Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Cardboard Quilts in Progress: Newborns

I've created ten new cardboard quilts in the past few days, and I've started painting five of them. I'm probably going to use up all of my cardboard squares this time, and make as many bases as I can. I'm hoping for another ten or fifteen for twenty-five total. I get these pre-cut corregated cardboard squares from my publisher; they come in packages of books and would be recycled anyway. They save them for me so I have plenty right now. I love the look and feel of them all along the process.

These photos capture very, very early in the life of a piece of mine, consider them newborns of about 3 months old. They're alive and healthy and starting to show some personality, but they're way too happy and cheerful and bright and in-your-face. Don't worry, life will happen to them along my artistic process, lol. Right now I'm subdividing these basic squares into smaller checkerboards. Each square will be divided into four for the most part, to make the overall pattern much tighter. I think all of these might end as straight-up abstract paintings of colorwork. Well, I might add a few printed images. And definitely more detail work everywhere. This is at the end of layer one, with perhaps 25 or 30 layers to come, with a further 6-8 clear coats on top of them all, sanded down between coats of clear.

I've been working 12-15 hours a day painting and gluing cardboard together, but I'm used to juggling lots of things. All of the wood I've collected is calling my name wanting to get put together, but there are only so many hours a day...

10 comments:

  1. I'm a Gemini and my rising sign is Virgo. I have no idea what that means.

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  2. It means that both of you exhibit the traits of a Virgo outwardly but in reality the Geminis take over.
    Thanks for this post - I'm fascinated by the process - and I love the fact that you use every available (and precarious) horizontal surface to allow your paint to dry - hopefully you had somewhere to sit that night, lol.
    I think we really should get you a cat - for company, of course :)

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  3. NO, I'M NOT A CRAZY CAT LADY! : )

    You should see the way I have to find horizontal surfaces to 10-15 pieces, which I tend to work on at one time. I've learned not to force my creative periods, so when I'm having one, I go all out, lol. My posts will suffer for a while though.

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  4. LIKE THE GUYS ABOVE, LOVE THE PROCESS. GRAMPS AND I ARE GOING TO GET OUR ADDRESS CHANGE TODAY FOR OUR DRIVERS LICENSE. WOULD YOU BELIEVE THE JERKS WANTS US TO BRING OUR MARRIAGE LICENSE TO PROVE WE'RE MERRY. 53 YEARS COME MAY AND WE HAVE TO PROVE IT. IF I WASN'T A LADY I'D TELL YOU ALL WHAT I THINK OF THESE NEW RULES. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER EXCEPT WHAT THE MINISTER GAVE US THE DAY WE GOT MARRIED. OMG WHAT TO DO WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

    GRANNY

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  5. i'm not a paper work person either. HATE waiting in lines and having to fill out forms. i try to avoid at all costs!

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  6. Oh, Granny just tell them you are "living together" testing to see if it will work out. lol

    How is everybody today?

    Love seeing how you start a project, Casey. I wish I had just a pinch of the patience you have creating your pieces, it really shows in the final project.

    I guess I have to stick with my "bull in the china shop" approach to my art.

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  7. NO, I'M NOT A CRAZY CAT LADY! : )

    I wasn't either, but I got a cat from the shelter just for company and the crazy cat lady inside me CAME OUT!

    I cook for him now and we talk over dinner.

    "How was your day, Cotton?"
    "Yeah, pretty slow for me too. We need a change. Let's move to Boise. l always wanted to go there. Boise, Cotton? ... Won't it be fun? I'll have a crew cut, you'll have a pink D.A..."

    I stole that from Pink Flamingos, but you get the idea. My cat is really named Cotton.

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  8. CASEY, YOUR FRIEND BETTY WROTE A NOTE SHORT NOTE TO ME TODAY. HOW NICE. OFCOURSE YOU KNOW ME I WROTE ONE BACK. WAY TO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT OUR JOEY [DOG] ANYWAYS IT WAS NICE OF HER TO THANK ME AND I'M SURE OTHERS FOR COMING TO HER BLOG.

    HI BETTE IF YOUR PEEKING.

    GRANNY

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  9. HI all, for anyone on facebook, I had subscribed to "tiny growl" there a couple months ago and enjoy the postings she has. Check it out.
    mare

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