Incoming

[David Stafford]

Incoming! First off Wenchkin, fellow New Mexican, sent me a pair of cards with her unique process of rubbery silk screening that is the perfect medium for her Posada Meets Sears Roebuck sensibility. I see now that I have posted Corn Dog Man upside down which turns him into a spidery alien. Sigh. I hope Wenchkin is making a living off these creatures because they’re executed with marketable finesse. Thank you, Wenchkin.

Marie Wintzer has this thing about packaging her art in the trappings of Japanese pop culture. It’s like eating a Twinkie that’s filled with artisanal chocolate. Inside the envelope covered with surly sea nymphs is a long strip of maroon fabric that feels as though it’s been stolen from a dadist Shinto shrine.  Or it could be a very cool tie. Thank you, Marie.

Svenja sent me a simple but powerful collage if you happen to be, as I am, insect-phobic. I couldn’t live in the tropics. They have mosquitos there that carry babies off at night. I sort of got carried away with the blog presentation, Svenja...forgive me my trespasses and thank you.

Carina’s piece is called “An Ordinary World” which features a couple of snapshots from the Petsmo Pet Parade. (The red light signifies a joke has been told.) Like Wenchkin there’s a good fit between the form and content. At this point I think we would all love to live in that ordinary world which seems like a distant planet. Like me, Carina struggles to bring herself back to the pencil and pen. At this point we’re enabling each other’s desire to make markings and Carina has shared some of these on the backside. Thank you, Carina.

Okay, now we get into heavy zeitgeist mode. The next three artists all sent me stuff that revolves in part around games and puzzles. Vizma Bruns has guaranteed me months of fun with her Rodeo Game, lightly embellished with a truck stop at Vizma’s farm, (two drinks and you miss a turn but what the hell...) On the back side a lovingly addressed game board mash up. Thank you, Vizma.

Michael Orr’s sacrificed his chinese checkerboard on art’s altar. Appropriate, since this is the holely season. (Ex-wife claims my dad’s sense of humor has crawled out of the grave to attack my brain. She may be right.) Also included was one of Michael’s signature attack’s on consumerism. Okay, we’ll call this a re-imagining. His grist was packaging for toe-nail fungicide. It’s so goddamn Christmassy. Thank you, Michael.

And then to top it all off...Diane sent me the “World’s Worst Puzzle for Non-Linear Thinkers” (of which I am them). Encased in colorful Indian kitsch origami holding case, this wonderful puzzle, like life, has no correct solution for which we are thankful. Thank you, Diane.

Finally, Katerina’s Xmas card arrived yesterday to cap everything off with a holiday in Greece theme. Thank you, Katerina.

As I’m typing I realize I forgot to thank Nancy Scott Bell for her collection of usable collage material. It may also be fissionable or even actionable. I’m working on a possible prequel, Nancy. And thank you...

Thanks one and all. My holiday blessing: May all your worlds be ordinary in the best possible way.

[Carina]

haha, snapshots from Petsmo Pet Parade! Wonderful blog and art, thanks for sharing David! We keep working on our markings :)) and best wishes for the holidays!