Continuing the fun of the Seven Day Digital Collage Smackdown brings us to the results of day two. Who knew when I woke up the morning of April 20th that I'd be taking Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" to the circus. I didn't really intend to go to the circus, it just sorta happened that way. To read the writing on  this piece, or to see the process from start to finish, click here.

Meanwhile, here's my original, entitled "Cirque du Soul"

And Aimee's smack, entitled "The Purveyor of Prancitude." Aimee was delighted to receive this challenge, she said, because it gave her the opportunity to play with paper dolls. In a 21st century digital art kind of way. I must admit, the result makes me feel like prancing.

And as for Silas, well, he got a little carried away. He couldn't stop with one version, so he created two. Very different from each other, which I like to see. Variety is the sauce of life, no? Wait. Spice is the sauce of life? Whatever. Let's hear it for the boy!

This is entitled "Magnificence" (and features a line from one of my poems):

And this is called "Without Words":

To see larger views of these works visit our Deviant Art page.

So I'm playing in my collage journal the other day, just placing things this way and that on acrylic-painted Fabriano paper, and I get in a groove. Something manifests that I like. Really like. But I'm thinking "Gawds, I wish I had some Photoshop skills. What could this piece become if I knew my way around alpha channels, masking tools and clone stamps?"

Dang.

So I look up from my desk to gaze at my gorgeous husband Silas, who is, (guess what?) a Photoshop guru. Now I've been with this guy for six years and if I haven't learned Photoshop yet, I ain't gonna learn it. It's my own lazy fault, 'cuz  Silas has been a professional Photoshop teacher since 1997. But marrying a digital art guru has its perks. "Hey! Wanna challenge?"

And thus it begins. Silas takes my journal, scans in the collage and starts playing. An hour into it, I'm so excited by what I see on his screen my brain begins inspiration-reeling with ideas. "Wonder what Aimee would do with this same image?" Aimee is a dear friend and also a highly skilled digital artist in the Duirwaigh crew. So I jump onto my chat program: "Hey Aimee! We've started a collage project and want to challenge you to participate. Did you just hear that? It was the sound of the gauntlet falling to the floor. Pick it up or die of shame."

And with those words, the Seven Day Digital Collage Smackdown was born. Well, to be perfectly clear, it didn't start as a seven day smackdown, but we all liked what we did so much we just kept going. The rules? Each duelist was given a physical mixed-media collage and had one day to shape, mold, stretch, chisel, whittle, arrange, rearrange or derange said piece. Other than the time limit, and the fact that each artist had to use my physical collage as the basis of their work, there really were no limitations. It was like that scene in the movie Grease, when Danny Zuko shows up to drag race that creepy pock-mark faced guy in the souped-up black car with the flames on it? He turns to Danny and says with a snarl: "One rule. There are no rules."

That pretty much sums it up. 'Cept we weren't snarling. Not really. Well, maybe a little. But we were smilin' too.

The Seven Day Digital Collage Smackdown is being showcased on Deviant Art where we'll post the original art once a day for seven days, just as they were created. The physical collage by Angi Sullins, plus the two "smacks" by artists Silas Toball and Aimee Stewart will be shown, and viewers can vote for their favorites and leave comments. But you can also follow the project on this website...

So here's my collage from day one.

And here's Silas's SMACKDOWN:

And Aimee's SMACKDOWN:

Fun, huh? I'll be posting some in-progress shots and sharing some of the musings and writings that go with each of my pieces on Angi in Wonderland. See you for tomorrow's smack!

So last week, on the eve of our sixth anniversary, trauma hit our family. I won't go into it here, but it's full bloody trauma, ranking in my top five most shocking, wounding events. And if you know anything about my life story, you'll know that means a great deal. I've had a lot of devastation in my life, and this event was a heavy hitter. Still is. But. What's different now than in many of my previous experiences, was that I refused to become a victim. Instead, I focused on staying afloat in each moment, rather than sinking in fear and suffering. Most of the time I've managed to keep my nostrils above water. Barely. But what's helped is the art. It's been a life saver.

Last Saturday, while Silas and I were trying to figure out how we were going to survive said trauma, I started collaging in my journal as a diversion from all the various aches: heartache, mindache, bodyache, soulache. And by the end of the evening, instead of wanting to take a gun and blow my brains out, I felt like maybe I could sleep. This was no small gift, as I'd laid awake the night before and had been up for 48 hours. The next day, Silas took my collage into Photoshop and started creating his own version of it. When he was done, we were both so excited, we called Aimee to see if she might want to play with it as well. And that's how the SEVEN DAY DIGITAL ART SMACKDOWN was conceived.

The painting, drawing, and collaging over the past ten days has saved my...what? Life? Sanity? Heartbreak? I don't know, but it's certainly been the salve on a terrible pain, and given me a shift in perspective that's allowed me breathing room. You know how--when things are so overwhelming and so shocking and so painful you feel like you cannot breath? And maybe don't want to? And you don't know how you're ever going to put the pieces of your life back together in a way that even remotely resembled something familiar? Well, that's what our family has been going through. Sitting at the studio table has anchored me to a sense of beauty and peace and hope.

Maybe creating isn't just therapy. Maybe it's life itself.

Hope you enjoy our project, and the daily in-progress snapshots from the studio.

My table:

My gorgeous studio partner:

My constant compaions (steadfast "lifelines" always at my feet):

My first collage in-progress "Figment"

I know it's crazy, but due to a missed flight in Denpasar, Bali, I arrived at Artfest in Port Townsend, Washington at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 2. Class began at 9 a.m. I'd traveled fourteen thousand miles in 2 and a half days and had slept only 7 of the 56 hours it took me to complete my journey.

As luck would have it, my first class was with writer Susan Wooldridge. Her poetry workshop allowed me to give voice to my zombie-fication under the guise of class participation.

I think this poem proves that I write better when I don't think. The writing prompt suggested we begin our thoughts with "I feel" and "Bring me" (hence the use of both--and what a freakin' godsend for the braindead, these prompts!)

**********************************************

I feel shadowed,
pursued by an Odyssean star
trekking through twilight
sails set for dawn--
three transpacific flights
in forty eight hours
plastic oxygen and fluorescent lights
aboard a tin can bird in the sky.

I've just arrived from Bali
via Seoul, via Chicago, via Seattle
a tattered vagabond,
hatches battened for high winds,
delayed flights,
turbulence.
I need a Dewey button for the longest
journey ever made to Artfest--
maybe a sash and a crown,
a bouquet of congratulations.

I feel over-pink, saddle sore,
like a blister.
I need release. I need relief.
Sleep.

But oh the journey is long and long
stretching back beyond miles
and momentos,
beyond silver-leafed souvenirs
beyond blurred photographs
taken from the back of a crowded motorbike,
beyond sandalwooded canopies
and yellow fragrant rice,
beyond ponds made of rose petals
and ginger-flavored milk,
beyond the rows of women
braiding palm fronds for Krishna
stringing marigolds for Ganesh
lighting incense to Buddha, to Shiva, to Life.

I feel worn.
Stained from coffee and sweat,
too much sun.
Haggard with beauty-exhaustion,
overripe and ready to fall
to the ground.
I need reclamation.
Redemption.
Resusci-fuckin-tation.

But bring me the neck aches,
the stiff muscles,
the limp bones,
the lopsided grins.
I'll trade each of them for memory
and call myself rich.
Rich with the slick silk of Python
and Elephant's burlap back.
Rich with saffron tea and tangled monkey tails.
Rich with green-grassed terraces
and dragons made of moss,
stones older than sky,
volcano songs,
thunder songs,
hymns made of sun-drenched wind,
villages whose ancestors still dance
under temples made of trees
and smiles made of yes.

Bring me the wayfaring journey,
the wandering moon over
Orian's skies
for my heart is a battered
light-drinking pilgrim.
I stand at the gates of Jet Lag,
braiding palm fronds,
stringing marigolds, lighting incense.

For me the sojourning soul
wearied and hungry,
thick-eyed and limping,
awash in surrender.
Bring me your wild abandon whim.
I'll trade this one-way ticket
for a carousel horse
pierced with wanderlust,
tattooed with joy
spilling Polaroids of laughter.

Bring me a lullaby.
Bring me a Tylenol.
Bring me a nap.

Bring me alive.

Just a little FYI! I'm still working on the next inspired piece of writing for this blog, "Little Red Hen part deux", but in the meantime, if you're looking for me, I'm at art camp. In Bali. And I'm posting to the Angi in Wonderland site to keep everyone up to date on the odyssey!

Drop me a line!

Ta Daaaah! The final piece from Anahata's workshop in Amed, Bali. It's a six foot wallpaper panel collage. Quite the feat getting it all in one shot and sorry you're gonna miss some detail. If you want the truth, I wasn't happy with this one. Liked where it was going but then put the white drippy stuff on and got a little disenchanted. Ah, well. It's the learning curve, eh? But it was fun. Hard to believe what smooshing around paint on a six foot canvas can do for the soul. Very therapeutic!

A special shout-out to the goddess Andrea, patron saint of all things over-achieving and all 'round best friend to those who've had their luggage absconded by Korean Airlines. Andrea provided the gorgeous face on this piece and I'm especially fond of it. It's actually my favorite part! Andrea's a graphic designer living in Vancouver with her husband and three children and when she's not saving the world from unorganized chaos, she's making it a more gorgeous place. (Stay tuned, maybe she'll let me post some of her scrumptiousness on here for inspirational purposes!)

Good thing I wasn't the least bit intimidated by her art or her preparedness or her watch-me-pull-a-rabbit-out-of-my-hat talent. Ahem!