Scribbling on Woodrow

As frequently happens with collage, the end result develops into a totally different direction and end product.  Having already used my Pileated Woodpecker photos for a watercolor and a collage, I decided to utilize a few leftovers for one more collage.  What initially started as an image to use both commercially printed scrap booking backgrounds with my computer print birds ended up as a surface literally buried under gesso and pencil textures.  Totally underwhelmed with the original composition, I decided to build up textures and contrast with a more energetic, haphazard application of cross-hatched and scribbled ebony pencil.  Somehow the first composition still emerged through the layers.  A much more subtle variation of the beginnings of this collage seemed to be an improvement along with its less formulaic, textured background.

Thinking that I had pretty much exhausted my Pileated Woodpecker images, I changed the position of the feeder that holds his suet.  A new profile pose of Woodrow showing his right side managed to interest me enough to take a few more photographs.  Although it probably won’t turn into another  art attempt it is nice to see another side of him.

My recent addiction to watching the bird cams on the nests of Great Blue Heron and Red-tailed Hawks will hopefully turn into a source of new subject matter.  I might have to visit Sapsucker Pond for some real life inspiration and also figure out how to capture images from the live bird cams.

Warhol-esque Woodrow

Having collected many camera images of our friend Woodrow, a Pileated Woodpecker who visits our suet feeder multiple times daily, I decided to make some prints in varying poses and colors to use in a collage.  Adhering the printed images with matte medium causes a pleasant bleeding of the colors onto the backing paper.  I first discovered this when working on some hand collages.  After selecting four poses of Woodrow  perched on the chalet feeder,  I used a Paint program to manipulate the color tint, brightness and saturation.  Woodrow’s full beauty, in my opinion is best captured when he is in profile.

Once I cut,  arranged and glued the pieces to the watercolor block an Andy Warhol inspired composition evolved.  The tree was built up with torn pieces of varying colored backgrounds cut away from the birds.  A little drawing with colored pencils and ebony pencil was applied to emphasize the parts that got a little lost in the busy textures and colors.

It was enjoyable to get back to some art work and create a bird image after spending much time watching the Bird Cams on the Red-tailed Hawk and Great Blue Heron Nests.  The third hawk egg hatched today and although I missed it,  hopefully a video was captured and we will be able to see the whole process.  Big Red (mother hawk) and Ezra (father hawk) share nesting duties.  Watching the vole, pigeon and rat carcasses arrive for the feedings is definitely not as warm and fuzzy as the baby hawklets.

Within the next week the Great Blue Heron hatchings should take place.  Both web bird cams can be seen thanks to the Cornell Ornithology Lab.  Watching the Great Blue Herons on the pond at Sapsucker Woods and also watching the Red-tailed Hawks upon their nest in a bustling part of the Cornell Campus has been addictive.  I really need to start doing something else.

Woodrow the Pileated Woodpecker

My birdwatching is reaching new levels as springtime brings the wonder of nesting into our yard.  A Carolina Wren couple is busy preparing a nest in a bull face basket hanging next to our front door.  I thought I heard wee sounds during the week, but it may have been the mother wren laying her eggs or busily rearranging the twigs.  The wrens are aware of our presence, but I don’t want to disturb the process, fearing they may flee for safer ground.  At this point I haven’t moved the basket to see what is actually inside.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has two live web cams monitoring the nesting activities of a pair of Great Blue Heron in a pond at the Lab.  I have learned a great deal by watching and reading the accompanying chat comments.  This is a returning couple who have used this nest previously.  There are five eggs and the hatch due date is towards the end of April.  Both parents share the nest duties.  During one visit to the bird cam I witnessed the father bringing nest materials to the mother who then arranged them carefully to produce a taller nest wall.  Clearly she knew how she wanted the nursery to look.

A new bird visitor we have named Woodrow has been making daily visits to our suet feeder.  Woodrow is a magnificent Pileated Woodpecker.  He announces his arrival with a song that sounds as if he is laughing.  This has given me ample time to get myself and my camera in a good position in our sun room for his photo sessions.  My new camera certainly made a difference in the quality of the photos I have taken.  My husband, equally engaged by Woodrow’s appearances, has also taken many great still photos in addition to a short video of our friend munching on his snack from above our chalet bird feeder.  Sometimes he hangs from below and pecks upward at the suet.  Woodrow is at least seventeen or eighteen inches long.  This is the average size for the species.

Since it has been almost a month since I did any art work, I was pleased that my return today produced a nice likeness of Woodrow. I opted to do a watercolor painting rather than a collage.  That may come later.  Our yard has also been visited by Downy, Hairy,  and Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  Since we have covered our wood soffits with aluminum I haven’t noticed any woodpeckers dining on them.  Hopefully whatever insect they were after is no longer active.  I guess time will tell.

Starfish Stench

A recent article in the Ithaca Journal focused on a rare corpse plant in bloom at the Kenneth Post Lab Greenhouse of Cornell University.  This titan arum gives off the smell of rotting meat when blooming in order to attract insects for pollination.  Visitors lined up to get a glimpse and sniff of the plant nicknamed Wee Stinky.  This event stirred up memories of one of my own plants which also has a bloom which attracts flies with its rotting meat stench.

My plant is a Starfish Flower (Stapelia Gigantea) also referred to as a carrion flower.  The first time it bloomed I searched the yard for a rotting carcass.  When the scent finally drew me to the plant, I opted to remove the flower and subsequent buds before the air was filled with the unpleasant smell.  The plant was a gift to me the Christmas before our first child Michele was born.  It was a small succulent nestled among other plants which have not survived so successfully.  I am proud to say this specimen has been in our family for thirty-four years.  Unfortunately for our daughter, this stinky plant will always remind me of that time during my first pregnancy.  Of course there are many more positive associations from those days.  Even a glance at my Starfish evokes happy memories of the beginning of our family.

The first year our sun room was completed this longtime friend was placed in a sunny corner to spend the winter.  Having been outside for the other three seasons, the Starfish was large and healthy.  In an incident which actually brought tears to my eyes, my cats knocked the planter over, shattering both the ceramic pot and the many arms of the plant.  That winter it was slow to return to its full glory, but eventually it strengthened and continued to grow.

Our early spring this year brought temperatures more typical of early summer.  My rosemary and parsley plants were looking a little tired from the dry winter air.     After checking the future temperatures and finding that lows were mostly in the high forties, I decided to put the herbs outside for some rest and recuperation.  Knowing that the Starfish can handle the hot, dry conditions in the sun room, I decided to leave it where it has been since October.  When I am sure no freezing temperatures will return, the Starfish will go out onto the front porch to join my other plants.  There it will probably produce a beautiful flower with its accompanying and contrasting stench.

Mini Collage Blocks

For the past few weeks I have been busy collecting small images for mini collages glued to small wood blocks.  The blocks measure about 2½ by 3½ inches or 3 by 4 inches.  This smaller format differs in more than size from my bigger collages.  Most of the finished pieces depend totally on arranging cut pieces of paper and images which are then glued in place on the block.  Unlike my larger collages, there is no texture build up, painting or drawing involved.  Although there is some layering of papers, these small arrangements rely on the juxtaposition of existing colors and textures found on stickers, calendars, boxes and magazine clippings.  Using spray adhesive allows for a smoothly bonded surface.  Matte medium seals the papers and acrylic paint finishes the raw wood edges.

These thirty blocks are mostly comprised of images of cats, birds, crows, vintage advertising posters, Japanese prints and some miscellaneous objects.  Words and numbers, usually not meant to be legible,  are also used.  I like to combine the text and imagery in order to create contrast and movement on the surface.  Repetition of elements unites the areas of the collage.

Not having any interest in selling these little arrangements and not sure anyone would actually pay for these, I decided to fill the shelf under a glass top coffee table with an arrangement of all the collages.  This display area changes frequently.  It has exhibited a sea shell collection, photo albums, pottery, magazines and other small items.  My house has no particular design theme.  I think it has evolved into something beyond eclectic.

Some might say the decor is more clutter than anything else.  Our house will continue to be filled with things that appeal to our visual sense and make us happy.  An abundance of art, books, pottery, glass, basketry and wood fill our space.  The exhibits rotate often.  Change is good and  variety keeps things interesting.

For the Birds

It is probably time to take a rest from the bird theme.  Today’s collage developed slowly and went through big changes before I called it quits.  I’m afraid the title works both  as a literal reference to the subject and also as a criticism of the final piece.  This is one of those times I will just have to be into the process instead of the product.  Repeating the silhouettes used in my previous collage  helped to pump up the contrast,  but in the end no real focus came forth…until I used my computer Paint program and changed the original colors into a sepia toned piece.  The resulting monochromatic image picked up some tonal nuances that were lost on the original.  Happy that the black areas now created a focal point,  my composition doesn’t seem to be such a lost cause.  The quilt-like block sections are crying out for some machine stitching.  Since the original is several layers thick with papers,  gesso and medium,  a computer print might be easier on my sewing machine and also easier to manipulate around the arm of the machine.  Setting up my ridiculously heavy New Home machine requires much physical strength or a fork lift.  This activity might be better suited for early morning when I am likely to have more energy and lifting power.

That’s a Lot to Crow About

A very long time ago a student of mine offered my husband a crow to keep as a pet.  On many levels I knew this was a bad idea.  First of all, it didn’t seem to me that a crow was pet material.  They are known to hang out in fairly large groups.  This crow was not going to be happy alone at our house.  We lived in a neighborhood with little natural space left.  I couldn’t imagine a crow living in a cage inside our house and the outdoor environment also seemed to be less than perfect.  My husband has a lot of favorites.  I guess this stems from his many interests.  Crows have been on the list of favorites for as long as I have known him…that along with the smell of skunk, which I don’t think I will ever understand.  The fascinations with crows is more understandable.  They are an impressive species.  Problem solvers, creative thinkers and resourceful, crows are interesting to watch.  They help clean up road kill.  Certainly that alone should earn them some points for likability.  Luckily, the crow never joined our family, although Elwood (RIP) thought Ron and the crow were a perfect match.

Recently an event was planned not far from where we live that advertised cash prizes for the most crows killed at a crow shoot.  As expected, much public outcry developed.  A Cornell professor sponsored an informational public seminar at the town’s library in opposition to the planned event.  As far as I know, both events took place simultaneously, but no information about the outcome of the crow shoot was to be found in our local newspaper.  An interesting article from the Ithaca Journal was published afterwards. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology also provides helpful resources online fostering understanding about the American Crows.

Apparently crows get a bad rap with the general population.  Maybe this is based on superstition, like the bias that exists for black cats.  Maybe farmers found them to be a nuisance.  I’m really not sure of the crow’s back story.  For whatever reasons, crows have not received their fair share of bird lovers.

Keeping this in mind, and as a frequent fan of the under dog,  my latest collage used the American Crow as a theme.  I completed it in record time.  Possibly my new found interest in birds was a motivating factor.  The fact that I have been creatively lazy for the past week may have also contributed to the speed with which I finished the collage.  Hopefully my written and visual efforts will assist the crow in gaining some long overdue respect.