Sonata The process: I taped off a piece of music paper into grids with painters tape, and solved the “facing the blank page” issue by doodling with a china marker. Then with watercolor made broad, full page stokes with a flat brush. After removing the tape, I cut the page into 4 individual 4x4” grids. I love that reveal moment when what was once a large chaotic piece now becomes 4 separate pieces, each with its own charm and personality. Collage fodder rounded out the process.  I had to do a little research into music terminology. This portion of the sonata is to be played at a walking pace and with passion and motion. Hence, the title. 

 ANYTHING Can Be A Texture Tool In my career as a middle school English teacher, one of my greatest joys was leading class discussions. Using a “talking stick” was always a good choice, but why not make it fun! When a student wished to speak, I would sometimes use a plushie toucan. I used to say, “Who can talk? You can. If you have the toucan.” Once a student had spoken, the toucan would be tossed to the next speaker. This little cutie has been cuddled by many hands over many years. He probably misses that.  Prior to the toucan, I used a koosh ball, which eventually had to be retired, due to the temptation to lob it too enthusiastically across the room. Thankfully, I still have that toucan and koosh ball. After all the fun I had printing with balloons and baggies, it occurred to me that a koosh ball would create a similar effect. So . . . a new use for my old koosh ball. Expect to see a lot more “koosh” papers in my work. 

When The Wheels Come Off In real life, having your wheels come off is a disaster with life threatening consequences. In art, however, it is a playtime treat.  As a child I spent hours zooming my toy cars around the vinyl kitchen floor, delighting in the sound of the spinning wheels. That zealous play eventually ended in cars limping along, wheel-less. Fast forward 60 decades (OMG, am I really that old?), those beloved cars parked in an attic parking lot (aka - an old box) finally left the lot and became play toys once again.  The year: 1963 The cars: Buick, Ford Galaxie, and Pontiac Bonneville  My maternal grandfather and uncle both worked for General Motors. As a child, my mother lived a fascinating life overseas as her father accepted dealership positions in South America and Spain. That history came home to play in my childhood home in Cleveland, Ohio. Is it surprising that cars were in my toy box? Not really.  So . . . about those wheels  You guessed it...