Summer of Assemblage

It's here. June 1st marked the first day of my Summer of Assemblage. I've put away canvases, papers, stacks of images and related things to devote the summer to assemblage. My mind is buzzing with ideas and images of things I want to create. I've been in the studio digging through drawers and boxes - finding all the little goodies I've been saving to use. This is the time to use it - or get rid of it. Way back in the 50's my brother, Bob , did a piece of assemblage art with an old washing machine. Maybe it runs in the family? Our dear little mother would not understand this at all. She threw away everything that wasn't being used. I save everything! Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new challenge of working with tools and glues and screws and wire. The Stockton Art League is having a juried show in Sept. My goal is to have something worthy to be shown by then. It's mostly play, but having a place to show it will be fun too. This is way out of my comfort zone - and if it were not for the workshop with Michael DeMeng I took last year, I probably never would have chosen to do this. Also I am inspired by Peggy Gatto, who is fearless -- her assemblages are imaginative, fun and funky. She has even altered matchbox cars. As a mother of three sons and having 4 grandsons, I still have lots of small old toys around. I could never throw away a matchbox car, no matter how beat up or broken it might be. I can see lots of possibilities to use some of the old stash. I also have a number of paints meant to make things look like metal that I have never tried. A secondary goal is to either use it up or get rid of it. This is going to be so much fun. By Fall I'll be ready to paint again and I'll have more room in the studio.

The photo is a little piece I did at the MDM workshop.