New Collages

Here's a few new collages I made recently. They don't have titles yet, and I'm bad at titling, so let me know if you have any suggestions.

Cyber Monday

Society 6 sale now through Monday at midnight.

TV Eye
Collage, 2015
Cups, t-shirts, prints, etc. here

Black Friday sales week at Society 6

I debated posting this, but taking a break from family and jumping online for a bit is different than going out shopping on Thanksgiving. Society 6 is doing a different sale every day for the next several days. Today's sale is 15% off everything and free worldwide shipping. Just use the code when you check out.
Go shopping!

Orange Sky

Orange Sky, 2015

Just finished this one last night. Based on a photo shot out the window on the 71st floor of the Aon building in Chicago.

Prints, shirts, etc.

Green Spot

Manipulated photo shot in North Cascades National Park.
Prints, etc. 

Giantess

Collage on paper, 2015
Prints, shirts, etc. here

Huge Society 6 Sale

Society 6 is having a big sale. Now through Noy 8, take $5.00 off of every item, plus free worldwide shipping. Use this link to get the sale prices, they won't show up otherwise.

I've got a bunch of things there, prints, t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc. If you see something there, but not in a format you want (no t-shirt, etc). send me a message, I might be able to change that before the sale ends.

Point Reyes

Digitally enhanced photo shot at Point Reyes National Seashore in California.

Prints, etc. 

Postcard Tear #1

One of a series of collages I made a few months ago by ripping old postcards in half and matching them up in new combinations. Sometimes, when I've been making a lot of collages, I'll find myself getting annoyed with them, and will try to make the simplest collages I can. The last time I did this, I tried ripping postcards in half, and found I liked the results.

T-shirts, prints, etc. here

Archeology

Archeology, 2015
Digital collage from a photo shot in North Cascades National Park.
Prints and shirts, etc.

Buddha Variations

Buddha Variations 1

Prints, etc. here

Buddha Variations 2

Prints, etc. here

Buddha Variations 3

Prints, etc, here

Buddha Variations 4

Prints, etc. here

I made these a few weeks ago. I've been experimenting with manipulating original photos and exploring randomness within these manipulations. These started as a photo of a buddha statue I shot in the Art Institute of Chicago a couple of years ago. It was manipulated in various ways, including making about a dozen glitch versions of it. Each of these variations is a blend of 2-4 different glitch versions, along with other color and layer effects. They're also not as random as they might look. In a couple of these pieces, some of the glitch effect was made by hand.

I ended up with four variations mainly because I couldn't decide which one I liked the best, although at this moment, I'm leaning towards #2 and #4.

Her Majesty

Her Majesty, 2015

collage

Prints, shirts, etc. here

Boy and Limes

This photo was shot at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. I toured Hearst Castle right before driving up the Pacific Coast Highway last month. The photo was manipulated a lot, which should be obvious from viewing it. Among other things, I glitched it (there's actually at least three different glitched versions blended together) and painted in the background.
After finishing this, I googled lime trees to see if there was any interesting symbolism. Among other things, lime trees are a symbol of romantic, secret love. 'Under the lime-trees' was a meeting place for lovers. I'd like to think that some gardner at Hearst Castle planted the lime tree next to the statue of the youth for that reason, but in all likelihood, the placement was coincidental. Prints, shirts, and other stuff here

Peter Pan Motel

Peter Pan Motel
Photo of a vintage motel sign, digitally manipulated.
Prints, mugs, shirts, etc. here

I shot the photo of this old motel sign last month while wandering around Santa Cruz, California. I was on my way to the beachfront boardwalk amusement park there, and passed by this crumbling old motel. I loved the sign, and had to shoot it.

I've been experimenting this summer with digital enhancements to original photos. This experimentation has grown out of an interest in iPhoneography (using iPhone/iPad photo and design apps to create original work), and originally consisted of applying the visual aesthetic of iPhonepgraphy to images manipulated on my desktop computer.  It has pretty quickly moved beyond that, however, to incorporate interests in graphic design, glitch/random processes, and other things.

I work extensively in collage (both hand made and digital), but have always been somewhat reluctant to mess with the photos I take, beyond basic adjustments. Maybe it's my photographic training at work, but I've usually kept my photographic work and collage/mixed media work separate (the exception is panography, which is already kind of a collage/photograpy hybrid).  Doing this work has been freeing, as I find myself more willing to mess with my original photos than I have been in the past.

Here's the original photo, as it was shot.

As you can see, the image has been manipulated heavily. The sign itself was in fairly bad shape, and is showing it's age. I was originally planning on cleaning it up (part of my experimentation this summer has been exploring the line between photo and digital painting), but the flaws in the sign were so extensive that too much of what makes it interesting would have been lost when corrected. I removed some of the rust stains, etc. from the main panel, but left other flaws intact.

You'll notice the sign reading "Santa Cruz Summer Project" on the left (I replaced it with an asterisk in the finished version). My husband and I spent a few minutes speculating what that might be. It led to us hatching a really great idea: Find an old run down motel, and turn it into an art project. Each room would be given to an artist/designer/director, etc. to make art with. The room could be redecorated to look like a pristine vintage motel room, or completely reworked onto an installation piece. Or, it could be a setting for short, slice of life plays/vignettes about imagined guests of the motel. It would be a temporary art exhibition in a unique space. Visitors would be able to enter all of the rooms to see how they had been used. 

Upon returning home, I Googled it, and it appears that Santa Cruz Summer Project is a summer camp run by Campus Crusade for Christ. It looks like that space is no longer a motel at all. I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed-a unique site specific art installation sounds a lot more fun! If anyone knows of a small 50's or 60's era motel that's now closed, there's a great opportunity for an art project just waiting to happen.

Pacific Coast Highway

Panograph shot while driving along the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway in central California last Month.

Prints, shirts, etc.

Trash

Manipulated photo (glitch, Photoshop, etc) of a trash can in downtown Milwaukee.
You need this on a t-shirt.

Giant Sequoia

Panograph of the General Grant Tree in King's Canyon National Park. 

Prints, etc.

Radio Song

Radio Song
Collage, 2015
Prints and other things

California Mountains

Panograph shot just outside of King's Canyon National park.
Prints, shirts, etc.

Western Culture

Western Culture
digital collage, 2015
T-shirts, prints, etc.http://society6.com/product/western-culture_print#1=45

Anne

Photo of a Queen Anne's Lace flower in Autumn.
Prints, etc.

The Loudest Scream

The Loudest Scream
collage, 2015
Prints, shirts, etc.

Snack Shop

Manipulated photo of an old diner on the southwest tide of Chicago.
Prints, etc. here.

Feast of Wire

Feast of Wire
Digital collage, 2015
Prints, shirts and other things

Don't Worry About the Government

Don't Worry about the Government, 2015

Collage

Prints, mugs, t-shirts, etc.

Chicago

Chicago's iconic Marina Towers.
Prints, t-shirts, etc.

Free Shipping

Free shipping at my Society 6 store now through June 7.

Parasitic Sky

Parasitic Sky, 2015
Collage on book cover
Prints, shirts and other goodies

The Protector!

The Protector, collage, 2014
T-shirts, prints, etc.

Society 6 Sale

20% Off + Free Shipping on Apparel, Tote bags, and Mugs now through Monday at Society 6!

...and Apple Pie

...and Apple Pie
Digital collage, 2015
Prints, t-shirts, etc.