Tag Archive for ‘collage’ at Inspiration Junkie robayre.com

Tag Archive for 'collage'

Mailart for the last week of April

Published

on April 30, 2011

in General Update, Mail Art, My Artwork and Projects

. 9 Comments

Instead of my standard postcards, I’ve come up with a new idea for some mailart365 project pieces. It started out when my best friend showed me a moleskine app she had on her iphone. Unfortunately, she has a newer phone and mine won’t let me download it. No harm because it got me thinking of the moleskine cahiers that I love so much.

I’ve been making my own little cahiers for quite a while now, and this whole thing spurred the idea to make some more but then turn them into mailart.

I’ll send them directly through the mail, where the addresses, and postage are stuck right on the cover. Each book is 4.25″x5.5″ closed. I collaged on some pressed board, and then coated them with a sealer.

These are the open faced covers. I stuck a rubberband inside each book so the owner can keep them closed like in the picture at the top. I haven’t yet put the recipients address on them in these pictures, so that I could share them.

I thought it would be a cool collaboration of sorts. My artwork is on the cover and the recipient can fill the blank pages inside with their own words or artwork. I think it will be cool with the cancelled stamps.

It’ll be a crapshoot to see if it makes it through the mail or not.

We print and mail booklets all the time at work, but those are through bulk mail and these are obviously not bulk. I’ve seen pictures of a banana and toast with postage and addresses being sent through the mail successfully, so I think it’s a good bet they will make it to their destinations.

I made wafer stickers to put on the edges to keep them closed through the mail. You can see that below.

I really love these books and this idea. I think it would be so much fun, and so unexpected to receive a little blank book in the mail. I hope the recipients like them and use them. I can’t wait to make some more.

Also, I wanted to thank you for the commiseration, tips on other sites and terms to search for regarding the Ikea frames in the last post. I’m a bit more hopeful that I will find a suitable and thrifty replacement. I did hear back from Ikea officially, and it was pretty much the same thing the employee at a nearby store told me, the frames have been discontinued and that “IKEA products are not discontinued based on sales or consumer demand, but on product availability.” Bummer. Those frames were only $7 or $8, and other frames I’ve seen are closer to the $30 range. Ouch.

Weekly Dump

Published

robayre

on April 16, 2011

in My Artwork and Projects

. 1 Comment

I was super busy and stressed this week. By Thursday I was pretty panicked that I didn’t have any postcards done for the following week yet, AND I had no ideas for pieces to make. Then I remembered how I have a huge stack of old cards in various states of completion. Some of these cards are years old, but I never sent out. I’m so glad for them, then all I had to do was write on the backs and send them out. Now, I think I need to start tons of new cards to have a cache like this for weeks exactly like this.

If you missed it, don’t forget to check out this post for a free giveaway! To enter, all you have to do is like my facebook page :)

Postcard 41/365 Things I’d love to carry with me everywhere

Postcard 42/365 Favorite online searches to buy things

Postcard 43/365 Things in my studio

Postcard 44/365 Things I’d like to grow in my garden this summer

Postcard 45/365 Superhero powers I wish I had

Postcard 46/365 Things I make and sell on Etsy

Postcard 47/365 Things to do when it’s raining outside

mailart postcard project

Published

robayre

on March 4, 2011

in General Update, Mail Art and Projects

. 6 Comments

February is over and we are that much closer to spring! Near the end of the month, I was so ready to be over with February and the daily Thing-a-Day project. But just to show you what a glutten for punishment, or project addict, I am - before the month was even over, my eye had been caught by multiple other daily projects.

Mailart365
30 Days of Lists
29 Gifts - a month of giving

I love mailart, check out my flickr set of my previous mailart pieces. I love making lists, my sketchbook is filled with them and my studio is filled with tiny slips of paper that have lists drawn out on them. I love giving gifts - I always remember a thing I heard about George Harrison and how he was such a gift giver. He’d have a present for you every time you saw him. I go through these phases when I want to be like that, like George Harrison. We’ll call them my George Harrison phases.

So, I jumped into the deep end and signed up for mailart365. I will openly admit that while I am a HUGE supporter of daily projects, I have yet to complete a 365 project. Failed attempt one, and two.

In an attempt to combine all of these projects, I am writing a list on the back of each postcard, and as I’m sending out original pieces of artwork out in mail, it’s kind of like giving gifts. Some cards will be sent to other participants of the project, others will be sent to friends and family, and others yet will probably be sent out using addresses from sendsomething.net. Here are the first 5 I’ve completed.

edit 2/26: added the lists from the back of the cards underneath each image

10 things about me

10 good books I’ve read

10 accomplishments

10 fun things to do

10 memories

I’ve shared several of these here before, as they were pieces I made from the projects in Water Paper Paint. 5 down, 360 to go. I’m sure I will be creating all sorts of pieces will all different styles and themes. Stay tuned.

Day 28 - new banner

Published

robayre

on February 28, 2011

in General Update and Projects

. 4 Comments

One of the projects I wanted to get done earlier in Thing-A-Day was to redesign my banner and blog. It’s come down to the last day and I decided to at least work on putting together a new banner.

This is a very rough version. The colors are all wonky right now, so I’ll take a better picture tomorrow and I’m sure I will be playing around with it plenty in photoshop. I really want the cold press watercolor paper texture to show. I’m thinking of taking it through the sewing machine for a swoop that will tie the two parts together.

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated my banner, but here are a couple old versions.

and of course the current one

Day 22 - Sticker Graffiti

Published

robayre

on February 22, 2011

in General Update, My Artwork and Projects

. 1 Comment

Gah! I wasn’t able to put up my sticker graffiti for Found Art Tuesday. I guess I should have known better with the weather the way it is in Northern Illinois. The weather was great on Saturday, but did I go out? No. Instead I woke up Sunday, all ready for adventures of putting up my stickers in public places, and instead it was pouring rain all day long. Today… snow :(

At any rate, I promised to share my sticker graffiti and this picture will have to do. I will post pictures later, when I adhere them to their new homes. Before I do that though, I think I’ll be giving them some coats of a sealant. Hopefully they won’t deteriorate so quickly while being subject to the elements of previously mentioned Northern Illinois winters. Also, I made some little circle stickers (middle row) and those were so tiny, fun and quick to create. The larger ones (probably about business card size) will be run through my xyron to give it a sticky back, although I’ve seen plenty of recipes online to make sticker paste specifically for sticker graffiti. Just google “Wheatpasting”.

I’ve been really inspired while approaching this project. There are TONS of flickr groups devoted to sticker graffiti.
There’s even one devoted to “Hello my name is” labels turned into graffiti stickers.

Day 21 - Little Collages

Published

robayre

on February 21, 2011

in General Update, My Artwork and Projects

. 0 Comments

Day 21 Thing-a-Day. I can’t believe there are only 7 more days left. I think I need to make a list and budget my days because I feel like I have so many more things I wanted to do.

This wasn’t the only thing I worked on today, but it’s the only thing I have complete, so here it is. Now back to the studio to finish working on my other project. Hint, it’s another stamp/print :)

Day 18 - Mini Collages for paintings

Published

robayre

on February 18, 2011

in Artomat, Found Art, General Update, My Artwork and Projects

. 1 Comment

Day 18 Thing-a-Day.

While I was working on these mini collages, I was struck with inspiration. See, I really want to do another series for artomat this year and so I need to crank out the collages before I can begin on the paintings. (I make little canvas paintings based on collages that then are sold in art vending machines, you can see more about it here).

The thing is, when making the collages I’m really limited to very simple and basic shapes and images because I know they will eventually be painted. It takes a lot of time to do those paintings, so a really complex collage = a lot of time spent. I love artomat, but it’s really all about promoting my work, and artomat, and not so much for any financial gain. I only make $2.50 on each piece sold. Yeah, a painting I would normally sell for around $30 is sold for $5 and my cut is half of that.

Back to the inspiration that hit me. As I riffled through bits of paper, I kept finding pieces I’d want to use, but then realize it was too complex of an image. I thought, I’d really love to just collage without the pressure of knowing I’ll need to paint it. I decided to allow myself to make some mini collages with no purpose other than for fun. I liked that idea, but it didn’t last long because then I had another idea that sounded like even more fun.

For a long time, years maybe even, I’ve been wanting to create some collages that I’d turn into stickers and then post graffiti-style, out and about publicly. Shhhhh! I know graffiti is illegal, just don’t tell anyone, k? I thought this would be an awesome project for Found Art Tuesday and it’s been a while since I’ve participated in that. Sooo, check back here on Tuesday to see what I’ve created and where I’ve posted pieces.

Oh, and before I head off to start my graffiti-collage-sticker-art, I keep forgetting to mention the “Drawing THIS LOVE” project. My collage style contribution made it to their email and website as a Frame of the Week. Thank you everyone who sent me a heads up. I took that as a great sign that a bunch of you are also contributing. Yay!

If you haven’t signed up to do a frame, I’m pretty sure there are still frames left so head on over and sign up. I can’t wait to see the finished video.

Day 4 - Drawing THIS LOVE

Published

robayre

on February 4, 2011

in Projects

. 6 Comments

Day 4 Thing-a-Day - I finished my contributing piece for the “Drawing THIS LOVE” project. I found out about this opportunity through Artist Catherine Campbell’s blog post here. Her friends are making a music video and they are releasing each frame as a drawing for someone to color in and send back. Once all the pieces are complete they will put them all together to release the video. AND GUESS WHAT! You can participate too. Just go to their website http://www.drawingthislove.com/ and sign up. The only rules are that you have the make the background blue and it can’t be altered or colored in on the computer. The website has the video to watch, so you can see the animation and hear the song. They’ve also started adding some of the frames into the video and if you are quick enough with the pause button you can see some still frames. It’s very cool.

I hope my piece is acceptable because it seems that most pieces have all been colored with colored pencil, and my background is collaged. I didn’t see anywhere that it indicated you had to use coloring pencil, just that you can’t color it in on the computer. I used old maps and painted them blue, then I tore the maps up into little pieces and glued them back down all jumbled up. Some of them were kind of green, even after painting them blue because the map page was originally yellow, so after everything was glued down, I went back over it with blue pastels. For the face I used watercolors and just kept it very loose.

edit: I just did another. Forgot to mention that you can keep coming back and getting a new frame, once you upload the previous one. The number I just got today was frame 596 and there are over 2000 frames total, so there are plenty of opportunities to participate left.

For this piece I colored the background in blue boxes in crayons, and then went over it in a dark blue. The head was done in dry pastel and colored pencils. I enjoy doing the background better because I have a hard time on the face trying to figure out what is what. Is this still part of his nose? Is his mouth open? Are those teeth or his top lip? Etc.

Documenting the fall

Published

robayre

on November 2, 2010

in General Update, My Artwork, etsy and lists

. 1 Comment

In the last week Matt and I have been doing some rearranging. We moved our “living room” which was previously in the finished basement, up to the actual living room area. The office, which was previously in the “living room” is now in the finished basement. Matt’s brother and sister-in-law were so kind to give us their 61″ HDTV and there was no way we were carrying that down the stairs, so instead we just did a switch-a-roo. The reason they gave us their amazing HDTV was because they decided to upgrade to a 3D-HDTV! and it is amazing! I’ve never been too keen for 3D movies, but they had us watch a 3D Imax movie about the bottom of the ocean and it was the first time ever where I felt like things were actually coming out of the screen at me.

Then this weekend we carved pumpkins with our friends Tom and Nikki. It’s something we do every year. I only have Matt and my pumpkins pictured here because the full group shot is on my other camera and I left that in my best friend’s car. My pumpkin is on the left. Usually I always carve the same pumpkin ever year, but this year I was inspired by this link from Martha Stewart via The Dainty Squid.

Last week this painting arrived in the mail. It was actually a painting I made and sent out for a top secret project. I loved the finished product so much, and I was so afraid that it would end up getting lost or tossed and just unappreciated, so I was thrilled to have it back in my possession. It’s based on a collage that I shared earlier this year.

And lastly, today I made this Etsy treasury.

Please click on over and view it. I love all the pieces I featured and think they deserve some attention :)

Day Fifteen & Sixteen

Published

robayre

on August 24, 2010

in General Update

. 1 Comment

Trying to play a little catch-up here. I’ve finished two spreads in my mini book. You can see the other pages from the book so far in this flickr set.

I’ve been working on another project in the background… another yoyo pouch. I’ll post it when it’s complete, which will probably be tomorrow.

Inspiration Junkie robayre.com