Finally finished this collage I have been working on for a while, I had to search high and low for the pieces I was looking for. I need to get back to collaging!

Still in the "now what" phase of finishing school, but I did manage to pin down a part time internship for the time being. This is good because what I'm really leaning towards is freelancing--and this means I need to start now! I've been working on some promotional post cards, the one above is a reject one, but I still like it.

Hello! Hello spring! It's raining like crazy here but at least it's not snowing... I haven't made any new collages in a long time, I keep convincing myself that it's procrastinating and I should be doing something else. Yet, I am still never doing the thing that I am supposed to be doing. Surprise surprise. So I decided to just let myself do what I wanted to do.

I have been experimenting with some new stuff lately, everyone loved the paper folds I used for the "gray" series, and I kind of like them too so I am working them into this next collection. I think the white space helps with the otherwise very green backgrounds. I am working on green dividers, found in the Better Homes and Gardens book from the 50s--I bought two of the same book at Goodwill, just for the dividers.

I love when collage is my homework, and I get to try new things all the time. These three collages are for my "art explores psychology" class, which is interesting in itself, (though a bit depressing). The theme was any psychological issue, so these collages have a tinge of sadness to them. It's pretty much about vulnerability to mental illness, and it's something that has surely affected my childhood. Other than the gloominess, I think they're pretty cool!

Hello! I have been absent a little while only because of the real life crazyness that occurred last week! I had my very first show and (I think) it went pretty well... If you're in the area please stop by, it will be up until November 12th. I didn't take any pictures, so I borrowed a couple from Juli (who posted about the show here). My sister took some so I will surely have some more to show you later (or you can go see it for yourself!)

Oh! I guess I should mention my show again before it is the day of, shouldn't I? I'm a bit scatterbrained from all this hard work I suppose (Plus, I haven't been feeling too well this week).

This is the poster for my first ever solo exhibit (aren't you proud?), and I am extending an invitation to anyone in Toronto that would like to come. The opening reception is this Friday evening at 8pm, and wine and cheese will be served. Here is the formal event writeup:

Entitled "The Royal Family", this mixed media collage series was inspired by a pair of scrapbooks found at the St. Lawrence antique market filled with newspaper clippings of Queen Elizabeth and her family during the 1950's and 60's. Aprile's collages recreate the scrapbooks, changing the composition and adding materials to give each page a deeper meaning. All of these pieces are created on the actual scrapbook pages themselves, resulting in brittle and delicate collages which further the character and feelings of nostalgia in each piece.

Aprile had tried many different artistic mediums but her restlessness always led to back to collage work where she feels most comfortable. She loves assembling, disassembling, and rearranging the compositions as well as creating contradictions and versatile interpretations for viewers.

I can't believe it's September 14th already! Where does the time go? I'm back at school and am already overwhelmed with all the work I have to do (at school and at work). Oh and at home, too. The good news is that I'm trying--key word "trying"--to schedule everything well, so that I can get everything done. I have even had time for artwork so far, but I'm sure that will change.

I have some great news, too! I just found out I'll be having a solo show at the gallery some friends of mine run (also where I sell my work) called ...industtrees at 1234 College St. I'm going to say (tentatively) that the show will open October 16th. I've got to get to work!

The theme is The Royal Family, which I've told you a bit about already. I have been working hard and scouring antique markets for "Royal" related things. Also horse and world war II related things, not completely the same theme but I have some ideas for display and I think medals and horses are pretty "royal," don't you? I've already arranged a trade for this horseshoe (nobody buy it!) My Etsy shop is emptying out a little, but I will have all the work from the show listed when it's over, unless I sell most of it, which would be nice!

So if you're in Toronto, I hope you'll come! I will post many more details and pictures of my progress later...

Oooh, I have been so so busy. I thought this summer would be a bit more relaxing, but nope. We did have some time on Sunday to go to the St. Lawrence Antique Market for this first time EVER, and I will be going back every Sunday if I can. It was that good. I brought home a few nice things to make art with: some antique keys and a thimble (a little bag for $1), an amazing antique jigsaw puzzle with wooden pieces--we tried putting it together and let me tell you, it is a real puzzle, an old steel Boston pencil sharpener (the one you mount to something), and two matching Elementary school scrapbooks of the Royal family. I almost shelled out some money for a typewriter. That will be next time...

I don't know, is this nice? I am trying to focus on doing some larger collages, since I have always worked on 8.5" x 11" sheets and smaller. I was thinking of using unconventional "canvases" as well, this one is an olive green legal file I found in an old filing cabinet. I have made some works on wood that are pretty enormous, so let's call this one on the medium side. Should I do more work like this?

I just wanted to share a little something I made for a bridal shower. We were looking for paper to design the invitations, and finally we decided to go with post cards (which I had been printing a ton of all week). I think they work well as really affordable invitations and they're also truly unique! It was fun for me because the bride-to-be has similar taste to mine, woodsy and simple (though she hasn't seen them yet).

I was thinking I would like to do more things like this, so if anyone is stuck for invitations, let me know! I think comissioned invitations are a cute idea.

This week has just been full of problems, from large ones (like my laptop display breaking) to small ones (like Starbucks running out of Peppermint syrup). Ahhh! The lucky thing though, is that I have had the time to focus on making more and more art for the show coming up in June (Big on Bloor if you're in Toronto). I have finally printed my Oh Sweet Woods books, and they are looking lovely (so I believe).

Hello mom,

I made this collage for you. It's funny what comes out of you instinctively with collaging, I wasn't really thinking much when I made this when I was finished it made so much sense. It depicts a difficult time (of many!) in our lives, one that I thought you handled with courage and strength. You had the courage to get better and be the wonderful mom you are. Thank you for never leaving me, and you know even though I live a little farther away, I will never leave you.

I truly love you.
Happy mother's day, mom.

Some new collages for my Oh Sweet Woods series are in the shop today! I haven't listed all of them yet, but they'll be up soon. I'm still printing the books, and I'm working on five special editions (!) that will be for sale first. But if you can't wait for the whole collection, you can get single originals right now! I've posted some of my favourites right now, I will almost be sad to see them go...

There are pieces in these collages from the lovely 1940s illustrated Winston dictionary I picked up back home for $1, I am really really loving it. I love the colour of the pages and the size of the illustrations (tiny!). Nice to know that my selfish book collecting can amount to something, haha.

These photos are from yesterday, because today we're back in our hometown for a visit. As soon as I put up those little butterfly cutouts with sticky tac, the cat was right up there to try and eat them. She is so adorable sometimes, although trying to ruin all my hard work.

These little vellum envelopes (below) are filled with dried flowers, twigs, leaves, pressed flowers, doilies, and some paper confetti. They're sealed on both ends with tape, so you could open them if you wanted to, but the beauty is that you don't have to. They will be going with my special edition of Oh Sweet Woods (a new zine). This is the least of the mess that I made.

Right now, it feels good to be back at home and away from the city. It was a rainy day today but I don't mind the rain. I was thinking of doing a little A to Z of where I grew up (complete with pictures), a la my new favourite blog Good-ness, but I'm not sure how much I will actually get to see. It's relaxing time. Ahhh.

Plus, where I grew up isn't too exciting.

1. no more than that., 2. with every good wish, 3. hello, 4. on our road to it, 5. heart;, 6. contents, 7. anything about him, 8. her heart had been aching, 9. she will never belong, 10. we might as well, 11. it certainly came true, 12. index

I am definitely going to more of these... I kind of love them. I did these collages for a school project that I mentioned before, it's about getting back to nature really. Though it might not be obvious to all. I wish I had pictures of the final, but I did it in such a hurry and handed it in on Friday! I turned these collages (and some more, my Let's Build a Nest series) into a saddle-stiched book with a cardboard cover (no surprise there) with cutout trees from this stencil. I tied it with twine and a shipping tag with the title of the book.

I put it in a plain wooden box with a vellum envelope labeled "findings" with things I collected from nature securely tucked inside (some twigs, dried and pressed flowers, some dirt by accident).

I'm trying to create a picture for you I guess, since I didn't get to take any! You will see them when I get it back, hopefully not in September. I wish I wish I WISH I had pictures! Or maybe I will make some more, the whole deal, box and twigs and all and sell them? Like a special edition... I don't know if anyone would buy this. But I will be selling just the books. I have SO MUCH to say, because I haven't been here in so long. I will save it for some more posts.

I told you I would show you what I did with the stencil, : ). I have actually used it for a bunch of things. Some fabric would be nice. This is some of the work I'm doing lately, it's for a school project but as you can probably tell I have free reign. That's what I like about the last few semesters, you are considered smart enough to do what you want (at least I think that's how it is).

I was talking with my teacher about ways to "design" this project. It's going to be a book—because I love books—of collages, drawings and maybe photographs. He said it was important to make sure I distinguish myself as a designer instead of a fine artist, and we talked about different ways to do that. I've never thought about it this way before, and I'm glad we had our chat. I have this designer vs. artist identity crisis sometimes. I think that's allowed.

The book project is called Oh Sweet Woods, and I am even going to hold out a little bit longer to tell you why I chose this name and theme for it (I like suspense).

I'm the kind of person that doesn't like school, no matter how exciting or interesting the projects are. That is, unless, I have free reign. I think this is why I call myself an artist more than a designer, less rules. This image is something I did for a class, an intepretation of an artist that I feel influenced by. I'm going to let you guess which wonderful collage artist I chose.

So today was another drab, rainy, school day. But, it got a little bit more exciting when I got home to 38 emails in my inbox, due to a lovely feature on Decor8—which I read and subscribe to! And I sold quite a few pieces today, which has got me very excited to make some more. Thanks again Holly! Also, hello many wonderful new friends on Flickr!

The above piece is called "The Hour of Triumph," and ironically I felt like I had one today. : )

1. maps, 2. maps8, 3. maps1, 4. maps2, 5. maps3,
6. maps4, 7. maps5, 8. maps6, 9. maps7

Here's a little book I made the other day, and what I would like to call a creative day. I've been thinking a lot about getting away lately, so this book's theme is travel. Even if I had the money to go somewhere, I don't actually have a passport. I am going to get on that, and soon!

Some new nature-inspired artwork... I had a lot of little vintage book scraps around that I couldn't let myself throw out, and I was trying to think of ways to use them. That's when I thought "Birds make junk into nests, don't they?" And this is what came out of it.

The cute little chairs are from my 1901 Eaton's catalogue (a print of it). I have gotten so much use out of that catalogue.

I also posted about these at the new Poppytalk Handmade Artists blog, first post, which I am now part of. Poppytalk is doing great things to drive the online arts & crafts community!

Buy the original collages at Poppytalk or Etsy.

It would probably be good if I did some of my homework, but I would rather just make things like this all day long. These were inspired by a book I picked up called "gardening" from 1926, which I think somebody bound themselves. There were eight flower images from colour plates, which I wasn't going to use at first. I changed my mind pretty quickly, and made eight collages. I wish there were more!

This is the problem with using vintage images, there is no endless supply, and I can't just go to a store to restock. But that helps keep each piece completely original, I guess.

I just made this today (VERY last minute) for a little project, Free Encouragement by Design for Mankind. Like it? I hope it gets chosen!

I've been really into the magazine confetti lately. It takes forever to make, though.

I did this for a class, it is very loosely based on this article found via Quill & Quire, about how new technology is making authors look a little less sharp, and making it easier for us to see their flaws.

After spending hours toiling away on a computer illustration, I threw it all away and made this in 15 minutes. This is how you get your homework done the FASTEST! (Omit first step).

So the title is "technology vs. tradition" (as in Amazon Kindle vs. the real live thing), and the fact that I scrapped my first idea and reverted to the basics just makes this make even more sense.

It's late, and I'm rambling.

But at least I've been making more and more art as a result of staying inside.

(This one is in my shop here).

I made so many of these cards yesterday. I kind of love them.
They are for sale in my shop here.

Some new work, a little altered vintage book. It's a little bit different, but it goes to show I still have my sense of humour...

1. beards, 2. mr. moustache, 3. mr. agent, 4. mr. horse, 5. mr. chameleon, 6. mr. crook, 7. mr. gray, 8. mr. dishonor, 9. end, 10. mr. clever, 11. mr. beggar, 12. beards inside

Now almost a year after opening my etsy shop, I finally have something in it! In fact, I have a lot of things in it! I went to the One of a Kind show yesterday, which is where the inspiration probably came from. I'm very excited... All of the items in it right now are very reasonably priced—zines, notebooks, and postcards. Who will be my first customer?

Yayyyy!

Here's a little sneak peak of something to come very soon!