Draw me Your Favorite Book

Or how about paint?  For this mail art call   I wanted an open book with a book with a big New Mexico sky.  Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop is one of my all time favorite books. Every time I read it immediately takes me to the Land of Enchantment.  This one is on the way to the U.K.

Bursts of Color on a Black Background

Rzeszów Embroidery, 16”x16”, mixed media on board

As I was researching folk art and costumes for this series I kept seeing embroidered vests with bursts of color on black.  I had to make a few small prototype pieces to get the results I wanted.  This is the result.

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.   

Introducing the Interdimensional Communication Device

On their way in the mail, a new series of objects I call the Interdimensional Communication Device (2”x5” each, mixed media on paper).    

This device is all you will need to communicate across time and space.  You do not need an account, there is no software, there is not an app, there are no corporations, data collection or asocial media involved.  These devices only function when gifted.  They can never be bought or sold. Technical support questions can be answered in a dream.  The device is the result of blurring the lines between art, spirituality, time and science. 

 

Embroidery with Paint, Paper and Glue

Kaszuby Hafty, 16”x16”, mixed media on board

Embroidery with paint, paper and glue wouldn’t be embroidery any longer. But the color inspiration for this piece comes from traditional Kashubian hafty (embroidery).  It’s been years since we all did embroidery back in art class.  That was the post-hippie 1970s when embroidery was big — yes, my mom even made an embroidered work shirt for me.

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.   

Red, White and Blue

Kashubian Coat,16”x16”, mixed media on board

It could be easy to assume this piece was intended to be a patriotic statement.  A few people who have seen it in person have already had that reaction.  This might happen in the United States or any of the 30 countries that use the three-color combination of red, white and blue in their flags.  Perhaps you assume this was a nod to the Norwegian Curling Team.  While I would love some of their ensembles for party outfits — no, this is not the case.  This set of colors takes its inspiration from folk costumes found in Kashubia in northern Poland.

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.   

Zine Mail Art and More

Here is some of the latest art that has landed in mail box. It takes a lot of time to scan and post some mail art like this.  I am always impressed and really appreciative of artists who go beyond scanning and create zines from the mail art they receive.  The amount of time and effort, let alone the cost to mail them out.  A big thank you to everyone who sends me mail, and these zines — Wow!  

The list includes the following:

1. Mindaugas Žuromskas
2. Kathy Barnett – Missouri
3. Fleur Helsingor– California
4. Kerosene– Québec, Canada
5. Dorothy Yuki – California 
6. Peter Müller — Germany 
7. Gregg Biggs — California
8. William Mellott– Taiwan
9. Zdeněk Šíma– Czech Republic
10. Bonniediva – Illinois 
11. Susanne Schumacher– Germany
12. Valdor – Catalunya, Spain  

Inspiring Polish Folk Costumes

Kurpie Zielone, 16”x16”, mixed media on board

I adore this Polish Folk Costume tumblr blog, It is a great source of inspiration — both for my art and for some sartorial choices.  I need this coat for those chilly San Francisco summers.  In the meantime, I love the color palette which helped inspire this Post-Folk Art piece. 

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.   

Living with Folk Art

Kashubian Pottery, 16”x16”, mixed media on board

I started working on the Post-Folk Art series in January 2018. For a long time, I did not recognize that I was also being influenced by the items around me.  My home has pieces from my collection of Polish folk art in every room. As an artist I know we find inspiration in many different places, but sometimes, it takes us a little while to become aware of some of the sources of our inspiration.

With that in mind, I can say this series’ origins go back over 30 years.  That is when I started collecting Polish folk art at Cepelia shops.  In the 1980s, when you visited family in Poland, you were required to exchange a minimum amount of hard currency for Polish Złotys. You were not allowed to change the currency back for dollars or marks and were not permitted to take the Złotys with you when you departed from Poland.  Even for a college student, the amount ($7 per day) was not a big sum.  The place to spend your money was Cepelia. Back then the stores were essentially state-run folk art collectives.  The stores had wonderful, high quality crafts and the prices were incredibly low. Nowadays, with a modern European economy and higher wages, you will never find a beautiful, hand-carved wooden box for the equivalent of a few dollars anywhere in Poland.  But that is okay, I am making my own post-folk art.

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com. 

  

Post-Folk Art

Łowicz,16”x16”, mixed media on board 

My collage work has changed in recent years.  I have moved away from found ephemera and have shifted to making my own material.   Typically that means painting paper in different colors and then cutting it up into small pieces.  The cut, painted paper is reconfigured into collages.  For the past year I have been working on a new series that refer to as Post-Folk Art. This series is a nod to the color palettes found in costumes, textiles, pottery and other forms of traditional Kashubian and Polish folk art.

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.   

Vintage Orange and Blue

Krakow, 16”x16”, mixed media on board

Am I stuck in the 1970s?  I do not think so.  But anyone who visits my home notices that I like orange.  From the pillows on the sofa, to the bathroom rug, to the kitchen floor.  My kitchen is orange and blue.  It is a color combination I really like.  When I spotted images of folk costumes from Krakow with orange beads and embroidery on a deep blue background, I knew this would be another piece for the Post-Folk Art series.

The color combination gave the piece a very vintage feel going back to the 1930s or 40s — an unintended surprise.  A friend noticed, among my collection of vintage packaging, that this old container of Casco Glue Powder had the same colors.  I have to agree.  

You can see the entire Post-Folk Art series at tofuart.com.