Archive for the ‘Thematic Series’ Category

A Cyclic Occurence

Monday, June 5th, 2023

“The healthiest response to life is joy.”
– Mark Twain
 

If we understand anything about the many strong characteristics of collage as an artistic activity, we surely know that it has significant therapeutic attributes. I came into the studio to shrug off some negative vibes and to create a pair of new miniatures for an upcoming gallery hop at nearby CAMP. Connie Beale, fellow collage artist and owner of the unique retail space, had just sold two of my paper landscapes the previous week, so replacements were in order. I wanted to use a bright palette and appealing fauna as ingredients. Could I bring a bit of delight to my disposition and to anyone who showed up to discuss the result?

Mission accomplished!
 
 

A Cyclic Crunch
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7 x 8.5 inches
available for purchase

 

A Cyclic Hum
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7 x 8.5 inches
available for purchase

The Lived Life: Finality

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

Three more solutions that use two Februllage prompts, plus a single-catalyst collage for the 20th and final piece, and the series is finished. I even tricked myself into creating a miniature self portrait. This project has provided a stimulating acceleration into March, traditionally one of my busiest studio months of the year. See you in April!
 

The Lived Life: Duplicity

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023

I’ve stuck with doubling the Februllage prompts to close out this series. A few of them have pleased me conceptually from the point of completion. Many of the others still look a bit bizarre to my eye, even though they work from a distance as successful color-quantity abstractions.
 

The Lived Life: Adaptability

Monday, February 13th, 2023

In order to preserve more time for the completion of plein-air landscapes, it’s necessary to reduce the Februllage series, and so I’ve started “doubling up” on the catalyzing prompts. Apparently the impetus for Merz has been formulating for awhile. The classical methodology can dominate my workload if permitted. So far, this series has been a stimulating experiment with distinctly surreal tones. It’s interesting to notice a boost in manual dexterity when I increase the pace of intuitive assembly. Instead of getting “sloppier,” I tend to tighten up and attune to mechanical and compositional precision, even as the juxtapositions become more illogical. I never run out of steam with this medium.

Such a splendid blend of craft and psychological dynamics!

 

The Lived Life: Priority

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

Daily collage miniatures at this level have a way of elbowing their way into a sense of one’s studio priorities. If I don’t accommodate a comprehensive intensity that includes appropriate progress on my landscapes, a February mid-course correction will be in order.
 

The Lived Life ~ a new series prompted by Februllage

Saturday, February 4th, 2023

My intention was to boost intensity in the studio, so I began a new series in the Merz tradition. Each piece is based on daily Februllage prompts. The hypothesis: by keeping myself even busier, I’ll get more achieved this month than the artwork directly related to the series ritual. View the first four pieces. Check back to see if my plan works.
 

March Ex(plosion)  |  Twenty-Eighth Collage

Sunday, March 28th, 2021

 

Never Had No Nothin’
collage miniature by J A Dixon
6.25 x 9 inches
from my Series of Rock
available for purchase

March Ex(plosion)  |  Twenty-Fifth Collage

Thursday, March 25th, 2021

 

Your First Mistake
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7 x 10 inches
from my Series of Rock
available for purchase

March Ex(plosion)  |  Twenty-First Collage

Sunday, March 21st, 2021

 

Married Life Done Changed Him
collage catharsis by J A Dixon
8.5 x 11.5 inches
from my Series of Rock
available for purchase

March Ex(plosion)  |  Nineteenth Collage

Friday, March 19th, 2021

 

The Need to Take Sides
collage miniature by J A Dixon
6.75 x 8.75 inches
from my Series of Rock
available for purchase

March Ex(plosion)  |  Fifteenth Collage

Monday, March 15th, 2021

 

To Us Any Day
collage miniature by J A Dixon
6.5 x 8.75 inches
from my Series of Rock
available for purchase