4 little drawings
vintage pulp book paper & gesso
graphite, water colour paint & revenge
drawing with thread & old embroidery cloth
dangerous
A nocturnal visitor… Click on images to buy
Dangerous Pulp Fiction Drawings.
May 8th, 2014Handmade Books. Recycling.
April 14th, 2014
I love to recycle packaging, junk mail and advertising materials into books
I like the freedom of designing my books as I make them, discovering ideas along the the way
Its amazing how much packaging can be saved over time
For this book I used cereal packaging with a peephole and pasta boxes with acetate windows for the interior pages
and sealed the pages with white Gesso
only on one side because I liked the dark look of the cardboard ( later I painted them with Parisian essence to age )
On the cover I used double sided tape to stick down the tabs
to make it more sturdy
The little window will have something inside
Taking a load of baguette bags I bought back from France
I scrunched them up into balls and wrinkled them
opened them up and stuck them to the cover packaging with pva glue
This gave the cover an oldish feel with a lovely rough texture.French text shows through the window
I covered the inside with some French text from a 1900’s magazine, stamping and my hand drawn doodle drawings.
I didn’t like the brightness of the gessoed pages so aged them with washes of Parisian essence
When dry I cut off some of side flaps from the inside pages saving them for tags and pockets later
I didn’t have an awl to make the holes for binding the book, instead I used a hammer and nail. It worked fine
I punched 3 rows of holes weaving in and out with cotton mop thread
leaving a tail inside I then plaited the threads and added a piece cardboard for a bead thing
The extra holes seen were a mistake and can be covered up with more baguette paper and glue later
Side flaps on some of the pages hold piles of water colour papers for collage and drawing
They are tied with cotton mop thread
The loose water colour papers are white and hand dyed with Parisian essence
See through windows add more interest
Pockets and string hold found papers and tags. The book is still not finished and I will probably add more tags and pockets
Toggles were sewn on the front with a string to close
This book has a Japanese feel to it and measures 24 x19cm. 5 pockets hold 40 pieces of water colour paper with another 12 pages. Some have windows.
I try to keep on top of my collecting by making something with the packaging every few weeks.
What do you make from your junk?
Traces Left Behind. My Brother.
March 29th, 2014Couldn’t get out of bed this morning after a rough night’s sleep.
Instead, I grabbed my old Pilot mechanical pencil and did some little drawings on an old book cover I rescued from hard garbage.
My drawings are intuitive and spontaneous. Using construction type marks, I like to pull apart things and go back to the beginning to find the essence
leaving traces of where I’ve just been, like traces left behind in the environment from nature, human beings and all living creatures.
Sometimes, when drawing, I remember my childhood when watching my older brother draw plans for buildings, real and imaginary. When he was at work I would go into his room and look for ages at the drawings on graph paper and lined exercise books.
Today, my brother is a very creative builder, cabinet maker and teacher. 50 years later, I still love to watch him draw his plans and architectural ideas on bits of paper. They are so precise, detailed and unique.
Where does drawing take you ?
Heat Wave. QR Codes. Astronomy.
March 12th, 2014Work in progress… Sculpture installation
Heat wave Melbourne. Australia. 11/02/2014
no electricity
moon space through glass windows
iphone in pocket
QR code tells more
boxed up
getting there
The Travelling Artist
March 8th, 2014
Wherever I go I like to have all my art materials in one place encase I need to jot down an idea, or for when I get that creative burst.
So, when I found this old case I knew exactly what I would do with it. I made myself a personal art kit for when I go out and about. I keep this case in my car and it goes everywhere with me. I also have a smaller kit for when I travel overseas. This kit is much lighter so I can collect art materials along the way
It has everything I need for drawing, painting, collage, photo transfer, stamping and writing
In Transit series of collages
Acrylic paints and ink in a pouch my daughter gave me
Chalk in a vintage medical tin
Water colour paints, coloured pencils and double sided tape
Brushes for painting, pens for drawing and writing, felt pens, graphite pencils, knife, scissors and glue stick for collage
Paint swatches
Collage papers in a plastic pouch. Mixed lot of vintage and newer papers
Hand- dyed coffee filters, vintage wallpaper, labels and book pages
Stained printed matter and newer papers
Old music prayer book
1932 school book full of hand drawn world maps
1960s New Idea magazine for cutting
Old advertising
Â
Vintage encyclopeadia pages sealed with a layer of translucent gesso paint
A book of hand-made French paper
Small canvas boards and palette, matt and gloss medium for collage, painting & transfers
Mini stamping kit in old cigar tin
Stamp pad, tiny rubber text stamps in matchbox, stamp holder and tweezers
I also carry a selection of my hand made artist books in progress to work in.
My books are made from found papers, junk mail, advertising
used envelopes, cereal boxes and food packaging
Embellished with used clothing labels, tags, stamps, stickers, pen ,ink and found fabric scraps
sewn with thread or wire and filled with whatever else I find in my travels
It’s amazing how much I can fit into the case
Do you have a portable art kit ? Whats in your art kit ?
See Jenny’s portfolio here
Back to “Free Tutorials”
“The Landfill Project” needs artists
March 7th, 2014“The Landfill Project”, needs to very rapidly acquire approximately 100 more artists to reach their goal. Over 1,000 artists, comprising all 50 states and 53 countries, are already working on The Landfillart Project.
Letters from the Border – Jenny Davis
“I chose to be part of this project in 2008 because I believe in the power of art to move… to encourage change ‘This’ project demonstrates ‘The Power of Art’ to pass on important concerns about our fragile ecological state whilst giving examples of how we can recycle and reuse in creative ways”
Letters from the Border is part of series Jenny has been working on for years. This piece is a collage of images taken from her collection. It includes 2003 emails she received from a US soldier when he was on the border in Kuwait, waiting to invade Iraq. He described the constant multiple bombings, the daily life of his troops and photos of what he saw around him.
One photo, the little flower, represented the hope in the dusty dry dessert. After several months of correspondence, Jenny never heard from him again and has been unable to locate him.
Paper Ephemera Group.
March 1st, 2014
Filling envelopes with found papers to send off to members of the paper ephemera exchange group to use in collage and other creative projects
Each person fills an envelope with found papers, advertising cards, text
and sends it off to every member in the group
with old or new finds
I will send mine off next week
Its fun giving and receiving art materials from all over the world to play with
Drawing & Collage on Vintage Index Cards.
February 7th, 2014
Shadow Play. Photography.
February 2nd, 2014playing with shadows
broken camera
heatwave
wall
melting
iceblock
empty
soundless
chandelier
shadow
Selling Art Online.
January 31st, 2014This article got me thinking…
Art Galleries, Art Sales and the Internet: A Survey Â
I can remember in 2000 thinking how I had to change the way I did things as an artist. After receiving injuries in a car accident I needed to find new ways to market and promote my artwork to the outside world
So, I had a website designed where I could show, sell and write about my artwork and other related things of interest
I believed at the time that an online portfolio was the way to go and that eventually every artist and gallery would do all their arts business online.
Showcasing my art online allows me to work in reasonable physical comfort, for short amounts of time on my arts business. My website generates interest for my work from local and international audiences. I have received contacts from gallery directors, collectors, several awards, art residencies and invitations to exhibit my work in many countries
After 24 years having this website I have now updated to another website where I sell and continue to write blogs. A website allows me the freedom to control and curate my own exhibitions online. I can write on my blog and participate with other artists worldwide in collaborative art projects and exhibitions
I can set up a portfolio where my artwork is for sale
Being online gets me out of my “studio mind” so I can network, share my thoughts, skills and ideas with others, as well as, sell my art to an international audience.
Back to “Free Tutorials”
Underground Urban Spaces…
January 23rd, 2014New worlds I build daily for underground urban living…Constructions of layered line, and grids. Objects for science, living pods, travel pods, underground exploration and excavation machinery beneath. Little abstract paintings created on artist gallery stretched canvas.
Terras Tower
Terrasporus Flying Machine
Traction Apparatus
Giro Charger
Sub Time Machine
Terrasporus
Terras Travalator
Subterranean Space
Mobile Mover.
VM Agitator
Surface Light Tube
VM Watcher
Homemade Gesso!
January 16th, 2014
Update 2018! Since writing this recipe in 2014, Ive been using this homemade Gesso recipe, for 14 years now and haven’t had an issue, with ageing, layers coming apart, seepage, changes in colour etc. on any of my artworks. I use it with both oil and acrylic paints. I also seal my papers with it when, making books, sewing on paper, paper for collage, painting with paint, inks etc. As to the quality, I find the homemade isn’t as white, but just as good quality, as professional artists Gesso. I also use store bought gesso too, if I’ve run out and for convenience. My version is more gritty, than store bought, but if you sandpaper in between coats, I find it’s not an issue. For me, this recipe is just as good as, the store bought and if you use archival PVA/Elmers glue, it will make it all the more stable, for longevity.
Homemade Gesso!
I love Gesso paint and use heaps of it in my work. It’s gritty, chalky and can be applied to artwork to give a translucent or opaque look. It’s also very expensive so I decided to make my own.
Gesso is used for many things such as a primer for canvas or on paper to give a good base for painting, drawing or mixed media work. When making collage I use it as a gluing medium to stick on papers, in-between, painting and drawing layers.
The recipe below makes 2 litres of Gesso paint
( If not using straight away, this Gesso will last approx. 4-6 weeks)
Homemade Gesso
PLASTER MIX
1 cup Plaster of Paris or fine white plaster powder
1 cup of PVA or white glue (archival if available)
1 cup hot water
PAINT
3 cups white acrylic paint
UTENSILS
Container, cup and mixing stick or spoon
RATIO: 1-3
Plaster Mix 1 – Acrylic paint 3
Method
To make the plaster mix. Add the plaster to the hot water and stir ( Safety purposes: always add the plaster powder to the liquid, not liquid to plaster, as it will blow up into your face and always wear a dust mask)
Dust Mask
“Plaster of Paris” and cup
Hot water and mix
Next add the PVA or white glue, stir.
Finally add the white acrylic paint and mix. ( I used some acrylic powder paint I had and made it up with water) You can use any kind of acrylic paint or colour .
Result
I was very happy with the result. The gesso is translucent with the gritty bits I like. You can also do several layers of gesso to give a more opaque appearance. It covered my canvas very well with only 1 coat. When adding more than 1 coat you can sand in- between to give a really smooth surface for detailed work .
2 litres of Gesso
Gesso on stretched canvas
Gesso on paper
Update 2018! Ive been using this recipe for 14 years now and have had no issues with ageing , seepage. I use it with oil paintings and acrylic artworks. I also seal my papers with it when making books, sewing paper for collage, painting with paint, inks etc.
Making Sculpture…
January 14th, 2014Vintage metal drill tin, broken ultra marine glass from an old bottle and a little cherub. All spray painted black.
Old Japanese music box, plastic toy cowboy, American flag on laser cut metal.
Plastic music box ballerina, rock, metal gear, wire on laser-cut metal
All sculptures are works in progress and unfinished….
Snap to Grid Exhibition. LACDA.
December 23rd, 2013My latest group exhibition at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art
SNAP TO GRID:
Slices in Time. Fragility. Jenny Davis.
In creating this artwork I used various processes. By physically dismantling objects and clothing I then wax the pieces. Some time later I reassemble the items and stage them into a still life composition in the studio.
December 12, 2013-January 4, 2014
Opening Reception December January 12, 7-9pm
in conjunction with the Downtown Art Walk
Los angeles center for digital art
104 East Fourth Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
2013 Snap to Grid installation shots
Warm Hot Collage – Lafayette Pink
November 7th, 2013Warm Collage – Lafayette Pink
( Please see all my other collages from “30 Days of Collage” at Cottontail Art Design and Vintage)
Thinking of my daughter today, living in Paris France. Last time I was there I experienced my first ever white Xmas. It snowed and snowed. We went to Galleries Lafayette but didn’t buy anything as it just too expensive but I did grab samples, advertising papers and junk for my art.
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- “Lafayette Pink” Jenny Davis
The colours that Winter were hot pinks with oranges. In this collage I wanted to capture the feeling of extravagance and contemporary Paris.
I painted the background of the canvas board with warm acrylic paint in yellow ochre , next , paper scraps from Galleries Lafayette in gold flourish, then orange and red velvet fabrics, squares of hand painted paper in hot pink, orange piece of French packaging and a little snow flake in hot pink created with a little punch I bought in Asnieres. Topped off with a little perfume bottle cut-out from Lafayette advertising. I also added some gold glitter paint in areas for sparkle.
( Please see all my other collages from “30 Days of Collage” at Cottontail Art Design and Vintage)
Black & White Study
November 6th, 2013Black and white study for the collage course I’m doing. We were asked to create a collage using only black and white materials. I loved this exercise and found myself wanting to add some colour…I couldn’t resist and made 2 collages.
I collected 2 canvas boards, black and white vintage papers, wallpaper and newer paper
As in abstract painting, I like to work quickly and not worry too much about leaving marks and splotches as I’m doing. In some areas I made marks with felt pens and white gesso paint trying to blend the different textures and areas.
I also explored Stephanie’s idea and used some glitter paint mixing it with gesso so it became a greyish colour. I like the end result but may go further and sand back the whole lot, giving it a worn-out appearance.
“Artplay” Day One
November 5th, 2013My first practical day of the “30 Days of Collage” by Stephanie Levy course.
It was Melbourne Cup Day so this was a good excuse for me to grab a (naughty snack attack) stash to help me along with my artplay day. I gathered all my paints , crayons, salt, tapes and began.
The first lot of images are the process using, paint with salt, glue , tape, pastel and more…The second lot of images are the finished result.
What a fun way to get a big bunch of gorgeous papers together for creating collage and books !
and a few more papers felt pen, masking tape and water
Playtime. 30 Days of Collage.
November 2nd, 2013On Monday I start a new art course, “30 Days of Collage” by Stephanie Levy
Image copyright Stephanie Levy 2013
I love creating collage and think this course will help me to free up to experiment and play instead of being so serious and restricted when creating collage. I want to feel free to play with the process without worrying about the end result. Just like when creating my abstract paintings
I love Stephanie’s Art and thought her course would be perfect for this.
Image copyright Stephanie Levy 2013
I’m really looking forward to the interviews with 10 top collage artists from around the world who will share their tips and give us peeks at their art and arts practice.
We will be creating our own collage materials and learn how to decorate and paint our own unique papers. As well, I get to recycle and use up, my huge collection of vintage papers, fabrics, wallpapers and junk to make beautiful artworks and make room in my studio for new art projects.
Found Object Sculpture. Process.
October 31st, 2013
Fresh from the Studio – Sensor Ship
October 18th, 2013Fresh from the Studio
Sensor Ship 2 & Sensor Ship
Surface quality is very important to me and my paintings consist of many layers of paint and line making. During my process I continuously scrape, wipe and sand back layers until only a trace remains of my previous mark making.
Sensor Ship 2
Jenny Davis
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 60cm
In both paintings you can see little tears and pockets of bright grainy colour pushing through to the top layers. I wanted the ghosts of my past marks and texture to sit just below the surface, still and silent. Waiting to be discovered.
Sensor Ship
Jenny Davis
Acrylic on Canvas
120 x 60cm.