness to satisfy my gal pal Ms. Lombardozzi, she of http://firstbornstudio.blogspot.com who wants me to list "6 unspectacular quirks of mine". This one’s fer you Denise!
- I can touch my tongue to my nose. Particularly useful when running. Ya. Okay. Definitely TMI!
- I can remember conversations … word for word … 20 years later.
- I hate - HATE - the sound of people eating. My middle son has the same afflication. Sorry bud!
- Sometimes I think I have super powers.
- I like to eat my lunch with a dessert fork - it feels like I have more on my plate even though I don’t.
- In winter I love to wear the same wool sweater day after day after day until it’s so threadbare that the extraneous paint and gel medium are holding it together. I had to pitch my sweater last Spring. I’m working on a new hoodie to replace it as we speak. Winter IS just around the corner you know.
Tell me one of YOUR unspectacular quirks!
Jen August 29th, 2008
While working on another piece … y’know waiting on drying paint … I decided to finish off this series with the final 3 mower teeth. I love these smalls. And centered around the theme "Home" one of my favourites, they seem to sort of roll off the proverbial tongue.
Key To My Heart
Using the same mower tooth and cedar shingle as the base, I coated the wood with a diluted combination of Quin Gold and Mars Black. I cut out a vintage photo of "home" and then glued down the heart adding the top of a jeweller’s case that had been painted and patina’d. I used copper wire to hold it down. Patina’d the lady from Mad Rat Rubber and glued her down but used thin copper wire as well. The dangle on the bottom is a brass curtain ring that I filled with plaster, stamped the key on and then gouged the lines finally using a wash of Quin Gold/Mars Black really rubbing it into the gouges.
Jewel of My Eye
The elements in this piece include a brass filigree attached to the mower tooth, a vintage mat and photo of a child, lovely and faded, a key hole from Hannah Grey and a vintage jewel dangle. I used PthaloTurquoise as the base colour to enhance the turquoise of the jewel. A few brass/copper circles/brads add some side interest.
Fly Away Home
And finally my favourite of the 3, I etched some wings stamps, MadRat Rubber, using sheet metal, a mini assemblage that I received from an ebay buy yonks ago, mini frame from Hannah Grey, watch gear, thin copper wire gleaned from telephone cable - nothing EVER goes to waste around here! - a stick pendant and some glass beads snarfed from my daughter’s stash. LOVE the photo in the mini frame - a lot of "Men with Pets" I bought off ebay - priceless. Oh! Prior to attaching the elements I stamped the quin gold/black washed shingle with a stamp of an ancient map of Nouvelle Ecosse aka Nova Scotia. I thumped it down twice getting the ghost effect which stamping officianados would have a cow over, but personally, I LOVE. heh.
These three will be winging their way southwest to The Flying Pig just as soon as I finish that aforementioned "waiting for the paint to dry" piece.
Jen August 28th, 2008
I received an email from Emma Powell this morning - we "met" via ISABA a looonnnggg time ago when I was heavily into altered books - she was doing her PhD based around using found objects in art and sounds like she’s close to finishing her research. SEVEN years in the making. Go Emma! She also happened to ask for submissions for her Book Exhibition. The above piece by Phiona Richards is one from last year’s, themed ABC. Awesome isn’t it?!? You can read more about this year’s here: http://www.weloveyourbooks.com/index.html
Seque to Seth, because he makes THE greatest books, be sure to visit The Altered Page as he continues The Pulse. So many new faces. So much eye candy. DEEvine stuff!
Jen August 14th, 2008
When it rains, it pours … always. Not that I’m complaining of course, I just wish for a bit more …erm… BALANCE (Universe are you listening?!?) So three things…
1. Patricia Anders (aka Tricia to me) graciously invited me to include a doll in her Raining Art Dolls show being held for the month of September at the Ten Women Gallery in Venice CA. Here’s mine - being sent out "Get there NOW" post as we speak - I hope it doesn’t freak out the clientele!
2. The always amazing Seth Apter is creating another edition of The Pulse that will start on Monday, August 18 first with the participants (me! me! me!) and then our answers to his 7 questions. His questions are always thought provoking and provide a wonderful insight to how we as artists think, create and live. Be sure to check it out!
3. And finally, as I’m quickly running out of "month" to do an August challenge, I thought I’d throw the ball into YOUR court. What would you like to see from this fall’s challenges? Techniques? Projects? Guest Challengers? Does it matter if there’s a prize at the end or are you content just to participate? Do you like it when I participate too? I want to hear your thoughts. All of them. And just in case that isn’t incentive enough, I’m giving away some of the projects that I made in June’s Challenge … 6 of them to be exact, so there’s opportunity for lotsa winners. To whet your appetite here’s what you’re playing for …
So, same deal as a regular challenge, you have until August 31, 2008 to post in the comments below. You can post as many times as you want. I’ll be choosing my favourite responses and hopefully, some great ideas for challenges to come.
Okay. Let the games begin!
