In the mail this month from Karen Isaacson one of her Spam Series collages where she uses sentences and phrases from the spam-bot comments left on her blog.  

Brew 188, mixed media on board, 12”x16”

Here is my latest work in a series of beer-themed art as I continue to repurpose and recycle beeraphernalia. This one is made of 188 pieces assembled into a quilt-inspired pattern that I have been using for years.  This is one of the first times I have used this pattern with such brightly colored source material. The vivid colors contrast against each other and cause a bit of a 3D effect. Because I included cardboard cases and beer coasters, some of the pieces have different thicknesses.  This only adds to the 3D appearance.  Finally, I cut many of the original material at slight angles, and when I assembled the work, I was even surprised by the illusion of movement (which might not be as apparent in a digital image). 

Brew 188 will be included in my upcoming show at San Francisco’s City Beer in October. The idea that it appears to be moving might be perfect for a venue where alcohol is served.  

Happy National Donut Day!

Sample Collages, mixed media, color reproductions, 8”x10” each

Back in the 1990’s I went out nightclubbing – a lot.  The dance music was often made after sampling other music.  In 1997 I created a series of collages that were essentially art samplings. I sampled art by cutting up art magazines into small pieces and reconfiguring the parts into new works of art.  I then reprinted the images using a color copier. The results were a slick, smooth art re-mix. 

In June 2013 it was time to revisit the idea.  This time I created a print with samples of my own mixed media art.  100 prints were sent out to different artists that I correspond with. They also create mail art.  If they wish, they can incorporate my samples into their own work.

Transfer Collage, mixed media on paper, 5”x6”

 I’ve been paying for MUNI with cash a lot lately and I hate to let a transfer go to waste.

Green Tea Pair, mixed media on board, 4”x4” each 

I’ve always liked Kit Kats, yes, they are not fancy chocolate, but they have been a favorite snack for years.  In Japan, they have all sorts of other flavors that rarely turn up in California.  Last month I got an entire box of Green Tea Kit Kats brought directly from Japan.  Of course there was an excess of packaging.  I couldn’t resist recycling the packages and making some Kit Kat Art.

More than half of the pieces for the 2011 Project have been sent off to their curators.  There are still some pieces available including these rather summery ones.  They are perfect if you prefer camping, a road trip in an old woodie, maybe to Yellowstone or all the way to Cape Cod.  Or maybe you’re flying off to Peru.  If you want to see the pieces that are still available, check out 2011project.com.  

Mit Hofpen (With Hops), mixed media on board, 12”x16”

More repurposing and recycling of beeraphernalia (coasters, six pack cartons, etc.) it’s the latest piece in my series of beer-themed art for the upcoming show at San Francisco’s City Beer in October.  This one uses materials from Northern California and Switzerland.  Prints, phone and laptop cases, plus other goodies are available with this image from Society 6.

BeerWeave #1, mixed media on board, 12”x16”

Mixed media work made from repurposed six-pack containers.  Part of a new series for a beer-themed show coming up in October.

Last month I sent 100 recipients small pieces of art to be hidden away in books — more about the project here.  Now I am starting to get little pieces of art sent back to me.  Above are some of the examples.  Including work from Marina Salmaso in Denmark, Amy Irwen, Meral Agar in Turkey and anonymous piece of art made from a repurposed old book cover. Now, I need to start hiding these in my books.  As I have a large personal library, it should not be a problem.