New Work August 2022

Carry On (Business as Usual)
16" x 20" collage
found images, personal photos

This piece started as a collage in my sketchbook and came from an idea that I had seen in my mind's eye. As is often the case, what I saw in my mind was better than the subsequent sketch! That's OK though. That is what a sketchbook is for right? To try something our before it hits prime time.

I went on to some other ideas, more sketches that worked out, and I refined my idea. I made a couple of journals, a new idea for me, and I did a few more paper sketches. Finally, I got my act together and got my idea solidified. 

The piece reflects my mindset about global warming and in general, our collective attitude towards our environment and our future. At first, the little girl with that expression on her face, had me stymied. Was she the protagonist or the antagonist? I think she is both. We want to have our cake and to eat it too. The end will come but in the meantime I have got to get to the grocery store. Let me hop in my car, use up some gas (sorry Mr. Dinosaur), and buy something! I am not negating or ignorant of the things that are being done everyday to help our situation. Real people are working diligently to answer big questions. But, it's grim. In my neck of the woods, we will be having a week of record temperatures. I am talking 112, 116, 108 degrees. In September. We are going down and that is that. And I didn't know there was a name for the worry that I have. It's called eco anxiety. Did you know that? I didn't. 

In any case, the piece references the poor Dodo, long gone now, the red hot world to come and the cockroach which may be one of the survivors. There is of course our red hot planet as well as a nod to Bob Dylan and his series of signs (Subterranean Homesick Blues). I also included an image of the letter "K" for keystone species, my own image of "weeds" and of course that crazy girl in the car shoving time out of the way, somehow. That head on the girl is from some other source but the car itself and the body in it is from a Dick and Jane book. That girl is little Sally shoving a couple of dogs out of her way (in the story). Big baby that Sally is, I thought she represented much of the population in her impatience. (I am not perfect OK? I am sitting here in my air conditioned home using propane and doing God knows what all else to bring about the end.)

It's not all bad news, though I am re reading Silent Spring. Not really good news but alright. I have discovered what are called "junk journals" though I really dislike that term. I have made three books of my own, one of which reflects the collages that I do. My thought is that the book and my collages go together, one informing the other. I am finishing one up right now that reflects the same sort of theme as the above piece and uses many of the same images. The books are fun to do and help to use up some of the printed images that I have on hand. They are very methodical which appeals to me. It's really a step by step process and very satisfying to have several complete pages at the end of the day.

Alright, that's it for now. I hope anyone reading is doing alright. The whole country looks like it is suffering through the heat. Sigh...
Thanks for reading,
Libby
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