Born to Rule

It's been a busy time lately, and I'm finally getting around to posting the final version of the collage I began so long ago. You can see how drastically it changed from the initial sketch I posted on March 29th! But that's the nature of art and collage in particular - the thrill of art-making is in the surprising twists of the journey.

Although the last part of this expression has been over-used, I had never heard the entire sentiment. When I read the entire quote, it was so much more meaningful and perfect for today.

This little tyke and her feathered companion are available as a print or the original collage in my Etsy Shop.

Cowgirls on Vacation

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A while back (May 5th - OK, QUITE a while back) I posted a postcard photo of three cowgirls, Mabel, May and Myrtle. It was my intention to create a collage with their sassy images, and I finally accomplished my goal. Here they are. As I mentioned in my previous post, they were known throughout Montana as the "Red Yearlings" because of their red-blond hair and horsemanship. They were so accomplished that they were sought for hire by the Wild West shows, which they declined. Instead they went to Paris. (I just made up the Paris part, but the rest is true).

Driven Mad By Love

The title of this collage was taken from Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my favorite sources of inspiration. Who hasn't been pushed over the brink by Love?

The Artist

Oh, to be an artist who earns much more than he/she needs!

This is another quotation from Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my favorite sources of inspiration. Each sentence seems to conjure up a visual image of surrealistic delight.

Mushroom Princess

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She's royalty and her court is the backyard, with very flighty attendants! I must say, pink is the sweetest color to use, and the most difficult of all colors to reproduce accurately on a computer monitor. Very frustrating! This collage is available in my shop, along with additional collages and prints. Don't forget - those holidays are just around the corner!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY- Idle

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This is an older post, but I thought it worked well with this week's Illustration Friday theme. This little girl looks like she has lots of time on her hands as well as a flamingo in her arms!

Sometimes when I'm working on a collage, it just seems to make itself without any help from me. It's like driving a car with a destination vaguely in mind, when all of a sudden some mysterious force takes control of the steering wheel, and I just sit there with my hands folded in my lap and say, Wow, how did that happen? I was planning on putting a crown on the flamingo (I just adore crowns, I desperately want one for myself) when all of a sudden the scrap of paper that I cut out turned into a basket, and the next thing I remembered was a tiny dragonfly that was waiting on the sidelines. And there you go!

Hotel Rapid Deterioration

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Time has a way of just drifting away. This is a chapter by Bonny Belgum in Somewhere in These Days of Morning, a forthcoming book of her inspired observations of life paired with my collages, inspired by her observations! Here's the chapter in its entirety:

She used to own a hotel called Rapid Deterioration,

and before that she lived in it. The whole place was done up in tasteful pumpkin. She had to move out to bring the total available rooms to 117, the correct number for any hotel on a large secondary street.

©2008 Excerpt from Somewhere in these Days of Morning by Bonny Belgum (author) and Andrée Tracey (illustrator)

Bonny always has an interesting adventure on her horizons - for more information about her writings and doings, check out her blog.

Dog Waiting for the Bus in Roswell, New Mexico

Let's face it, if you smoke, you're flawed. At least in today's society. But it could be worse. You could believe in flying saucers and then you'd be crazy.

I thought this would be a good entry for Illustration Friday's theme of the week: "Flawed".

It is available for purchase in my online shop: GRAPHITEGIRL, along with my other collages.

Carry Your Heart

It's Monday, and here's a poem to accompany you through the week. It's by ee cummings.

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart
with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never
without it(anywhere
i go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done
by only me is your
doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my
fate,my sweet)i want
no world,my
true)
and it's you are
whatever a moon has
always meant
and whatever a sun
will always sing is you

here is the deepest
secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the
root and the bud of the
bud
and the sky of the sky
of a tree called
life;which grows
higher than the soul
can hope or mind can
hide)
and this is the wonder
that's keeping the stars
apart

i carry our heart(i
carry it in my heart)

ee cummings

(and yes, I checked and rechecked the spelling and punctuation and this is just as ee wrote it!)

I absolutely love this poem.

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.

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

Rocket Girl

8" X 6" Mixed Media on Canvas Panel
$90 plus $5 S/H = $95

AVAILABLE


I love thinking about the mysteries of the universe,
and I love the happy side of the 50's and 60's. It
all comes together for me with vintage space toys -
rockets, robots and space patrol commandos - wowee!
The bright colors and in-your-face type,
it just thrills me!

Our young Rocket Police Patrol girl is
cruising the orange skies in a wind-up toy
made by Louis Marx Company. With its
space fish eyes and apparent smile,
her space ship will safely guide her
through the galaxy.

If you're interested in vintage toys, here's
a great book to check out: Amazon.com

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Primitive

"She Took Off Her Mask"
Mixed Media/Digital
AVAILABLE

We all have a primitive side, and sometimes it emerges at the most inopportune time!

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Time

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"STAY" (the title of the artwork)

Should she go or should she stay? It all has to do with timing. The ultimate question is, How do we know when the time is right?

Les Friends

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

They traveled well together.

This original collage is composed of a
vintage photo that has been scanned
to archival paper, decorative
papers and acrylic paint on a canvas panel.
It is unframed with painted sides.

Saucer Dog

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

Gadzooks - it's a dog in a spaceship. Although
it's difficult to see in this photo,
the phrase "Gadzooks B2-2" is
imprinted in the center square on the
helmet. It's actually the name of
a paint chip. Wouldn't that be
a great job - naming paint chips? This
adventurous pooch has flown into the
Doggie Galaxy of Delight: bones, balls,
squirrels, and fine Italian Shoes.

This collage is one of a kind, composed of
various cutouts including reproductions of
star maps, vintage toys and original
illustrations on a painted canvas panel.
It is unframed with painted sides.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY - Worry

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


It's pointless to worry about specific things because it's always the things that you don't worry about that get you. And literally, this fishing expedition is about to be "gotten" by the unknown! This collage is dedicated to Mrs. Rysta and all

the other 4th grade teachers out there who ask their
students to write that dreaded back-to-school essay:
"What I Did During My Summer Vacation".

The collage itself is one-of-a -kind, composed of a
various cutouts and acrylic paint on a canvas panel.
It is unframed and with painted sides.

About Purchasing

I will be adding new collages on this site regularly. If you would like to see only the collages that are available for purchase (instead of scrolling through the entire blog) click on the "AVAILABLE" tab in the Categories list above. If you see one you would like to purchase, click here to be directed to my Etsy Shop where you can purchase your collage directly using PayPal: a secure online ordering system. If you don't have a PayPal account, no problem! You can use your credit card by going through the secure PayPal site (without creating a PayPal account).

Or you can just email me with your name, phone number and best time to reach you. I'll give you a call and set up the transaction. I accept MasterCard, Visa, personal checks and money orders. Shipping is $10, no matter how many you order.

RETURN POLICY

If you are not completely satisfied with your artwork after seeing it in person, please notify me of your return within 7 days of receiving your package. Upon safe return of the artwork, I will refund your purchase minus any S/H fees.