as part of my Grant project for the Kentucky Foundation of Women i have designed a calendar featuring some of my collages. each are made from a single photograph, on Paint- some i enhanced using Fotor or Photos. In it i highlight some badassed woman well worth wiki searches…impressive women who impacted or continue to impact the way we interact.
i made a LTD Edition of 50 copies i will number and sign.
TO ORDER : send cash/check for 25$ to Bree 147 Marcus St. #4 Pleasureville, KY 40057 OR Paypal to leastbitternbooks@gmail.com using the friends and family option.
Owl Wouldja Please 9.19.16 Collage made from a single photograph of an Owl Butterfly, from the Naturalist’s Notebook taken by John Pizniur. (the photo is posted below). Made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.
this collage didnt make the calendar, but i do like it.
went from Easter in Pleasureville (above left, 9.17.16) to Falling in Pleasureville (10.12.16) —both made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor–
late spring i lost my health insurance, and this summer i battled the anxiety from that with collage work, mainly. delving into pastorals– tend to be nervous about texture, so i am keening my focus on that.
also making plenty of nude studies, some tongue in cheek, some ambient.
my husband passed away suddenly in September, which really had me on my knees. we were divorced last November, but i never call him my ex-husband. there is no need to distinguish him from any other husband, as he was the only.
i finally passed my driving test, and have wheels….and intended to go about with gusto making friends in venues like bookstores and art galleries…but the grief has me indoors– or else hiking– in order to practice mindfulness. whether my mind is trained on lines i draw or birds i see on limbs, it is best busied on a thing rather than streaming about in griefs building like flames.
here are some works from the last while…..
AbutmentBree 9.21.16 Couple ram animus drawn on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.Circle SutraBree 10.8.16 Drawn on Paint, enhanced with FotorCorn AnimusBree 10.9.16 Collage made from a single photograph of cornstalks in a field taken in Cropper, KY. Made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.Giving ConsentBree 10.11.16 Collage made from a single photograph of a tree trunk taken in Jefferson State Park, made on Paint.
some recent work here, mainly been making collage made from a single photograph…sure to draw figures and scenes as well so as not to get rusty.
Empress Jingū (onna bugeisha) 7.29.16 Collage made from a single photograph of a shower curtain taken in Berea, KY. Made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor. Jingū (c. 169-269 AD) led a Japanese conquest of Korea without blood-shed. She was an original onna bugeisha, female warriors which predated samurai. In 1881, Empress Jingū became the first woman to be featured on a Japanese banknote.
this is the photograph of a shower curtain in an artist’s studio in Burton, KY from which i made Empress Jingu:
Persephone 8.6.16 Collage made from a single photograph on Paint, enhanced with Fotor (made from photograph of a wood shed in Pleasureville, KY below).Photograph of wood shed in Pleasureville, KY from which Persephone was made.Scrap Wood Couple 7.28.16 Collage made from a single photograph of scrap wood with knobs at an art studio in Berea, KY. Made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.Copy of some scrap wood in Berea from which Scrap Wood Couple was made.Silk Tree Shakti 6.29.16 Collage made from a single photograph of a mimosa tree in Pleasureville, KY farmland, made on Paint. Here Shiva is depicted holding what grows in Pleasureville: corn, wheat, tobacco and soybeans. Shakti represents female embodiment and fertility which enables all male potential to manifest.
both Silk Tree Shakti and Arms Up Don’t Shoot are made from this photograph of a silk tree, otherwise known as mimosa, which is a non-native flowering tree.
Arms Up Don’t Shoot 6.5.16 Collage made from a single photograph of a Mimosa tree taken in Pleasureville, made on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.
i went to Catholic school for 15 years. in that span of time three Catholic sisters suggested i was called by God. this intrigued me, as no other girls i studied with has been told this by a sister. however, i have yet to join a convent.
Lost in the Woods 8.2.16 Drawn on Paint, enhanced with Fotor
i am continuing to create, while juggling music and health insurance saga. next week i visit my family and friends in Cleveland, OH. when i get back i will set to action for the finale of my project. yaya. xoxo Bree
detail of Ghost Town of Terlingua, TX 6.16.16 (Collage made from two photographs of tree lichen bark and a mail box in Cropper, KY, made on Paint) ; i decided to make it its own piece as well, called Just Terlingua, TX for R Jay 6.16.16 because he particularly like the buildings.
Sixth & Main Coffeehouse sells new and used books, and has a monthly Artist showcase. My books and art will be on display for sale for three months. June 18th-July 18th my art will be on the featured wall. Then it will be moved to the wall that has all the book cases.
The day i brought my canvases to hang as June’s featured artist, i told one of the owners, Kathryn, i would not hang any she didn’t want me to hang. She told me to hang all of them. However, two customers in the next 24 hours made comments, so she let me know she took down ‘Gardening’ and ‘Echo’, and told me, “I left all the breasts,” “breasts are okay,” she laughed.
This is my first Kentucky art show. It is the second of my life. The day of my opening, i sang outside afterwards as part of a street fest with a new band i formed here, called Affluenza. (Because everybody’s got a touch). i have been writing songs for more than half my life, and singing for a third of it. i was also told one of my songs would be inappropriate for Shelbyville, as there would be kids around. these are the lyrics:
afraid i would lose my poetry buzz,
i smoked weed.
afraid i would lose my weed buzz,
i drank some beer.
afraid i would lose my beer buzz,
i sat down and thought about
you, and what’s not fair,
like done is done,
and you’ve not won.
your one true maiden i am,
you are my long lost sailor in arms.
we are each others jailer, bail bondsman
and lawyer.
but unlike the law you know we’ve been
true, and i dont ever want to lose
that buzz,
that me and you.
since children would be at the event i understand why it would be inappropriate. generally i sing at bars, galleries or simply night-time events children dont populate.
yesterday and this morning i drew a series i surely would not expect to be hung anywhere but a private gallery. i have used social media to solicit comments about a female artist working with nude studies. (p.s. i need to look for the nude studies ‘market,’) ::::
Ticklish IBree 6.20.16-6.21.16 Three part series drawn on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.Ticklish IIBree 6.20.16-6.21.16 Three part series drawn on Paint, Enhanced with FotorTicklish IIIBree 6.20.16-6.21.16 Three part series drawn on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.
and check out other interesting visions and voices.
meanwhile here is a more recent collage from a single photograph. i took a shot of some front wooden doors in Shelbyville, KY because i liked the way they peeled.
xoxo Bree
Front Door CoupleBree 6.15.16 Collage made from a single photograph on Paint.Photograph of a front wooden door from which ‘Front Door Couple’ was made.
ObjectificationBree 5.4.16 Collage made from a single photograph of a shooting target on Paint.
okay, so here is what has been up….our Governor Bevin took Kentucky’s healthcare which was being used as a model in other states because KY had the least amount of uninsured citizens….and it was working….but he turned it on its head. alas, i lost my healthcare, and have been rowing upwards ever since.
i have time to time drawn and made collages. i will post them here.
this Saturday, June 18th i have an art show- my first in KY! and will also be singing with my newly formed band Affluenza, at 6th and Main Coffee Shop and as part of 6th Street Live.
i have plenty of canvas for the art show, and will bring them all, although many are nude studies. i will only hang what the venue likes, and do not expect all of them to be in the gallery month-long. there is no tellin’ what will fly.
after this weekend i intend to buckle down and get back to business. still plenty of time to meet booksellers and otherwise solicit venues for my project finale in November. meanwhile, i can see how the procedures and medicines had enabled me to function awfully well, considering. without them i draw from the bottom of my diaphragm, and exhale longer than i ever inhale.
Wood NymphBree 5.17.16 Drawn on PaintLove is ShyBree 6.15.16 Collage made from a single photograph of wood doors, made on Paint.Ghost Town of Terlingua, TXBree 6.16.16 Collage made from two photographs of tree lichen bark and a mail box in Cropper, KY, made on Paint.Selfie as ToadBree 5.12.16 Totem animal drawn on Paint, enhanced with Fotor.Bull’s EyeBree 5.4.16 Collage self-portrait made from a single photograph of a shooting target on Paint.
it brought back the days of handling events and PR when i worked at an independent bookstore in Cleveland, OH. managers are not always at the store, and have much to worry about besides events slated in the far future.
and i got sidetracked by my chronic illness, even while taking on a side-project of helping my sister edit her spiritual memoir/call to community she is self-publishing, about life after reading Eckhart Tolle.
in fact, while i have not read Tolle, reading her book while sick has kept the pain’s counterpart—anxiety, to a decent low, and i have so absorbed myself in the editing.
i continue when i feel well to produce drawings–or it should seem collages, mainly, of late. but i will resume my solicitations presently.
the event part of my project is not until November 4th &5th.
i am on-track, with 18 canvas printed, a press release written, and a couple of contacts made. i have sold a couple of the canvas, and replaced them (for the project). for the time being i expect some stuttered steps, as i reach buyers and managers one by one, until i have a number i like to pull this thing off.
Tolle says we each have a pain body. it is the sum of our emotional pain. when we sit with the pain and transmute it, we become more present, and live more fully in the now. when you are in physical pain–quite different from the pain body, which is composed of emotions–living in the now is vital! one must be present and cannot think very much ahead. i am allowing myself to eke my way thru a bad spell, and expect to come out more focused and alive than i was when the pain became intractable.
for now, i will share some recent collages:
We Are All Great ApesBree 2.23.16 Collage made from a single photograph (pictured below) of a house in Pleasureville, KY made on PaintDont Be Sunken Bree 2.23.16 Photograph of a house in Pleasureville, KYHouseBree 3.12.16 Collage made from images that came up in the google search: ‘colored paper’, cut and pasted with a mouse on Paint, enhanced with Fotor
Also spoke with a local librarian. it may be the case with all libraries–they can have the book and art on display, but not for sale. so i will furthur investigate whether this is the case across the board.
My point is to forge lasting relationships with venues, so that I can collaborate with them on festivals, poetry readings, benefits and other events in the future. And to get my art out there, and my book in eager hands.
I feel like if I contact a few venues each day, I will reach my goal of 24 participating venues. 24 is a large number, but is feasible if I stick to my budget. The biggest cost, it would seem, is shipping the art to and fro…however perhaps some of the canvas will sell, and therefore not need be shipped back?
Koma Kōryū Hawk AnimusBree 2.21.16 Collage from a single photograph (pictured below) made on Paint
“Inrō with Hawks on Perches”, Koma Kōryū (d.1796). – Black lacquer ground with gold and silver togidashi, takamaki-e and hiramaki-e, red lacquer, and applied gold and silver foil Netsuke: gourd; guri lacquer, silver ring and stopper in chrysanthemum shape Ojime: butterfly and flower; cloisonné bead. – An inrō (印籠) is a traditional box used to hold small objects, like medicine or perfume vials. It is generally hanged on the belt (waist sash) of the kimono. [Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY]i sent books to many special patrons, and this week i will compose an email to solicit bookstores and libraries to participate in the event for my project (several regional venues will have my book Do Well of Must for sale, on display with one of my works on canvas, for one Friday-Saturday).
the hardest thing is to select which weekend. i will follow up each email with a personal phone call. i will also need to design and print business cards, as well as posters,to give to venues in preparation of the event. my goodness, such a lot to do.
you can ask your local bookseller or librarian to order Do Well of Must, and see what i managed to pull off–a book i am truly happy with–personal narrative and tons of drawings inside, a kind of evolution.
in the meantime, Chinese New Year has come and gone; Kentucky enjoyed a spring day which really sparked my animus. leave you with one recent commission:
Year of the Monkey Bree 2.20.16 Drawn on Paint for commission.
if you have something you would like me to draw, portraits, landscapes, or a collage, say, made from one of your favorite photographs—click on the CONTACT link for further info.
BrigidBree 2.15.16. Collage made on Paint, Brigid is the goddess of early spring.
My art book Do Well of Must (Least Bittern Books 2016) is complete, and sent off to the printer for proofing…wow, that was a huge leg of the race. i am on-track.
