New Mixed Media Poem-Collage Series

This is a mixed-media series I created using my own poetry as transfers over acrylic painting on canvas panels. Some of them include collage elements, others use stamps, and others are a combination of items. Each is 8×11. These are scanned images, so the whiteness that you see comes from the brush strokes of the clear acrylic coating, but the originals are more vibrant in color. I chose bright colors and designs as a contrast to the poems, which are a little darker in topic. These will be available for purchase soon.

It’s National Poetry Month! (All the Poetry-Related Updates)

This is another sneak peek! This is from the second series I mentioned. This is text transfer of some of my own poems over paint on canvas panels. There will be other elements of collage added as well, and there are three more I haven’t started yet that go with this series.

I’m planning to participate in an open mic night at the Grand Rapids Art Museum on April 20th (thanks to Greg Bliss for the invite and for organizing it!). I haven’t come to a firm decision yet about which three poems to read. If you’re familiar with my work and you have a favorite, what is it?

Of course there are lots of other art and poetry events locally this month. I’ve already missed several, in fact, because I’m trying to balance my full-time job, a GRIID class, needing to get this art made on a schedule, and my health. I’m planning to show my progress on the collages to a friend after next weekend because I’ve asked him if I can use his venue for a show. I do have plans to attend an open mic next weekend with a friend, and another one on the 17th at Dr. Grins, put together by local poet and activist Azizi Jasper.

A-Poem-A-Day has not been as successful this year as previous years, in that I haven’t managed to write something new each day, but I working on it!

At the same time, I am beginning to read the poetry submissions for the Intersections Anthology and look forward to seeing some new and exciting work on the theme of the intersecting identities of being a Muslim woman artist.

Because I have so much going on, I have not set aside specific books of poetry to read this month as I usually do. I will be reading (and posting a review!) of Liz Henry‘s new collection, Unruly Islands. After that I will return to prioritizing WOC poets, most likely selecting from June Jordan’s Naming Our Destiny.

Also, please remember that I am trying to get to the Allied Media Conference and am fundraising and trying to sell out the Elephant and Dove shop towards that goal! Thanks!

A Sneak Peek at Current Work

This is part of one of two series of pieces I am currently working on. This is very rough, obviously, just the transfers done so far. In fact I’m so unhappy with the Audre Lorde (the magenta one) that I will be trying it over again as my process has improved with more practice.

Commissioned Collage: WOC Sheroes

This was a really exciting piece for me to work on and I taught myself two new techniques – transfers and tea painting – to create this. An online acquaintance commissioned this piece, telling me that she would like a unique collage that combined these specific seven WOC and quotes from each of them. It was up to me to envision the form such a collage would take and this is what I came up with. I’m beyond excited with how it turned out. I used text transfer from books by various of the authors as the background, over paint, as well as text transfer to add their names over their pictures. I used tea to color the paper their quotes are on, and the color effect works really nice with the paint background as well as giving it a less stark look. This is done on a cardboard background with liberal use of acrylic gel medium.

Taking lessons learned from this project and combining them with some other ideas, I am beginning work on a series of collages that will include the use of acrylic transfers. Stay tuned!

New Items for Sale

Now available at Elephant and Dove Designs on Etsy

Have put up prints of my Love Revolution and Make Time to Dance collages. Am preparing prints of some of my dot art tulips as well.

Have also just posted three scarves, with more to come.

Cherry Blossom Pink & Confetti Super Size Cowl/Infinity Scarf

Cherry Blossom Pink Chain Scarf with Removable Decorative Cuff

Super Soft White Infinity Scarf

Super Soft White Infinity Scarf Wrapped as Cowl

New Sticker – “there is a time to cry, and a time to dance. make time to dance.”

Dance Collage Sticker - "there is a time to cry, and a time to dance. make time to dance."

This collage was inspired greatly by the idea of moving forward and healing movement. i wanted to find images of women and girls of color who express themselves thru dance – formally and informally – and i was seeking specifically for a sense of joy. There is a lot of saddness in life and for activists, artists, writers, etc. we are often surrounded by upsetting images, news and commentary. For marginalized people, it can be especially difficult at times to find a sense of passion and hope. One way that marginalized people have done so for centuries is thru dance.

Another Sticker – Jewels2 Centerpiece

Jewels 2 Centerpiece Stickers

This is not the sticker i mentioned working on in a previous post (so you still have something else to look forward to, LOL). This is actually the centerpiece of the Jewels for Survival Vol. 2 zine. i realized that it would also make a nice sticker, so here it is!