What's New In The Studio?...... Photo Blocks

Here it is mid-May and I am finally doing my first post of 2015! We all get in ruts from time to time, and the best way out of one is to try something new. Earlier in the year, I saw a couple of posts on Pinterest and Facebook of people transferring photos onto wood, and I was rather intrigued. After viewing several YouTube posts, I was both encouraged--it looked fairly easy and I really loved the effect--and discouraged--all of videos said you had to use laser prints and I print inkjet.

Being a stubborn Yankee, being told I CAN'T do something is a powerful motivator, so I decided to ignore the 'experts' and give it a go using some scrap wood and some misprinted photos that I couldn't sell but couldn't bear to throw away. A little experimentation and I was able to come up with a variety of effects that I really liked--no laser printer required.

©2015 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved - Fireside Bowl, Logan Square

photo transfer on wood, 5 3/8 inches x 6 7/8 inches x 3/4 in.

As with a lot of the techniques I employee in my artwork, there is an element of unpredictability that I really love. It's like Fate is your co-creator. There are areas of the photo that don't transfer at all and places where the ink is lighter or darker. The overall effect adds a handmade quality to a photograph, turning something that can be mass produced into something that is one of a kind. The print of the Fireside Bowl was created printing from a print on plain paper. Because the paper wasn't coated and was thinner than photo paper, the ink was prone to fading during the transfer process and uneven coverage in areas where the paper wrinkled or bubbled. This particular piece had a fairly hefty coating of transfer medium, which enhanced the wrinkles and bubbles, which I think adds to the vintage feel of the piece. You can see more of my Fireside Bowl shots and learn their backstory by clicking here

©2015 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved - Bicycles, Logan Square
photo transfer on cradled birch block, 5 inches x 7 inches x 1 in.

The photo of the bicycles was printed on a glossy photo paper, which made for a much more saturated transfer. This piece also had a fairly heavy coat of medium, which resulted in some uneven transfer, but again, I think it adds to the finished piece. As pleased as I was with the results, I wanted to have more control over how evenly I could apply pressure to the photo and the block. I ended up building a small press, which I will post about in the near future.

The photo of the magnolia is one of the most recent pieces and is a culmination of the different techniques. The block was coated with a color shifting interference paint that gives the lightest areas a glow that changes with the angle of the lighting.  For this piece, I used my press. Though there were still some areas of uneven coverage, the results were more consistent than with some of my earlier work. The current collection of photo blocks can be found on my website by clicking here

I've also added two collections of monoprints, but that's a story for the next blog post. Stay tuned!

Who Wants To Fight Crowds?......Alternatives To Black Friday Madness

Thanksgiving is almost upon us.  It is my favorite holiday.  It is about getting together with people you care about and being thankful for what you have and sharing a meal--what could be better! It is probably the most egalitarian of our holidays -- you don't have to belong to a particular religion, or for that matter believe in a higher power, to be grateful. Somewhere along the way we've lost sight of how important this is and after spending the day be grateful we rush out the next day -- and sometimes even on Thanksgiving day itself -- to acquire even more in a retail spending frenzy. Trust me, I like to save money, and as someone who owned a store, I get the need for customers, but almost everything about Black Friday and the weekend that follows seems to be contrary to the point of Thanksgiving.

I often say that we vote with our dollars and that those votes are some of the most powerful votes we cast. We can blame retailer's and mall owner's for the madness, but the fact of the matter is that our participation is why the madness continues.  Here are some ways to enjoy the holiday weekend without succumbing to the general craziness (there are even some suggestions for those who can't bear the thought of NOT shopping):

1. Have a movie or TV marathon day with your friends and family. Nothing fancy, kick back, enjoy some leftovers and watch the entire series of Harry Potter or the numerous football games or whatever strikes your fancy. You could also spend an afternoon or evening playing board games, cards, or for that matter some friendly competition on your favorite gaming system if you just can't let that technology go! Wouldn't you rather be hanging out with people you care about than fighting total strangers all clamoring to be the lucky few to get that doorbuster deal?

2. Have friends over for a potluck celebration.  A friend of mine is doing this the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am absolutely looking forward to it. I am thankful for both my family and my friends and this year I get to celebrate with both. 

3. Take in a local museum, go see a local theatrical production, or attend a concert. While the superstores and malls may need your dollars, chances are your local cultural institutions need them more!  My hometown museum, Billings Farm & Museum, in Woodstock, Vermont, has a great Thanksgiving program. Here in Chicago, The Museum of Science and Industry has its annual Christmas Around the World exhibit of nearly 50 trees representing countries across the globe. There are plenty of free and low-cost programs, concerts, and performances all across the country, just check out the Internet or your local paper.

...still can't imagine NOT shopping on Black Friday or Thanksgiving Weekend?  Here are some alternatives to the crowds:

1. Support a local craft or art fair. This is a favorite tradition in my family. We would go to Weston, Vermont every year to their annual Christmas Bazaar held in the Weston Playhouse. Here in my Chicago neighborhood of Rogers Park, there will be a Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle held at Rogers Park Social on Glenwood Avenue on Saturday, November 29th. Events like these offer unique and interesting items made by local artists and craftspeople, and you're shopping dollars stay in the community.

2. Check out the local stores and neighborhoods.  One of my favorite things to do here in Chicago (any time of year) is to explore one of our many neighborhoods.Each one has it's own flavor and culture and yet all of them are Chicago.  Exploration, however, is not limited to urban areas. When I lived in Vermont, after going to the Christmas Bazaar, we would swing over to the nearby town of Chester, Vermont, to explore some of the local shops and antique stores.  Don't forget to check out local grocers and bakers when you're out and about -- they are great sources for hard to find food items and gourmet treats. My Polish grandmother was tickled when I brought her a butter lamb from Hapanowicz Brothers in New York Mills for Easter one year, and at Christmas the local Polish grocers here in Chicago allow me to continue the Polish traditions of breaking opłatki at Christmas and making homemade horseradish (chrzan) at Easter. No crowds and plenty of parking, it is a great alternative to the craziness of the malls and plazas, and again, you're helping small, local businesses make a go of it and keeping money in your community, plus you're much more likely to find something unique or unusual.  

Remember, we have many blessings for which we are thankful. Time spent with family and friends is one of the most precious and fleeting, so make the most of it this holiday!

Toying Around In The Studio......3-D Assemblages

As you may have guessed from my posts, I love thrift stores, and I hate to throw things away. If you visit my art website: EricEPaige.com, you will notice I like to work in a variety of styles and media. Last Spring I started playing around with making pieces from found objects and dollar store and thrift store finds. It has been a nice break from my regular painting and photography, and it has allowed me to make some fun, lower-priced items to sell at fairs and to donate to fundraisers. I used to own a store, and learned the importance of 'smalls' (inexpensive, easy to carry items). Better to have a customer spend a few dollars than no dollars, or, as an antiques dealer friend used to say, "I'll take fast nickels over slow dimes anyday!"

I get a lot of my creative kicks from figuring how to use things in unusual ways and pushing the limits of what a product is designed to do and these projects have been a great way to stretch my creative muscles. I am sharing a work in progress tonight (but there are finished pieces on my website).

Every now and then a bottle or jar of an unusual art supply shows up at a thrift store at a really reasonable price. A few months back I found a bottle of a special primer for styrofoam. Intrigued, I bought it. Somewhere along the way, I bought something (not sure what) that was cushioned by a square piece of styrofoam with a shallow, bowl-like indentation. I decided this would be a perfect piece for test driving the primer, and to give a real test, I decided not only to paint it, but paint it with styrofoam's arch-enemy, spray paint (the solvents in the paint dissolve the styrofoam). My one complaint about the primer is that it is virtually the same color as styrofoam, so I wasn't quite sure I had gotten full coverage. Indeed, if you look closely, there are areas with recesses where the paint made it through an un-primed spot (they got re-primed and re-painted). The inner part of the bowl is a hammered copper finish and the exterior a textured metallic black metal finish.

(c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

I suppose empty it has a beautiful simplicity, but my natural instinct is, "Oh, an empty bowl; what can I put in it?". Somewhere in my travels, I found three of these oak leaves (oddly enough, on two separate visits). I am not sure what they are, curtain tiebacks or napkin rings maybe? Whatever the reason for the loop on the back, the design was perfect for giving the illusion that the leaf was floating in the bowl.

(c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

(c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved

I also changed the finish on the leaf to better match the rest of the piece. The final element is a plastic salamander that I gave a metallic finish. Oak leaves symbolize immortality and salamanders are a symbol of the creative process. Seems appropriate for an art piece made from a piece of plastic that would last forever (or practically forever) had it been put in the landfill. I am still playing with the finishes and haven't settled on the framing yet, so stay tuned!

(c) 2012 Eric E. Paige, All Rights Reserved