Life on the Coast - Open Studios

Here are a few shots from our first day of
Open Studios yesterday.

Lots of people, lots of art, lots of fun.

Some of Debra's gorgeous jewelry creations.

A few of my collage pieces.

One more day, come join us, 10-5
Altered by the Sea Studios in Morro Bay.

Open Studios Tour 2011

San Luis Obispo County's 13th annual Open Studios Tour continues this weekend with the North County, including Morro Bay. Saturday and Sunday 10-5. Catalogs are available on line here.
My colleague, jeweler-extraordinaire Debra Jurey, will be joining me for two days of art, fun and friendship here at the Altered by the Sea Studio in Morro Bay.

Come and see what we've been up to!

Mahjong Time

Asian Winds 6x6"

Ok girls, it's Mahjong time! Both of these pieces created on the reverse side of a 6x6" canvas painted in black acrylic. Asian Winds features vintage Bakelite Mahjong tiles on each corner and Mahjong cards showing the four winds along the sides and top and bottom.


Inside, painted with Golden's Quindriconene Crimson is a stack of Asian coins topped with a vintage ivory mahjong counter.

Mahjong Melange 6x6"

Mahjong Melange has three bamboo bookmarks and an Asian coin surrounding a shadowbox lined with handmade paper with a kanji. Enclosed within are a vintage ivory and bamboo Mahjong tile and ivory counter.

The last two items to be completed for
Open Studios this weekend.

Cigar Box Wednesday

When is a cigar box not a cigar box? When it's a holiday tin that holds all the picture hanging material. And I will be using it over and over again this week as I prepare pieces for this weekend's Open Studios.



I suppose there are those of you out there that are smart enough to add your hangers and wire as soon as you finish a piece - and how I wish I was too. But invariably I find myself in the last week before a show screwing in eye bolts and twisting wire in the wee hours of the night before the next day's opening!

A Haunting in Highgate

A Haunting in Highgate 8x10"

Just in time for Halloween (and Open Studios) we have A Haunting in Highgate, another reverse canvas assemblage. I painted the wooden edges with Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paint and the back and sides with brown acrylic.



A Xerox copy of a photo of Highgate Cemetery provides the background for the tombstone and a pile of skulls- all from Michael's. The edges are draped in dyed and paint-swiped cheesecloth. Skeletons and the hand (Rite-Aid) are nailed and gel mediumed on.

A far cry from my Shabby Chic assemblages,
but rather spook-tacular!

Gotta Love the Shoes

Place de l'Opera 8x10"

These two pieces were a lot of fun. Our house is always awash in shoes from my darling wife Margot's company Sassy Feet. But this time the shoe was on the other foot - mine! Both of these were created on the reverse side of the canvas. The first is bordered with wide satin ribbon (a luscious find on our Portland trip last spring) held down with upholstery tacks and stamped with Cavallini & Co. Paris and fleur di lys stamps. Two vintage postcards of the Paris Opera House form the background for the shoe and a frozen Charlotte both held on with copper wire. A brass stamping, affixed with heavy gel medium tops the piece.

What a stunning boot to wear while strolling the streets of Paris.

Stepping Out 6x6"

This smaller piece is framed with distressed copper fastened with upholstery tacks. A xerox of the London Illustrated News backs the canvas and the fashionable shoe, adhered with heavy gel medium, steps right out of the frame towards you. An old jewelry piece (thrift store find), rubbed with black Staz-On and affixed with gel medium provides the finishing touch.

Ready for this weekend's Open Studios Tour.

Copper Clad Steampunk

Rose's Fan 6x6"

Two more 6x6" reverse canvas with copper cladding. I painted the sides and back of the canvas in dark brown acrylic, then attached distressed copper around the opening with upholstery tacks. I made xerox copies of the back page of the London Illustrated News for Feb. 18, 1860 and fitted them into the openings.

Charlotte's Time 6x6"

Embellishments were affixed with heavy gel medium and wire and include Staz-On distressed brass stampings and a cameo, a metal fan, a frozen Charlotte, a sewing bobbin, a fabric button and a Tim Holtz watch face.

Two more for Open Studios, coming up in just a week.

31 Trafalgar Square

31 Trafalgar Square 6x12"

A vintage etching of Trafalgar Square, dotted with Mary Beth Shaw stencils covers the 6x12" canvas. Distressed copper sheeting caps either end. Embellishments were affixed with heavy gel medium and include old watch parts, wooden (Small Studio) and metal (Tim Holtz) gears, a number plaque (also Tim Holtz), a vintage escutcheon and an antique military cap badge.

Another Steampunk entry for Open Studios!

Cutting Edge

Measure Twice, Cut Once 8x8"

An old New England maxim says "Measure twice, cut once" - even more important in those times gone-by when wood and material was scarce and precious. When one day by happy accident these old rusty scissors and vintage folding ruler were laying on my art table side by side - the piece was born!

I covered the canvas in old building plans that were then stenciled with a favourite Mary Beth Shaw in copper acrylic. The rusty scissors were attached with wire and bits of copper paper cut with shredding scissors were affixed top and bottom with heavy gel medium. The folding ruler was broken into four pieces and glued to the sides of the canvas also with heavy gel medium.
Available in two weeks at this year's Open Studios.

110 A Piccadilly

For those of you who, like me, enjoy the English mystery writers of the between the wars period of the '20's and '30's, the title of this piece will ring a bell as the address of the inimitable Lord Peter Wimsey. Created by Dorothy Sayers and beloved of millions of detective fans the world over. 110 on Piccadilly is now the entrance to the ball room of the Park Lane Hotel, in fact, the entire corner of Park Lane and Piccadilly (and up each street for a good ways) is taken up by the sizable hotel. I walked by there when I was last in London, gazed up and paid my homage to Lord Peter, Bunter and the rest of Sayers's well drawn and well loved characters.


The background of the piece is a shot from Green Park of the facade of 110 Piccadilly, it is bordered by black satin ribbon held down by brass stampings rubbed with different colours of Staz-On ink. A Mary Beth Shaw stencil is applied in brilliant copper. A stamping of a female hand presents a vintage calling card topped by Lord Peter's ubiquitous monocle.

The Pity of War - a Last Look

To End All Wars 16x20"

When I finish a project I usually have a pile of extras left that gets moved to the side or put in a folder or box for future use. As you can imagine, quite a large pile had accumulated by the time I had spent 6 months working on The Pity of War earlier this year.

Against a Monstrous Tyranny 16x20"

When I was cleaning it off my desk the work had become such an important part of me that I couldn't just file it away without one last foray. And so we have these two collages.



To End All Wars (WWI) and Against a Monstrous Tyranny (WWII) both in 16x20" frames with glass fronts and plastic backs(that were used as the substrata for the collages).



I tried to get a bit from most of the pieces from The Pity of War into each collage and then finished them off with lengths of ribbon and small charms. It was poignant and fulfilling to revisit this body of work again. Both of these will be available at Open Studios later this month.

Copper-Clad Wonders

Debra Jurey's In a Tuscan Olive Garden - earrings

A few weeks ago my friend Debra and I were getting our pieces ready for Arts Obispo's 6x6 exhibit. We will be sharing my studio space for the upcoming Open Studios this October. She's a maker of exquisite jewelry and was turning in a pair of earrings and wondering how best to display them. I came up with this idea - the inside back of a 6x6" canvas. The earrings featured lovely copper seed beads, so I covered the back edges with distressed copper.

The Watchmaker's Tale 6x6"

Well, she loved it. Everyone who saw it loved it. And it was one of those "AHA!" moments. If I could do it for her earrings - I could do it for tiny assemblages as well.

Concerto for Viola and Bassoon 6x6"

Here are the first two results - The Watchmaker's Tale and Concerto for Viola and Bassoon. Copper sheeting, distressed and affixed with upholstery nails lines the edges. The opening is painted with dark acrylic. Embellishments, including a vintage organ stop, bassoon reed and string peg, and watch parts and glass vials are attached with heavy gel medium and wire. A double wax seal tops each small vignette. Two more for Open Studios in October.

25 Highgate High Street

25 Highgate High Street 6x12"

Stepping into Highgate Cemetery is not only stepping into another time, but another world as well. Over the centuries greenery has reclaimed many of the monuments and gravestones, tree roots wrap around statues and fog shrouds the mausoleums.


In this piece I wanted to capture that nostalgic poignancy. A collage of several different pictures of the cemetery covers the canvas, stenciled with one of Mary Beth Shaw's and daubed here and there with light green acrylic to simulate mossy overgrowth.



A silver cross, tarnished with Staz-On, a rusty iron cross and a ceramic bit of tombstone sweep down the piece in a loose diagonal. The number plate (Tim Holtz) and bits of paper tape (7Gypsies) complete the picture. Another for next month's upcoming Open Studios.

82 Charing Cross

82 Charing Cross 6 x 12"

A wall of distressed bricks (HO layout supplies) anchors the bottom of this piece while beaten copper runs across the top. The canvas is covered with a xerox copy of a Victorian engraving, stenciled and embellished.
Old watch parts, a frozen Charlotte, vintage water tap, wooden (Small Studios) and metal gears (Tim Holtz and 7 Gypsies), sealing wax, the number platte (Tim Holtz) and an ivory piano key top are affixed with heavy gel medium and wire. A string of swivel clasps (Tim Holtz) holds jewelry parts and more gears.


This is a companion piece to 14 Brick Lane and will be on offer at October's Open Studios.

15 Rose Lane

15 Rose Lane 6x6"

Steampunk in Stepney. A 6x6" canvas covered with a xerox of a Victorian engraving, stenciled and stamped. A strip of copper anchors the right hand side and is decorated with sealing wax, a copper earring disc and a large watch gear. Funky ring trim flanks it.

A large rose button centers the piece and is attached with wire. Wooden gears (Small Studios) are topped with mini wire mesh roses. A number plaque (Tim Holtz) and a cameo disc complete the work.

I am really enjoying this series. It's quite fun picking out the various bits and bobs to embellish with and, research geek that I am, I love finding the London street names - my best source has been the 1891 Streets of London. This piece available at October's Open Studio.

14 Brick Lane

14 Brick Lane 12x6"

Another steampunk creation - to the East End for this one - 14 Brick Lane, in the Spitalfields area of London. I started by painting the edges of a 12x6" canvas in dark brown acrylic and then adhered the xerox copy of a Victorian engraving with matte medium. A sheet of distressed copper, attached with decorative thumb tacks tops the canvas and is strewn with sealing wax.


My favourite Mary Beth Shaw stencil provides accents in a muted black acrylic. Embellishments were affixed with wire and/or heavy gel medium and include metal gears from Tim Holtz and 7 Gypsies and wooden gears from Small Studios and a piece of piano key ivory topped by a copper leaf stamping. A frozen Charlotte, cold water faucet handle, and the #14 (Tim Holtz) add bright spots of white.



A chain of swivel clasps (also from Tim Holtz) swings down the left side and holds various metal bits. A small slab of tumbled tile serves as a mounting block for vintage watch works.
Available at Open Studios next month.

46 Curzon St.

46 Curzon St. 6x6"

This diminutive treasure, a melange of Victoriana, steampunk and a hint of shabby chic, began with an engraving of a Victorian house and lamp post, xeroxed on parchment paper and adhered to the 6x6" canvas with matte medium. The sides of the canvas were coated in dark brown acrylic which was also used to stencil over the picture, using a wonderful Mary Beth Shaw stencil.




Various embellishments, including old watch parts, Tim Holtz gears and number plaque, an oval miniature - distressed with Staz-On ink, brass leaves, and earring parts were attached using wire, tacks, nails and heavy gel medium. A strip of distressed copper and a piece of woven trim anchor the right hand side.



This is my entry for Arts Obispo's 6x6 show to kick off Open Studios 2011. The show will open later this month and have a grand reception on the first Friday of October.

221 Baker St.

221 Baker St. 6x6"

Sherlock meets Steampunk! A vintage drawing of Victorian Baker Street shows a carriage driving by 221. Distressed copper sheeting (with sealing wax) tops the canvas which is stenciled (Mary Beth Shaw) in dark brown acrylic. Copper number tacks show the address. Other embellishments include vintage watch parts, swivel chains, gears and watch face from Tim Holtz and wooden gears from Small Studios.



A vintage escutcheon, jewelry square and acrylic-distressed magnifying glass (a Holmes essential) complete the piece. The game's afoot!

This assemblage available at this October's Open Studios.