Book Club

Artful Paper Dolls - Figuring it out.

 

Here it is July 1! Time for Artful Paper Dolls Book Club to begin! We hope you were able to obtain a copy of the book Artful Paperdolls by Terry Taylor. There are many wonderful techniques and projects contained within the covers. But let's get started!

Our first session will be addressing the paperdoll figure. We all know the human figure is the "underlying structure for all paper dolls." And being mixed media artists, we can all go hog wild from there! Our dolls can be large or tiny, realistic or wildly abstract or something in between or combination there of. So! If you have Terry's book check out chapter 1 , pages 8 - 47.

Try one or all of the following.

Since we just finished Michael DeMeng's book Secrets of Rusty Things, lets look at his contribution to this book shown on page 40. If you don't have the book, check out this link to his blog and imagine these images as two dimensional paper dolls,http://michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/2006/09/cyclops.html  

Michael uses a vintage card board paper doll and " alters" it in a way that only he can...extensively and unusually. Try your hand using a paper doll, or cut out photo, or one of the Dover Clip art images posted at the end of this post. When you show us your work, be sure to include a photo of your beginning image as well as the transformation.

Another technique you might try, Dana Irwin's "Doppelganger"shown on page 28

(Dop"pel*g["a]ng`er\, n. [G.] A spiritual or ghostly double or counterpart; esp., an apparitional double of a living person; a cowalker.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. )
 "Elizabeth" is shown "life sized, with a "realistic" photo image of her head, arms and legs, with a paper doll dress and hat. Make one of yourself, or a loved one, life sized or 8 1/2 by 11 inches sized, and share your results.

 

Or try a jointed figure doll. Terry Taylor has a lively skelton couple, dressed ready for a walk in the park. Many of us have access to rubber stamps that assemble into a jointed figure paper doll, there are several websites that have templates that you can try. http://www.houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/chiadoll2.html   

 

 

 

NOW for the prizes! Each session there will be a prize, a book of paper dolls! Each time you post a piece of art your name will be entered for a drawing for one of the books. This week's book is Tom Tierney's "Glamorous Movie Stars of the Thirties Paper Dolls. Be sure to post your work,in the discussion section of the ZNE Book Club, so you'll have a chance to win. Post your work to your blog with a link back to us, and receive another change to win, post your link under the comment section of this post.

 

Now for some doll figures from Dover Clip Art, these are from their publication "Women Advertising Cuts of the 20s and 30s"

 

  

These images should give you something to work with, if you have no other sources.

Your deadline for posting links here and projects on the ZNE Network will be July 15. A new post and prize winner will be announced by July 20.

ZNE Randello Di Libro Reinventato

 

 

 Coming, July 1, 2009, ZNE Book Club Reinvented.

 Everyone is welcome to join in, free of charge!

 Terry Taylor’s Artful Paper Dolls.

Fun for one and all. Bring a friend or two or three. There will be challenges, discussions, contests and prizes. Our new group will be set up on July 1, just click on the icon when it appears and join in the fun! And as always, a chance to share some love; more on that later. In the meantime…..be thinking about your childhood paper doll experiences…or some more recent paper doll adventures. If you have the book that’s great! If not, check your local library, Amazon, Alibris,  or your favorite local book store. You won’t need to have a copy to participate, and we will be very careful to protect and honor copyright laws. Hope you’ll join us for the fun!

 

 

 

 

The Final episode of “Secrets of Rusty Things” by Michael de Meng

If you haven't checked out Michael de Meng's blog, do that before you do anything else!

  http://www.michaeldemeng.blogspot.com/

The much awaited Assignment #4. I have no excuses for waiting until June. Well, I do have excuses, just not good ones. So why go there? Here we are now.

In this last section we view Osiris, Skeleton Woman, Vishnu Dreaming and Zanahary, one assemblage more fabulous than the next.  DeMeng explores Egyptian, Inuit, Hinduism, and Madagascan mythology, customs and or traditions.

Respond to the following prompts and post them on the Book Club discussion board, or post to your blog and leave us a link here!

“Where have you come across the Tree of Life? Have you been to a museum or seen a display or work of art that has moved you to tears? Read a book that changed your perception of life? Seen a film that has inspired you to do something remarkable?” Tell us about it!

What new directions has your art taken lately? How have you changed your status quo, or questioned your norm. If you haven’t, take a leap this week and explore a road “less traveled” for you. Make a small piece of art or atc, chunky book page, in a style that is outside of your art style box.

DeMeng also uses products in ways other than the product was originally intended. I believe all mixed media artists do the same. Tell us which products and how  you use them….that would cause the manufacturer’s lawyer’s  to cringe….

And as in previous sections, tell us about unusual things you have collected or collect or unique shops you frequent or have stumbled upon. Or some outrageous items you have bought and use or hope to use in your art. We especially like photos!!

Coming in July! Artful Paper Dolls by Terry Taylor, if you don’t have the book, check your local library. We hope you’ll find the discussion interesting even without it!

 

THIS WEEKEND!

Book Signings by ZNE VIPs! Come by and visit!

Hooray!

ZNE CONVENZIONE CLASS REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!  GO CHECK IT OUT!  We have full five day registration packages, one day registration packages, dozens of classes to choose from with instructors flying in from all over the country, incredible evening programs and wonderful field trip add-ons!

Don't miss out!  Classes are filling up NOW!

http://www.ZNEcon.com

 

Assignment #3 Morpheus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Osiris

Read the story of Morpheus on pages 59. Any comments in response?

I am moved by Halcyone, how she walks to the edge of thestone pier and thinks of throwing herself off of the edge in an attempt to end her despair. But she is given wings to fly! It makes me think of a saying that I often use when exploring new situations "When you walk to the edge of the light that you have, and take that step in to the darkness of the unknown, one of two things will happen, you will be given something solid to stand on, or given wings to fly." Maybe not what de Meng had in mind, but it's how it spoke to me.

Wow! In this section De Meng has you designing a shrine that includes a light fixture. He mentions old suitcases and typewriter cases, or pieces of art work, that well, just don't work. Dabble a bit, carefully, with some electricity. Shocking!

Do you have any of your own art that you've re purposed? Share it with us!

How do you feel when you sell or give away one of your art pieces?

Do you have any shopping strategies for garage sales, flea markets, estate sales?

 

Orphes & Eurydice are described by De Meng on pages 70 -79.

Do you seek out precious things in undesirable  locations? Describe your similar experiences or situations or where you looked back and later had regrets.

Osiris Experiment with an assemblage or collage or other medium that incorporates a tree as a focal point. Think about and respond to these questions posed by de Meng.

1. Have you ever been to a museum or exhibit where a work of art has moved you to tears?

2. Have you read a book that changed your perception of life?

3. Have you seen a film that inspired you to do something remarkable, or just out of the ordinary for you?

Of course, we continue to look at strange purchases we may have made that raise the eyebrows of the folks behind the counter, or have you seen some other folks purchases?

Post your responses and art work on the ZNE Book club discussion boards.

Our last assignment will be posted in early January.

Stacy Merrill contemplates "Sungoddess, mother nature, and 'would you love me forever'. "

 

    

" This piece ended up coming together while thinking about a sun goddess, mother nature & a line from a song "Would you love me forever, if I had everything? Would you love me forever if I were a king?" Kind of odd combo but it came together, I think"  - Stacy Merrill

We think so. too, Stacy!

Stacy Merrill's Assemblage Under Construction

 

 I took the chair which is a brass candle holder & decorated it with red velvet (on back), as well as glitter glue & metal paint. Plus some wings. Did the same with the velvet covered plastic torso & cut a hole in her neck to insert the flower

 

Stacy Merrill's Assemblage Components

 

 

  

"Before" shots of some components for Stacy Merrill's assemblage. Be sure to check for the next post of the finished product. We had some trouble uploading all the photos in one post! Enjoy!