Category Archives: Art Projects- Current

Raising the Roof

My summer plan was to stop creating collages for a while, and focus a little more on watercolour painting. Then, this beautiful blue lining from an envelope Jessie received with a grad card captured my heart. The paper is silky, the geometric patterns simple, the different blues thrill me. The envelope lining is almost perfect – just a slight tear. It beckons me from my work table every time I pass. It wants to be a house. So, I put the watercolours aside and pull out my scissors.

envelope lining – to die for

envelope lining becomes a house

trying different background papers

I try the house with the roof on and it doesn’t look right. So I raise the roof a bit…. suddenly in the new space created I can see that a tree wants to grow – a golden tree. I find the perfect gold foil – the wrapper from an expensive chocolate bar.

a tree begins to grow from beautiful and fragile gold foil

tree is raising the roof

gluing the tree – toothpick and wet glue. Slow work…patience, Sue

green leaves from cigarette papers, turquoise leaves from old wrapping paper

almost done

birds fly from the tree

flight

“Raising the Roof” – Paper collage using candy wrappers, envelope lining, cigarette foils and other papers. 18″ x 24″

A few days later, rectangles of the original envelope lining plus a new piece of purple paper from the Paper Umbrella inspire me – this one is about RAIN, I think, and responds to the deluge of rain we got in early July that caused flooding in much of Southeastern Saskatchewan.

in the window…this paper is marbled gold in the back and I like how the light picks that up.

Tree

First, I bought the paper. Last piece in the store. A vivid luminous green just like the spring we know is coming….someday. Couldn’t leave that paper alone….I saw a tree in that paper, a tree with the roots showing. I took out the scissors and followed the patterns on the paper, and slowly, cut out a tree. Next came birds in the tree. First try, the branches obscured the birds too much and as my favourite art critic, Jessie, said, “Mum, that really sucks.” She was right!! But the birds persisted…. that tree was calling for BIRDS!! With some birds, I recreated the branches with a lighter green rice paper so the branches would not be so overwhelming. With others, I took the branch right out of the tree showing the bird’s colours boldly. Time after time, I turn the tree over and hold it up to the light….the tree is different on each side.Sometimes I am surprised!

the branches on this bird are made with a lighter coloured rice paper than the original branchescc

Linda came for a visit and made an artists trading card while we worked

A few weeks previous, I had Glacier Glass cut a variety of sizes of plexiglass. When I picked them up, I was amazed as one piece was huge (30″ x 42″) – certainly the biggest piece I have worked with so far. “What was I thinking?” I wondered. “Where will I store it?” I hid it under the couch. Turns out that this piece is exactly the right size for this tree!!

Next step is to put the tree on plexi glass with tape and add more birds and branches before I can apply the special glue used with plexiglass.

Just one piece of plexi glass with the protective wrap on the other side giving it that wax paper look. There are still some branches, roots and birds to add.

“Tree”is complete. large and unwieldy as it is, I take it out to photograph it!! It blows off everything. So, finally, I lay it in the grass.

“Tree” lying in the grass!
Rice paper, other paper in plexiglass

Then I lean it against the barn door and get some photos, inside and out!!

“Tree” Rice Paper in Plexiglass sitting in the barn door. This is the opposite side from the one pictured in the grass above.

“Tree” Rice paper in plexiglass, from the inside of the barn…love the shadows

detail “Tree” – rice paper and plexiglass

Thanks to darlene dePourque who lent me Mary Lou’s window and took this photo with a fish eye lens. My friend Maggie wrote that it looked like the tree had uprooted and let the birds take it for a flight!!

Next stop – the Paper Umbrella in Regina!

Dear Grade 4’s

Smokey the COLLAGE Cat

Dear Grade Fours,

I thought you would enjoy meeting one of our three cats – he is called Smokey and this is our living room (a big mess!) before I came to visit you today. Have you heard of CALICO cats? Well, I think Smokey is a COLLAGE CAT – happiest when lying on papers, or even better – in the middle of a collage piece I am working on. Deep down, Smokey is an artist too.

In the picture of Smokey, you can see the paint chips which each of you chose as your favourite colour. Here they are as Darian arranged them on the table. Some of you picked more than one favourite colour!

Paint Chips

Back at home with Smokey’s help, I cut out different shapes in tissue paper that matched your favourite colours. Together and with the help of your teacher and Jessie and Marina, we created the colourful rooster pictured below. I call him Raggedy Rooster – is this a good name? For some Raggedy Rooster was too messy, for others he was just right. One thing I love about creating art is that there are many ways to create a rooster – and all of them are fine. One of the things I hope we can learn together is how each of you like to work best as an artist. Some like to be detailed and exact and like everything to be very neat. Others like to cut or tear quickly and don’t mind if everything isn’t perfect. The beauty of collage is that all these ways make for beautiful pieces.

“Raggedy Rooster” – this rooster’s got attitude!

Below “Raggedy Rooster” is the rooster you drew together – when we were learning that a rooster is a collection of shapes. Below your rooster I have included some roosters I have created – one is a collage and is your classroom right now.

Free Range Chicken – watercolour

“Free Range Chicken” is not really a rooster, just a very fancy chicken who gets to run around in purple running shoes. Does she remind you of anyone?

I look forward to seeing you all again on Thursday when we will create something that flies – could be birds, dragonflies, dragons, rockets….Thank you for all the ways you are helping – sweeping the floor, emptying water, teaching me how to speak without an Ontario accent, keeping me in line and giving me such a fantastic and warm welcome to your classroom.

Smokey says good bye – here he is, napping again, near a basket of paper!! His eyes match the yellow paper.

What is Smokey the COLLAGE cat’s favourite colour??

Bye for now,

Sue and Smokey

For the month of March, I am privileged to work with the grade 4 students in Mrs. Anna Maria Burianyk-Noey’s classroom at Balcarres Community School. I will share some of our adventures in this blog from time to time. We are exploring the medium of paper collage and hope to create some rice paper panels to add colour and beauty to the new entrance of the school.

Creating LeeAnn’s Dragon

with thanks to Eric Carle. I love this book entitled DRAGONS DRAGONS and Other Creatures That Never Were

the basic shape

in my happy place with scissors, paper

the basic dragon joins the birds on the window

red dragon, yellow underbelly, purple wings

It is a big step moving from flying birds to a flying dragon. I am grateful for LeeAnn’s encouragement and Eric Carle’s amazing art. Hmmm…polka dot belly – NOT the effect I was looking for. Looks more like a nursery room dragon that the mischievous, slightly vampish dragon I was hoping to create for LeeAnn.

mmmm, not sure about that underbelly, not sure about those polka dots. What self respecting dragon would have dots on her belly? She is also missing two legs, her eyes and her sharp teeth…not quite ready to go out in the world.

Trying out colours for a wing. I like this wing!

One wing done, one to go. Still wondering about belly? Also trying to figure out the best way to create scales for the red parts.

But very happy with this wing…created while Canada won GOLD in women’s hockey. This is a STRONG wing!

Back at it… a few months Later (April 11, 2014)

I wasn’t sure about the polka dots or how I would do the red scales, so the dragon had a break. In the meantime, the unfinished dragon and LeeAnn met each other.

worked on the head… looks too dark

I like the teeth but am not sure about the eys

I like the teeth but am not sure about the eye

the red scales

a close up of the red scales

feet are on, second wing started, another dragon joins LeeAnn’s dragon

Eye surgery. A wicked cut, lightened the green, outlined the pupil with purple candy wrapper and added dark blue eye liner

Almost done... new eye job, this dragon is smoking. have a few final bits and want to add claw nails - sparkly, special for LeeAnn

Almost done… new eye job(I changed the eyebrow and I like it – it looks more threatening than the eye above), this dragon is breathing FIRE!! I have a few final bits and want to add claw nails – sparkly, special for LeeAnn

: LeeAnn’s dragon gets a pedicure. Special nails from the cigarette foils she so kindly donated, sharpened with a file and sparkling with glitter nail polish.

a close up of the nails

Heading for the gas tank…whoops, we could have a fire!!

Letting leeAnn’s dragon fly outside

The Red Dragon meets the Red Beast (the girl’s beloved truck )

two views of LeeAnn’s Dragon – getting ready to head North

Poached Egg Woman and the Wolf

Although I know I am rich in the things that matter most, sometimes living life as a full time artist is living close to the edge – the financial edge, that is. With the help of L.A Louve, Poached Egg Woman takes this tongue in cheek look at money worries.

This is the first of five parts to a saga. I have no idea where it is going from here! One part at a time!! Keep posted!

Poached Egg Woman dreams that the Wolf is at the door! Aaaaah!

The Wolf recites a long list of all the bad things that will happen to Poached Egg Woman.

Then the Wolf gobbles Poached Egg Woman right up!!

Then Poached Egg Woman disappears into the deep dark abyss of the Wolf’s throat.

The End. I’m not so sure. the beginning? There will be a sequel for sure.
(to be continued)

A Day on the Ice Rink

the day began with sun dogs

the snow pieces from the drifts are beautiful

Herc looking through a window

Snowblower!

Snowblower stops!!

Debra, intrepid shoveler!!!

Breaking through the drifts

me with ice lanterns

the beginning of a heart

moon rising, almost full

Herc and Lady, our faithful buddies

Debra’s rainbow lantern

“Everyday is a good day as long as we adjust ourselves to the day.” (Unknown)

Having an ice rink has transformed my relationship with winter. I have a friendlier relationship now. Rarely a day passes when I do not go out to the rink. I love to watch the sun rise and set from the rink. This week, the moon almost full, has been spectacular. It’s something like tending a garden…. those of you who grow vegetables or flowers check it daily or sometimes several times daily. The garden, like the ice rink, is where we take stock of the day, of its moods and weather, of the small changes, of the animal tracks or signs.

The ice rink feels like a collaboration with Mother Nature, and she is firmly in charge. I respond. How will the ice freeze? Pebbly or smooth? How much snow will fall? The prevalent wind in these parts is the North Wind, and while the wind creates amazing drifts, it also polishes the ice smooth as glass. How can I work with Mother Nature?

I love that the ice rink is free. It requires a shovel and some muscles and the will to dig and find ice beneath the snow. True, we just got a snowblower, but as you will see from the pictures the high snow drifts have stopped this machine in its tracks. Where snowblowers can’t go, two resolute women with shovels can go!!

Then, once the shovelling is done, the skating begins. I skate in circles weaving this way and that through the curved paths we have cleared. I feel as if the skein of wool that is wrapped up inside me is slowly unravelling as I skate!

A Gift of the Heart- Playing Together

Edith, Gail and Janaye (3 generations) creating at the kitchen table

Janaye and Gail

paper play at GIFT OF THE HEART

Reese says, “Its a dog” Then, “It’s a donkey” and finally, “It’s a dog”,

Autumn trying her hand at silk painting

by Autumn Keewatin, a beautiful watercolour started with a Dairy Queen plastic spoon

Watch Kate go!

Kate carries on

Marg, silk painting artist watches Kate, silk painting artist. They match their art! Can you believe it!?

Drying the silk with Joan helping

On Sunday morning, all was quiet, so as well as silk painting we cut and pasted. Kate, Marg and Joan

“beLONGING”, Rice Paper in Plexiglass. Currently loaned to Qu’Appelle Valley Centre for the Arts. (Price $250)

“Peace Doves” – made from reused watercolour mandalas, paper scraps, and birch branches found on the ground

“Snow Sprite”, created with recycled watercolour painting, various papers, thread, fairy dust

Golden Glow Fairy

“”Yearning”, Rice Paper Birds in PlexiGlass. Currently on Loan to Dina’s Yoga Class, Qu’Appelle Valley Centre of the Arts (Price $250)

Magic Wings

All my life, I have believed in the “little people”. As a girl, I loved making them small homes of moss, birchbark, sticks, shells, berries, seeds and leaves. My daughters also created these places for the fairies in the garden.

The past few days have seen me creating fairies – one for my favourite tree planter called “Tree Planting Fairy”, and a second for a dear friend who is in the midst of the adventure of moving called “Moving Fairy”.

“Tree Planting Fairy” in process (when she had a green face and was not yet stuck to the paper)

detail – “Tree Panting Fairy” changes to yellow orange face!! Note shovel.

“Tree Planting Fairy”
Rice and other papers, gum, cigarette and candy wrappers, doily from Paul Paquin’s house

“Moving Fairy” catches the morning sunlight

“Moving Fairy” has at least two sides. Created from a recycled watercolour painting, this is her autumn side. She is versatile and meant for travelling – old house, new house, moving truck, car, just about anywhere. She is dressed for any weather. In her satchel is everything she will need.

This is her Ice rink side – her dress is partly made of torn photos of the deep blue ice on the rink…..Other materials include rice paper, candy wrappers, cigarette foils, part of a badminton racket string, metallic thread

Preparing for True Knit

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“Yearning”
Rice paper Birds on plexiglass

with thanks to Maggie, for loaning me her beautiful basement studio!

Dorothy from the Little Glass Hut in Lebret has been very generous helping me as I look for new ways to let these larks fly. These ones are between two circles of glass.

starting with colours I love

Pheasant Creek Coulee-

Watercolour from Grandfather Rock, Oct. 16, 2013

Feels something like last painting days at the coulee for this fall at least. My recent companions, the Swainson’s Hawks have moved on but the ravens and magpies remain. I am glad. How wonderful to go and observe the subtle changes of this particular fall season! Glad to have my thermos of ginger tea, brief flashes of warm sunlight because it is a chill wind.

unfinised watercolour from the end of September. Such changes!