Our Lady Of Useful Things

This is Our Lady of Useful Things. She is composed of objects that were useful at some time, but whose purpose has been fulfilled, leaving them discarded shells. She has been with me for about a year and a half. She needs a new home.

Our Lady measures 57" long, 18" wide, and stands 26" from the floor. The legs are detachable. I do not have room for her where I'm going.

If you'd like to take this table home with you, it's yours to do with as you please. Add to it, take things off. Put plants on it, or mail. Take the legs off and stand it inside the guest room closet to startle visiting relatives. No questions asked.

Our Lady of Useful Things is available for the low bargain price of Come And Get Her. Drop me a note to make arrangements.

Normal, OK: Carmen McWillie

Normal, OK: Carmen McWillie. Mixed media on canvas, 2008.

Carmen McWillie, 86, constructs elaborate tapestries depicting scenes from the Book of Revelation.

Carmen was created using the acrylic gel transfer method detailed here and here. The background is reused canvas (formerly a dropcloth), plus a collaged piece of painted paper (which provides the pink and grey colors you see behind Carmen). I may add another image to the background, I'm not sure.

Normal, OK: Carmen McWillie, ink on paper, 2007

Normal, OK: Pernell Foster

Normal, OK: Pernell Foster. Mixed media, 2008 Pernell Foster is fixin' to say somethin'.

Pernell Foster lives next door to Katie Hennepin, on his grandfather's homestead. He finds Katie's geodesic dome offensive, but harbors a crush on her. His repressed feelings gradually steer him into organic farming.

The background of this piece is acrylic on Rives BFK paper stretched over a particle board panel. (The swirly colors represent his feelings.)

Pernell was created using the acrylic gel transfer method detailed here and here.

Normal, OK: Pernell Foster. Ink on paper, 2008

Normal, OK: Pernell Foster. Conceptual sketch, collage on paper, 2007.

This is the kind of quick collage-sketch I often use to begin a character. I bring together many visual sources and compile them into a new conglomeration. It's quick and dirty, a great visual tool.

Normal, OK: Caffey Strong

Normal, OK: Caffey Strong. Mixed media on MDF, 2008

Caffey Strong, 35, is the piano accompanist at the Blue Belle's Academy. She is also an accomplished avant-garde composer, largely unknown at home but gaining notoriety among college radio audiences. Her latest work is titled "Con/text: Handless Compote for Altered Piano." Caffey inherited her dextrous fingers from her father, Arnett Strong, a locksmith.

Caffey was created using the acrylic gel transfer method detailed here and here.

Normal, OK: Caffey Strong. Original drawing, ink on paper, 2008 (Sometimes I flip 'em, sometimes I don't. I started noticing that too many of my Normal characters were looking to the left. Not good.)

Piscatorial: Tina, Truman

The Piscatorial series was originally inspired by the movie Dear Frankie (which deserves your love). Frankie is a young man who enjoys, among other things, drawing pictures of marine life. In the film Frankie's bedroom is decorated with his wonderfully whimsical and detailed sea creature drawings. Have you ever noticed how adult artists put a lot of energy into the attempt to recapture their childlike freedom of visual creation?

Tina, mixed media on MDF, 2007 Tina's pleased to meetcha!

Truman, mixed media on found wood, 2007

These fish were created using collaged paper, wallpaper, acrylic, and ink. Tina's MDF panel was one of many cut from a larger piece that I chose not to keep. I highly recommend reusing materials from unsuccessful works.