I Spy . . . . .

I spy . . . . a propeller, a watch, false teeth, and keys.

I spy . . . . handcuffs, a comb, boats, and a ladder.

I spy . . . . a brush, an eraser, numbers, and a whistle.

I spy . . . . wheels, a fish hook, curlers, and a doorbell.

I spy . . . . a luggage tag, pencils, a knife, and perfume.

I spy . . . . hands, a mouse trap, a harmonica, and rulers.

I spy . . . . a clothespin, mirrors, a diaper pin, and a ladder.

I spy . . . . flowers, a shovel, stars, an anchor, and a clown.

I spy . . . . dishes, a wing, bells, and a car.

I was invited to create a piece of art in response to the Salem Reads: One Book, One Community project. The book chosen for the project is Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream, by Joshua Davis.

Since the four teenagers built an underwater robot using spare and scavenged parts, I created my piece using my favorite found and scavenged objects. The title of my piece is Everything Accounted For, and here is my artist statement:

I’m a collector, energized by hunting for worn out and discarded objects. When I see a beat up vintage tin or discover a rusty piece of metal, I hyperventilate a bit. I’m excited about the opportunity to give new life to these cast off, expendable objects. Everything Accounted For represents some of the best pieces from my collection, each one a sacred scrap. In creating this piece, I was inspired by the resourcefulness, vision, and creativity of Oscar, Cristian, Luis, and Lorenzo.

The exhibit will be at the Salem Public Library from January 31 – February 26, 2017. The opening reception is Tuesday, January 31st at 5:30 pm.

When my piece returns home, this is where it will hang:

Janet’s Old Cedar Chest

I walked right by the old chest dozens of times over the years. Most likely it had things stacked on top of it and I never realized what was holding up all the stacks of magazines and old boxes. About a year ago, my father-in-law had a stroke and while he was recuperating in a rehab facility, Howard and I went to the basement of Howard’s childhood home in NE Portland. We’d been downstairs many times over the past forty years, but usually just to drop some stuff off for storage. This time, the chest caught my eye, probably because there was nothing stacked on top of it. I lifted the lid and my breath caught; it was filled with things Howard’s mom had saved. Janet passed away 13 years ago, but even all the years she was alive, we never realized she had saved her treasures in this old trunk. I didn’t pull much out, other than a few things on the top, but quickly realized this was an excavation to be savored.

Several months ago when our adult kids were home, we visited Grandpa Tom. I pulled Howard aside and said, “I’d sure like to get that old chest loaded into the car while we have healthy backs to help carry it up the stairs.” Howard told his dad we were taking the chest and lickety split it was in the car. We got it home and put it in the garage. For some reason I didn’t immediately tear into it. I wanted to wait for the right time, when I could enjoy the process of peeling back the layers.

That day happened a couple months ago when my friend Tory had dropped me off after one of our outings. She knew I had the chest, she wasn’t in a hurry, and it felt like the right time. We slowly began to remove the pieces that were important to Janet. A wedding dress that belonged to Janet’s mother, bundles of letters, an old shower curtain(!), baby outfits, photographs, newspaper clippings . . . . the detritus of a life well-lived.

As we neared the bottom of the chest, I spied a pair of eyes peeking out of loosely bound tissue paper. Could it be? Janet’s childhood doll? I could barely contain myself. I was so excited, I just climbed right into the chest and unwrapped the doll. She was stuffed with straw and had no hair and marked the perfect ending to a chest full of clues of how Janet lived and loved.

Later, after leisurely going through the stacks of ephemera, Howard pulled out what he wanted to keep and I took what was left to my art studio at Mission Mill to use in my mixed media project, What’s Your Story: Real or Imagined.

10th Annual Day of the Dead Show at Guardino Gallery

For ten years, Guardino Gallery in NE Portland has hosted a dia de los muertos group art show. I’ve participated in many of the shows over the past ten years. This year the show moved to the Main Gallery and features over 50 artists. The show, curated by Donna Guardino and Stephanie Brockway, runs through October 23, so if you’re in Portland, I hope you’ll swing by and see an amazing show.

MY ART

THE SHOW

THE PARTY (I mean, opening reception)

BONUS: Preparing

Make up done by our daughter, Amy Kayon.

Funky Junkyard Birds: Light As Air

About once a year, I create a batch of my Funky Junkyard Birds. They take a couple of months from start to finish, so I make two to three dozen when I made them and they usually last through a year of selling them.

I’ve just completed 33, the most I’ve ever done at one time.

The Back-Story

In October, 2010, I took a class from Leighanna Light called Birds Gone Wild. In the class we cut up metal tins and attached aged, metal parts. I loved my bird and wanted to make more. I wrote Leighanna and asked if she was okay if I made metal birds and sold them; Leighanna gave me her blessing and I started making batches of birds, calling them Funky Junkyard Birds. (Leighanna still teaches her Birds Gone Wild class if you’re interested in learning how to make them yourself.)

Over time, my birds morphed and got more complicated from my initial ones; they got fancier and I attached more flamboyant wings; I started dangling more metal pieces from beaks and legs. I also devised a way to cover the cold connections on the back of the birds (i.e., the brads), using pieces of decorative paper Washi tape.

The Creation Process

First, I spend several hours cutting out bird parts: wings, heads, pants, shirts. This involves flattening vintage metal tins, cutting, and sanding the razor sharp edges.

Then the auditions begin. I pull out various found objects that might serve as a body, then try out different heads. A persona begins to take shape, pants or legs might be adding, then an array of wings are considered, balancing shape, color, and design. A personality begins to emerge.

Once the birds are completely designed, it is time for attachments to begin. Holes are punched or drilled into all of the pieces, glued with E6000, and clamped over night. The next day the clamps are removed and all of the cold connections are made using brads, wire, or eyelets.

Part of the auditioning of each bird is determining what the bird will hang from: a ruler, a saw blade, a piece of interesting wood. The whole process is repeated for the hanging piece: holes drilled, glued, clamped, attached. Wire is then added to the hanger, forming a nice arch for eventual hanging on the wall.

Once all the cold connections have been made, I apply Washi tape to the back of the birds, covering the brads. A bit of matte medium is applied to hold the tape in place. At this point, the birds are almost finished. I talk to each bird individually (not literally!): What do you need? What will make you special? Keys are sometimes dangled as legs. Often a wheel is attached to give the bird a sense of motion. I go through my random, one-of-a-kind pieces of metal, looking for something unique to attach to a leg or the belly; these pieces are wired on and scream: LOOK AT ME!

The final step in assembly is adding a piece of torn, ragged silk or sari ribbon to soften all of the hard metal edges.

Finished? Not yet. Each bird gets a name. I Google unusual baby names to see what is trending and pick out a few dozen names. I especially like androgynous names to keep the birds gender neutral, however, sometimes I just know it is a boy or a girl, and their name reflects this.

Assembled, named, photographed. The gang is ready to meet the world.

And a few are ready for their close ups.

The Debut

A couple dozen of my new birds will be going to Compass Gallery for our February show, Light As Air. The show hangs on Thursday and I’m excited about hanging the birds from wires strung across the wall. About six of the birds will be headed to Guardino Gallery in Portland for sale in their Gift Shop gallery. Whew. Maybe by January of 2017 I’ll be ready to create a new batch.

Frozen in Time

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to enter a house that had been frozen in time and be able to sort through all of the detritus of a former life. Well, over the weekend I had an opportunity to sort through a garage that had been buried by time – about 50 years worth.

Howard’s father finally asked for some help in cleaning out his garage/shop. Last weekend, armed with gloves and boxes, we tackled the piles. Tom, who is 92, watched from the sidelines while Howard, Alex (his niece’s son), and myself began to drag stuff out.

The dragging continued all day.

Until we finally reached the back of the shop.

We ended up with a pile of scrap metal.

After five trailer loads of stuff to the dump (and more yet to go), we loaded the trailer with all of the hazardous materials and old paint (and several jugs of unidentified liquids).

What all did we find? Well, things had been buried for 50 years, things Howard remembered from his childhood, and some things Howard didn’t remember ever seeing. It was a walk back in time.

I’ve saved the best for last. While we cleaned and sorted, I was filling boxes with things that I could use in my art and in my Curious Elements. In a box of rags, I even found an old quilt.

When I got home, I began to sort through all of the treasures. My sister asked during the process was I feeling overwhelmed or verklempt*. Verklempt, definitely verklempt. (*choked with emotion)

PS Since we were using Tom’s truck and trailer, when he needed to run an errand, he hopped in his old Model A and tootled off to the store.

Here’s the work crew: Alex, Howard, and Tom

Did I mention that Tom has a garage in North Plains where he works on his old cars? That’s next to get cleaned out.

Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour Returns

After a year hiatus, the Willamette Valley Open Studio Tour has returned. This is a self-guided public tour of local artist studios in Marion and Polk Counties. The tour is Saturday and Sunday, September 13-14, from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. More information is available about the tour on the website. There are 19 artist studios on the tour and the cost is only $5 for both days and all the studios. Tickets can be purchased at the Art Department, Bush Barn, and from all tour artists.

I participated in this event in both 2011 and 2012, both times when I was in my previous studio. For this event, you’ll have the opportunity to see my upstairs painting studio, my basement assemblage studio, and you’ll have the opportunity to buy art. I’ll have old as well as new oil and cold wax paintings, Funky Junkyard Birds, greetings cards, prints, reproductions of Fearless Faces, and dozens of new Curious Elements.

Limited edition giclee prints of this original oil and cold wax painting, "Spotted With Crimson," will be available for the first time. — Limited edition giclee prints of this original oil and cold wax painting, “Spotted With Crimson,” will be available for the first time.

In addition to all this art goodness, there will be one final opportunity to support my Scattered By the Wind Prayer Flag Project and purchase prayer flags at half price: only $5 each, with proceeds from the sale of the flags going to art programming at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility.

During the studio tour, I’m also having a studio SALE. Everything will be reduced in some way, with some things being marked down as much as 50%.

16x20 canvas reproductions of Fearless Faces, regularly $80, will be on sale for half price. Only $40 each. — 16×20 canvas reproductions of Fearless Faces, regularly $80, will be on sale for half price. Only $40 each.

Oil and cold wax block sets were $45, will be on sale for half price at $22.

I hope you’ll stop by my artful home on Saturday and Sunday and experience three floors of art. My sister will be on hand to greet you, serve you a snack and cold drink, and assist you with purchases. My husband will be in the basement to show you my downstairs found object and assemblage studio (be sure and have him open cabinets and drawers for you), and I’ll be upstairs to share my oil and cold wax painting process.

Questions? Contact me via e-mail: dayna@daynajcollins.com/curele.

PS I’m hoping to have a “Square” in place to take debit and credit cards, but cash is always preferred and appreciated.

Junkin’ and Jivin’

I haven’t posted about a junking expedition in a long time and since I discovered three wonderful vintage shops and I’m feeling generous, I’m going to share these little gems, all located east of Portland.

The Wade Creek House

This is actually a compound of buildings featuring antiques, collectibles, and vintage treasures. It is located at 664 NW Wade Street in Estacada. The owner, Dyan, knows my good friend Bobbie! Small world. Dyan just opened her store in June, so it is brand new and filled to the brim with good things.

Foxtrot Vintage

This is another relatively new shop and is located in downtown Gresham. Cute street, cute shop. The proprietor is Todd, who went to the same grade school as Howard (Harvey Scott, in case you are curious).

Vintage Station

Our final discovery was also in Gresham. This shop is run by Sonja, who used to be a vendor at Stars and currently has a booth at Monticello, two of my favorite antique malls in Portland.

Final Thoughts

It is definitely worth a drive east out of Portland. Beautiful scenery, nice shops. And yes, I did make a few purchases (including the pink chair in the first photo).