Guerra e Migranti

 

Mail art on the way to Italy for a call with the theme war and migration.

Sparks Fly on the 405

Los Angeles is a subject I rarely paint, but sometimes the spectacle of TV news does inspire me.  

Inspired by the Main Library?

When I use boards for my mixed media collages, I typically cover the board with a dark blue coat of paint before I begin. The Bookcase Collage Series is no exception. That said, I was curious to see the results if I kept the natural wood as a background.
It was not my intention, but the whole time I was working on this piece I kept seeing San Francisco’s Main Library in my head.  It’s all the natural wood. Not my original plan, but the results are both inspired by an homage to one of my favorite places.  

Día de los Muertos Mail Art

This year’s hand-carved rubber stamped series of mail art for Day of the Dead that is on its way to mailboxes all over the world.

Bookcase Collages Continue

Another addition to my bookcase collage series, this one is 12”x12”.   After I paint the paper, it is cut up to resemble books. There are also a few bits of scrap paper and packaging, and maybe even a pasta box in there somewhere. I am experimenting with different paper for the shelves and trying different colors for the books. The final step is to put it back together on painted wooden boards to create a bookcase collage.

A Different Perspective

I learned perspective drawing from Mr. Rogers and Mr. Hill way back in the seventh grade at Campus School. So, when someone gave me this book, I really thought I did not have much use for it. Unless….   

A series of 30 pieces of mail art are on their way, all with a different perspective.  

I got my first AI-generated art scam email

Every artist with an online presence eventually will get these scam emails with someone claiming they want to buy your art. I have had a website since 1998, and it did not take long until I had the first of these inquiries.  I have heard about countless “wife’s anniversary” gifts.  They typically are not far away, but far enough that the art needs to be shipped.  Let’s just say, Sacramento seems to be full of art lovers (actually it is, but you get the point).
Of course, the first time, you naively respond.  But the follow-up quickly turns to a need for weird check payments, etc. and you know it is a scam.

I no longer get these emails very often. I think the scammers know this won’t work.  Or do they?
Today, I got my first AI-generated art scam email (see below).   And I am naming fictitious Ayla Schmidt here, so if anyone searches for her name, this will come up.  It looks like there are a few real Ayla Schmidts out in the world but this “Art collector/lover” in the UK is nearly nonexistent online. But I did find “she” commented on another artist’s website with the exact same text used in the email I received.