Just finished a new piece titled "Winter Rain." I love painting index cards. After a few layers this simple material acquires the texture and patina of polished leather. I cut thin strips of collaged paper and created sharp rainfall patterns. I realized that I don't have to glue the entire strip - leaving the bottoms free allows for the paper to rub together and create a pattering sound, similar to rain.

Finished this work just in time for Momentum, a juried show with WCA. Had a hard time conceiving of the subject. What finally resonated was all the bad luck I've had this year - with death and loss. This piece is about laughing out loud at all these superstitious things like the paper clothes as burned offerings to the dead, the cut hair not properly disposed of, and subject to voodoo spells, white bandages representing wounds and pain.

I am working on my second ArtTag piece on the subject of Patterns. Must confess I drew a blank on this topic. The first piece was a groping in the dark piece and I hope Miriam will forgive me for the failed piece. Received an interesting piece from Harriett, which helped in the right direction.
This is as far as I've gotten so far: painted a dozen index cards in black acrylic. Affixed images of cigarette boxes on one side. On the other side, mouth images. Applied a coat of gloss medium to mouth image side to marry the cutouts to the index cards. Rubbed out air bubbles. The next step is smoke and cigarettes, which is where I am likely to make a mistake. This is one reason I am protecting the image layer with medium first. I am going to bring my WIP to Howard Munson's book arts salon. Thinking of pulling all together in a book structure of some sort.

I recently participated in a land-art project in Pescadero. My piece is called Wind Traveler.

I made sacs from calligraphy paper, filled it with seeds, pods, snail shells, dried weeds, pebbles. Each pod was strung with stick and waxed linen  thread. The pods make a dry, husky sound when the wind blows through. Their shapes are reminiscent of breast icons strung by women in Tono. The frail  membranes will release their contents on the ground and into the air as the  Elements dictate.  Inscribed on each is Basho's haiku, the last he wrote before  his death:

Tabi ni yande                      Falling sick on a  journey
Yume wa kareno o             My dreams circle round and  around 
Kakemeguru                       In withered fields

Misora Hibari was a famous enka singer and film star during my childhood.  She often presented a melancholy persona, and her fame was fed by rumors of a tragic life. Unlike Japanese contemporary singers, who mostly get by with hype and cute looks, Hibari had an amazing voice through which she enveloped her audience into her story.  LIstening to Kanashii Sake (Melancholy Drink), I am utterly moved by her ability to fill each syllable with meaning and pain. 


  

I used India Ink to draw on transparency. The black silhouette totally transforms the original photos of women in kimono.

#3 inspired by T. Chamoff-Hauptman's fiber art rectangle. A faint image of child behind burned fabric.

Tag #2 inspired by T. Chamoff-Hauptman's burned fabric.

A late start and a huge rush with Christmas cards this year. Luckily I had some beautiful paper to cut up into abstract shapes. A velvety matte red, green marbled paper from Fierenze, shiny white paper and some black seconds.

Over 350 people attended our opening of Dollhouse. This was our first juried show, and my first time administering it through Entrythingy. This automated workflow system saved a lot of time for the applicant, administrator and juror. People had to apply online, upload images online and pay online. Surprisingly we had very few confused artists - 99% managed to get through the entire submission process without a hitch. The work for us began after the artists were notified. We had a tight schedule in accepting delivery, creating a catalog, and setting up the work. Stephen did a fabulous job determining the flow of the artwork in the gallery.

Calligrapher Aoi Yamaguchi and dancer Mika Yanagihara perform at Fivepoints Arthouse