Wednesday, February 18, 2009

OK ... I'll Go First Then.

HERE I am, posting my art journal page I have arranged with one of the pieces from the guerrilla valentine left around town before Valentine's Day. (See below for more information on this.)
I will go first so those of you who are shy may try and do something similar with the pages from your packet. I gave away all my colorful string, so that did not make it on to my page.
I am working in an old book on Beethoven. It is really a wonderful tome and I hate to ruin it, but actually I want to think I'm not ruining it, but just turning it to another purpose.
Artistic recycling! Yeah, that's it!
So here I began painting the page over with white gesso and green acrylic paint - going every which way.
Then I put down a piece of painted newspaper (it's on the left) with glue and I glued down the picture of Sainte Therese with matte gel medium.
Next I gave her a sort of a collar with one of the pages of Beethoven's music. Holes are punched in it to give it the look of lace. (Those eyes! Aren't they piercing? I was going to use the other side, but when I saw the eyes I had to add them as part of the rendezvous.
Now the word "rendezvous" taken from a photocopy. You have that too, if you have one of the guerrilla valentine packets. Now what? I asked myself and just puttered on. Working with glue and a paintbrush is fun after a day at the computer.
I used an Exacto knife and cut out a stencil of a bird and then blotted on paint in the stencil. I came up with some birds for Sainte Therese, to sing sweetly in her ear.
Finally I ripped some strips of rose-colored paper from a magazine, with some musical notes on them. The word "rendezvous" written out in stabilo pencil and a little glitter, just for good measure was last.
It's no work by a Picasso or anything, but it is very therapeutic. Exactly what I needed tonight.
NOW let's see what you can do. If you found one of these valentines, please let me know. If you don't want to comment, go to my profile on the right, click and you'll find a place to e-mail me. It's safe and might just be fun! - femminismo

Friday, February 13, 2009

Haven't Registered Your Guerrilla Valentine Yet?

WHAT are you waiting for? Haven't you seen me: pages of German writing, with a painted, pounding red heart, all wrapped in colorful string with a special tag telling you where to take me?
It is perfectly safe. Pick me up, take me home and go to this blogspot and leave a comment.
You have a "guerrilla valentine" and we're all waiting to see what you do with it.
Here's what I propose: Take the contents of the valentine - go ahead and tear it apart - and make something from it. Maybe a page for your art journal. (You do have one, don't you? If not, now's the time to start!)
I will add the original photo of Sainte Therese, since a clearer version of her would be helpful. Take some glue and stick her down. Paint her, give her a bracelet to wear, gild her in gold. Do whatever you want. Make her a dress from the torn German book pages. But please come visit and let me know you found your valentine.
(I hope the famous photo at the top of the blog hasn't frightened you, but Robert Doisneau's "The Kiss" was actually a staged moment, I guess. Looks very real to me!)
So here is another photo of a guerrilla valentine left at the library near the duck pond. If you find this one I hope it's before it's rained! - femminismo, blog provocateur

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Have You Found Me?

DID you find me and take me home? Do you want to continue your art journey?
Please leave a comment if you found a packet that looks like the one in the photo.
Then we can continue with our rendezvous.
Do not worry. You are among art friends who love mild mysteries, meetings with friends and ART!