Circus Musical Instruments

This is the Bellcycle. It is a stationary bike with bells in the stokes of the wheel. When you pedal the Bellcycle the bells make a charming chiming sound.

This is the Trunket. When you blow through the Trunket, fun bubbles blow out carrying the sound with them to the audience at the Circus.

These are the Peanut Shakers. Shake the Peanut Shakers and you will hear a happy little tune.

This is the Flying Drum. The Flying Drum flies around through the audience creating its own playful beats.

I hope you come to this circus and have a fantastic music filled time!

watercolor | stained glass series

This Is America, My Land

Collage Research

A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand-made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs and otherfound objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas. The origins of collage can be traced back hundreds of years, but this technique made a dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century as an art form of novelty.

The term collage derives from the French "coller" meaning "glue".This term was coined by both Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso in the beginning of the 20th century when collage became a distinctive part of modern art.


Arrange your items on the surface. Resist any impulse to place them in straight lines, make everything the same size, show all of every item or only use one kind of item in your collage.


My main emphasis, as a collage teacher, is to elicit from students their own individual touch. From the start, people are asked to mix colors, paint papers, make prints, create different textures, cut elements from magazines, etc.

What makes a good collage composition? I don’t think it differs from any other kind of art. All the usual suspects come into play: movement, texture, light, color, theme, form, line, space.

But it’s a good question because composition is the very key to collage. Basically you are playing with shapes in relation to each other. At times I feel as if I am conducting a circus. As the ringmaster, I am controlling all these characters, all the shapes that are flying around.

research: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage
http://www.ehow.com/how_2045517_make-collage.html
http://emptyeasel.com/2010/04/08/the-art-of-collage-an-interview-with-collage-artist-alexandra-sheldon/


artists:
Susan Adame: http://www.SusanAdameArt.com/Site/Susan_Adamé_-_Collages.html

I really enjoy Susan Adame's collage art because of her use of geometric shapes, texture, and color pallet. I like how she focuses on composition using elements of design rather than focusing on subject matter. To view Adame's art work, go here: http://www.SusanAdameArt.com/Site/Collage_Inventory.html














Dick Allowat: http://allowatt.com/

I like Dick Allowat's work because of his compelling subject matter and composition. I like how he uses a variety of different mediums to create his collages. He also uses a lot of objects, such as, a toy, or a water color paint pallet, etc. He uses thick paint as well to create texture and color. He creates strong images by his conceptual subject matter and compelling compositions. To view his artwork, go here: http://allowatt.com/gallery












Robert Mars: http://www.robertmars.com/main.html

"My work is a chronicle of Americana. I am determined to capture the independent aesthetic of the not-so-distant past that has been replaced by homogenized corporate culture and standardized cityscapes. Industrial design, graphic design, architecture, vintage neon and mid-century icons all render important roles in my work." -Robert Mars

I really enjoy Robert Mars' artwork because of the simple color pallet, using really stark black images for contrast. I like his subject matter using images from the 50's and 60's. His images are strong and compelling because of subject matter, texture, strong contrast, and good composition. I like how he incorporates typography into his collages as well.

Niki's Baby Shower Invitation | Special Delivery

lithography | life goes on

lithography research

Lithography uses simple chemical processes to create an image. For instance, the positive part of an image is a hydrophobic, or "water hating" substance, while the negative image would behydrophilic or "water loving". Thus, when the plate is introduced to a compatible printing ink and water mixture, the ink will adhere to the positive image and the water will clean the negative image. This allows a flat print plate to be used, enabling much longer and more detailed print runs than the older physical methods of printing (e.g., intaglio printing, Letterpress printing).

Lithography was invented by Alois Senefelder in Bohemia in 1796. In the early days of lithography, a smooth piece of limestone was used (hence the name "lithography"—"lithos" (λιθος) is the ancient Greek word for stone). After the oil-based image was put on the surface, a solution of gum arabic in water was applied, the gum sticking only to the non-oily surface. During printing, water adhered to the gum arabic surfaces and avoided the oily parts, while the oily ink used for printing did the opposite.

Lithographic crayons and pencils are manufactured in a range from very soft and greasy through to being very hard and dry. As a consequence mark-making is potentially limitless and they can be used to great effect to develop drawings of varying character. Considerable detail and full range of tone from the subtlest grey to the densest black can be achieved. Rubbing crayon which is commonly applied to the surface of stone using rag may also achieve soft smudgy atmospheric effects similar to that found in charcoal drawing and a good example of its use can be seen in the print Quotidian by Donald Furst.

The liquid drawing ink known as tusche is favoured by many lithographers as it will dry and reticulate on the surface of the stone in the most astonishing manner, creating exaggerated web-like patterning on the surface of the stone.



Here is a very good tutorial on how to create a lithographic print.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHw5_1Hopsc

research: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography
http://www.spgw.co.uk/characteristics4.html

artists:
rex ray: http://www.globalgallery.com/search.php?af=rex+ray

Sarah June Change: http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/25031/

Robert Rauschenberg: http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/89764/