Playing Favorites: Chapter 3

Welcome to the 5th edition of The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. The Pulse is a collaborative project that aims to introduce you to new artists, help you get to know familiar faces even more, and allow you access into the creative hearts and minds of a very talented crew of individuals. More than 130 artists have answered a series of questions which make up The Pulse. Their responses will be presented in a series of online posts which will run every Sunday.

Style File, Techniques & Tools, Master Class, and It's Still Life were the first four projects posted and links to all these posts can be found on the sidebar of my blog. The fifth project, Playing Favorites, continues now...

Participants were asked to: share a picture of a favorite piece of art that you have created and explain its meaning to you...
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Kim Logan

"This is a favourite collage piece using an old Victorian picture frame. I loved the photograph as it has a similarity of that of an old photograph I have of my father when he was 17. Even though the clothes and eras are different, the air of confidence is the same, and both men convey their optimism for the future."

Deb Eck

"Entering Utopia: This is still my all time favorite, although I love many of my other pieces. This work combines all my obsessions: my love of conceptual works inspired by texts (The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman), my love of tedious repetitive work (completely coloured by hand using pencils), pattern, intricate cuttings, and large scale (8x4 feet). It still stops my breath whenever I see it and I am amazed that it came out of my head through my hands."

Alicia Caudle

"Since I was a teeny child I dreamed of being Alice in Wonderland and oftentimes would not respond unless I was addressed as 'Alicia in Wonderland'. Later in life I developed a huge adoration for taxidermy and apothecary related things, which I have coupled with Alice and my love of nature in this piece. This is the first in a series of six similar pieces, this piece titled Finding the Rabbit Hole. It is filled with lots of secret nooks and crannies, 'holes' and obscured doors, and drawers full of treasures (such as butterfly wings, old buttons and beetles) that I may have in my imaginary childhood journeys."

Cathie Parreco

"Flower of Spain: This piece is a favorite because it came out exactly as I conceived it in my head (which doesn't happen very often). The literal meaning, well, carnations are the 'official' flowers of Spain and these are dancing to the title of some sheet music I found by the same name. Pretty deep, huh?"

Lisa Sarsfield

"Truth: One of my collages for the ICE exchange tops the list as my favourite because of the way I felt when I completed it. It went beyond being pleasing to my eye (although it is that) and spoke to me in a more deep and meaningful way. The writing says 'In the silence screams the truth' which I feel is slightly provocative. It stirs up emotions and asks questions of the viewer. I feel it really expressed what my Fragile series was about. The collage is now part of the permanent ICE collection as I couldn't bring myself to either swap or sell it."

Tracie Lyn Huskamp

"This is a piece from a series called Forget Me Nots. Each piece incorporates a page from a vintage autograph album. The words are both beautiful and haunting, as well as a perfect bit of texture to a rather stark background. A pop of color is incorporated through the addition of the painted bird subjects. These images are symbolic in meaning, as birds represent flight and freedom, reinforcing the idea that our words have wings.

Martha Marshall

"Ritual 50: This painting is a favorite because I feel that with it I achieved the feeling of spontaneity and randomness that I try to get in my paintings and collages, but which can sometimes be so elusive."

Roxanne Evans Stout

"This book called Be the Light is one of my favorite books. I love it because I made it when I realized that I was my father's 'light' and that we are all someone's light., and that we should honor that and honor ourselves. This book is filled with images that I love, from the past and present."

Sally Turlington

"This is mail art that is simple in message - our families are limited editions -- while at the same time, quite opposite in technique:

1. Mixed media collage items -- newspaper, graph paper, postage stamps, artist-made images.
2. Computer generated stamped image of a custom collage piece Limited Edition.
3. Limited Edition stamped image applied via water transfer to envelope.
4. Brayered ink background on manila envelope.
5. Custom rubber stamps.
6. Sketched images -- pen, colored pencil, graphite.
7. Envelope antiquing via application of waxed pigment.

To me this piece pulled together many unrelated elements and techniques to result in a sweet message with a whimsical tone."

Mary Beth Shaw

"One of my favorites is my book cover (Flavor for Mixed Media), which is very personal and full of self reflection. It came together quickly, as with many of my meaningful pieces - I have to turn off my brain and allow serendipity to take over. The graphic element under the '10' stamps is dollhouse flooring symbolic of foundation for me. The screen at the top is from a door my husband replaced so I feel a family connection. Underneath the cowboy you see the musical word 'Etude' but I have crossed out the 'E' so that 'tude' is showing to symbolize my attitude in trying to achieve against the odds - a self taught artist at the 10 year mark writing a book, geez, who would have thunk? Same with the 'Go'. On the far right I have circles the word 'Solo' which is from a vintage pilot's log. The three men and the number five are also personally symbolic."
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Next "Playing Favorites" will be posted on Sunday, September 9th.