buried treasures, hidden gems and a giveaway

buried treasures

Seth Apter from "the altered page" has made his yearly post
about buried treasures and hidden gems.
This year my "buried treasure" is about "the art of collaboration".
Originally posted on November 1, 2014

I was recently invited to participate in the Around the World blog Hop by Lisa Mc Garry,
an American artist and writer who has been living in Florence for the last ten years.

indigo cubes by Lisa Mc Gray

 













You can see Lisa's blog here: http://arzigogolare.blogspot.com
And here  you'll find here beautiful indigo cubes.
Found on the web somewhere in 2013 and it was my first introduction to Lisa's blog.


As part of this blog hop, I was asked to answer some questions:

What am I working on?

Paintings, collages, décollages, drawings, mail art, correspondence art, sometimes small objects. Besides creating my own work, which can be see on this blog, I also like to collaborate with other artists. It´s about exchanging small works of art and often there is a kind of storyline. 

Sometimes I exchange "mail art" with artists via the mail art site iuoma.

And recently I've discovered "the drawing challenge" in which you're working out a theme and then post it on your blog. Sometimes I take part in online exhibitions like fallow and  the woven tale
In 2012 I´ve organized an online exhibition called  "Ode to Blue".
I still have a kind of follow-up in mind but I don't know how that will look,'
And I also think of a longer project about memories.

"The Balancing act" from the project "Alphabet City" send to chilean / spanish artist Bea Mahan.
We take turns in sending each other the next letter of the alphabet, mostly with a title.
It's still ongoing since April 2013 and we've arrived at he letter O.

"This journey of a thousand miles Begins with a single step" ( Lao Tzu), sent to american artist Nichole Rae. It's part of a "visual journey" since January 2013.


How does my work differ from others of its genre?

The last ten years I've been working on fairly small sizes, usually square and I often prefer to use white and blue. My work is about freedom, the sea and the sky, stories in disguise and lost memories.
I love experimenting, taking side roads and elephant pads.

blue river

Why do I write/create what I do?

I love to create things. And if I can't, for one reason or another,  I get restless after a while. 
In a sense, it feels like a necessity, just like eating and breathing.   And also as a language in which I can express myself. 

tracks and traces II

How does your writing / creating process work?

Mostly I first start making a texture. That's often a mixture of collage, painted paper and décollage. Then I start to work on it .When  I lose focus I leave it for a while, till it has "landed".  My working process is a little bit  like a gardener who occasionally  cuts something. 
Sometimes things get ready in one session like the recent memory series with stamps and written pieces of text.
I mostly have something on my mind to work on, small or large projects. I don't always work them out, I often don't use them. If  there's anything I think is important I try it out. In addition, the motto in mind: better to regret something I've done than regret something I haven't done.

Next artists in this blog hop are:   

Nichole Rae, a mixed-media artist who has a passion for documenting her life through books arts, photography, writing and typography design. She resides in Minnesota, USA and is the author of the book Art Journal Art Journey: Collage and Storytelling for Honoring Your Creative Process (July 2014 from North Light Books).   
Since January 2013 I exchange pieces of art with Nichole in a visual journey.

Front page of Nichole's beautiful and adventurous site. You'll find it here

Bea Mahan, a  graphic artist, born in Chile and working and living in Spain. 
In her own words:  Cause and effect, order and disorder, movement and stillness, sound and silence. My works are nothing but a reflection of the contrasts that I've found on my path.

You can find here poetic work here

Bea Mahan, collage and charcoal on paper, 2012.

I was already invited to the bloghop .in June 2014 by Svenja Wahl, a german mailartist. 
Unfortunately I had no time then. Therefore I now like to refer to her blog.   
You can find her blog with her intriguing mail art here and her answers for the bloghop  here

Svenja Wahl, mail art.

I also like to introduce you the work of Patti Roberts Pizzuto. Some of you may already know her work by her blog missouribendstudio.
She´s an artist living and working in southeastern South Dakota on the banks of the Missouri River, USA . Her work combines painting, drawing, embroidery and collage on handmade paper. 
Although she could not participate this time in the blog hop, it is worthwhile to look at her intimate and poetic work. You can find her site here and her blog here
Since 2013 we´re collaborating by exchanging small artworks.

Patti Roberts Pizzuto, book of lost time.

giveaway

It's five years ago, on the 20th of July 2010, that  I started this blog.
I wanna thank you all for the nice comments, feedback and friendship
I've received.
So..., good reason for a giveaway!

Just leave a comment on this post and you can win this boat
(collage, mixed media on paper, +/- 10 x 20 cm)
.
I'll announce the winner on friday  the 31th of July.