Chatter

12" X 9" MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS
$195 plus $10 S/H = $205
AVAILABLE

This collage was inspired by the book
"Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez. When I came across the sentence
that read in part "the chattering of invisible monkeys",
I knew I had to create an artwork that celebrated
this wonderful visual image.

It is composed of a vintage sewing pattern cover,
decorative paper, 19th-Century etchings of monkeys
(reproductions), and acrylic paint on a canvas panel.
It is unframed with painted sides.

What I Did on My Memorial 3-Day Weekend in 25 Words or Less

I planted 10,000 flowers in my yard. And when I can stand upright again, I will go out and see how they are doing. I thought you might enjoy my carefully composed garden still life, a symbol of my lovely sweaty backbreaking teeth-gritting frickin vacation. I'm sure I will enjoy the garden in a month when I am reclining on my chaise lounge, sipping a pina colada and admiring the flowers from afar, but this is the last post that will concern a garden for a while.

The Gardener's Assistant

Today I thought I would transplant the little morning glory seedlings that I began indoors. Look at this hideous yard! Look at this darling dog! Like my dad says, You can have a beautiful dog or a beautiful yard, but you can't have both.




It's hard to believe this tiny little seedling will soon climb my fence and blue flowers will turn to face the sun every morning. I love blue flowers.




Here's my trusty assistant, Miss Suzi-Q, pointing out where I should plant the next one. She's a brilliant terrier-mix that we acquired from the animal shelter. She was extremely shy, but she's come around now and has been a great companion and gardening supervisor. Plant more here, she is saying.



No, HERE!!

ILLLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Baby

Original photo (detail)

Isn't she sweet? Sometimes when I am rummaging through the bins at a thrift store, it makes me sad to think family photos end up this way. And then when I took this vintage photo of the little girl home and looked at it closely in my computer program, I was shocked to see things that weren't apparent at first glance. She had a very poor complexion, bumps on her face. My imagination fired up and I thought, perhaps she was malnourished, as if her home life had not been the best, or she had been ill. She seemed to look forlorn. Oh, my heart went out to her, and I went to work with Photoshop. I smoothed out her complexion and put a blush on her, the whole time thinking you poor little dearie, after 100 years, you finally get the healthy glow you deserve! In the end, I transformed her into a happy healthy little princess, feeling that her spirit would appreciate this. I became very fond of her and wished I had known her in real life.

Sometimes we artists get a little WEIRD in the art-making process....

"Princess"
10" X 10" Mixed Media on Canvas
$175 plus $10 S/H = $185
SOLD

The Outing

Now here's a mystery. Who is the other woman? A memory? His mother? The Other Woman? Her mother? Is the mood somber or is it romantic? And why is the boat levitating? The word outing has 2 meanings, a pleasant journey, or the revealing of the nature of one's sexuality, such as being gay. That adds another interesting element to consider.

Hey, I made this little story and I don't even know what it means. That's why I love making art. It just comes out, and then you figure out what you were trying to say later. Any interpretations would be most welcomed!


12" X 9" Mixed Media on Canvas
$195 plus $10 S/H = $205
AVAILABLE

Art-a-Whirl 2008

Oh, it was so much fun! It was a gorgeous day, and everyone came. They brought their babies, their doggies, and their cash! The mood was festive, and I enjoyed meeting new visitors and catching up with old friends. I was most appreciative of the enthusiasm for my artwork! It was so great to hear everyone's comments on the collages, and their chuckles and outright laughter was music to my ears. There's far too much seriousness in the world, a little laughter is sorely needed, and when my work produces a smile, it just makes my day.



It was so busy that I had no time to take photos during the event. I did manage to capture one of the first visitors taking a close look at one of the collages.



Here's an animated discussion between the creator of bettyscagnetti, fun one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories, and an enthusiastic customer holding a headband. bettyscagnetti is my studio neighbor - what a fabulous collection of original refashioned clothing and accessories!



And here's Josh, another fan of bettyscagnetti, posing for the camera. I said, "Josh, I need to add a person to the vast bettyscagnetti collection of scarves, ACT NATURAL." So here he is, looking his most natural. Aren't these scarves beautiful? If you would like to see (or better yet, purchase) more of her well-crafted creations, visit her Etsy online store here.

It was a lovely weekend. I sold collages, more prints than I could count, and one very large painting to a woman who had been admiring it since she saw it in a museum show several years ago. Now the party's over, and the tidying up of loose ends begins....

Glorious Spring

I'm off to my warehouse studio to open my doors for the last day of the big art festival. But when I looked out my window this morning, and saw those beautiful bluebells bobbing in the breeze (wow, look at all those "b"s") and my 4 lovely crabapple trees with their fragrant blossoms, I just had to run out and snap some pics. The crabs are hitting their peak today, and they only blossom for a week or so. But it's worth being late to capture and share their beauty.

I spend many months complaining about the austerity of winter in Minnesota, but spring is simpling dazzling here!

Clutter

I work on several projects at one time, and sometimes the clutter level just gets totally out of control! I confess, I like to have lots of....stuff, just hanging around - it gets my creative juices going. If everything is filed away, I have to remember where I filed it, if I remember it at all in the first place. This way, I just shove things around and voila, inspiration strikes!

Open Studio Event

These little miniatures will soon appear in a new collage, but until then, I'm putting them to work as my publicity agents! I'm participating in an open studio event next week, so if you live in or near Minneapolis, stop by my studio. I'll be selling prints, collages and paintings, and if you can't find anything to ring your bell, there are over 170 other artists to check out. Demonstrations, music, free parking - a day of total entertainment. Address and dates are posted on the side bar and you can find more information at:

northrupkingbuilding.com.