Forgot to Blow My Mind (diptych 99)
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
2 x 2 inches each
left square | right square
available for purchase
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Posts Tagged ‘Dixon’
Forgot to Blow My Mind (diptych 99)
Tuesday, July 28th, 2020Forgot Where Texas Used to Be (diptych 10)
Sunday, July 26th, 2020
Forgot Where Texas Used to Be (diptych 10)
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
1.9375 x 1.9375 inches each
left square | right square
available for purchase
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Forgot to Commit Sins (diptych 7)
Sunday, July 19th, 2020
Forgot to Commit Sins (diptych 7)
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
1.75 x 1.75 inches each
left square | right square
Purchase Award / The Doug + Laurie Kanyer Art Collection
Forgot to Make Merz (diptych 30)
Saturday, July 18th, 2020
Forgot to Make Merz (diptych 30)
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
1.75 x 1.75 inches each
left square | right square
available for purchase
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I finally help to “paint the town” of Lexington!
Friday, July 17th, 2020
Paint the Town is an annual plein-air-oriented landscape exhibition in Lexington, Kentucky. The parameters of the traditional twelve-hour event are strict, and I’ve always had the notion of it as a flat-out competition — sort of a bass tournament for artists, if I may indulge a silly exaggeration.
With the current societal restrictions having caused so many art shows to be postponed or cancelled, it’s a distinct credit to ARTSconnect that a way was found to make the event happen at all in 2020. The Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center reopened to host the exhibition. Many of the more stringent guidelines (and, sadly, all the hospitality enhancements) were stripped out of this year’s version.
I’m willing to admit that the relaxed standards were enough to convince me to take part, not having participated in this kind of gig before. I was eager to gather what I’ve learned from my plein-air experience and “paint with paper” in the studio. The goal was to fuse the spontaneity of working outdoors with a more deliberate process that I’ve explored by using photo references to create 
a larger landscape on panel. I can’t be more pleased with the results. I continue to incorporate white tissue for desired cloud effects, and I’ve come to rely on reclaimed teabag material as a beneficial adjunct to colored papers. I work at not overdoing tinted sealants, but the added depth is worth a cautious, mixed-media enhancement (especially when I mix acrylic gel medium with a rare portion of walnut juice from Richard Taylor).
Please take a Virtual Tour of the show. My 90-second sound bite is included, or you can listen to the audio by clicking here. Of course, there’s a YouTube video of all the artwork, too. My two collage miniatures enjoy some great company, and it pleases me to point out that juror Bruce Neville designated Byway Corner with an Honorable Mention. Current gallery hours at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center are Wed/Thurs/Friday, noon to 5pm. The show lasts until August 3, 2020.
Byway Corner
collage landscape by J A Dixon
7 x 7.125 inches
available for purchase
• Honorable Mention
Along Market
collage landscape by J A Dixon
7 x 7.125 inches
available for purchase
Forgot to Add a Bird (diptych 45)
Monday, July 13th, 2020
Forgot to Add a Bird (diptych 45)
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
1.875 x 1.875 inches each
left square | right square
available for purchase
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Februllage Extended for Worldwide Quarantines
Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
Superbounce
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7 x 7 inches
for Februllage 2020
Zig-Zag
collage miniature by J A Dixon
7 x 7 inches
for Februllage 2020
To Make and Do
Sunday, May 24th, 2020Things happen as we wait.
Good things to be remembered forever.
To Make and Do
collage artwork by J A Dixon
8 x 10 inches
(for the #findingcalmwhilewewait project)
Dreams Intensified
Sunday, May 17th, 2020Let her hopes not be diminished.
May her aspirations be magnified.
Dreams Intensified
collage artwork by J A Dixon
8 x 10 inches
(for the #findingcalmwhilewewait project)
Februllage: how to paste a bunny
Thursday, March 5th, 2020“The huge problem is that social media is designed to mess with our insecurities. When you post something and people like it, and a thousand people do that, it feels really good (and everybody who pretends like they are not enchanted by that is a liar), but you must not confuse that thing with real value and where you are going creatively.”
— Christoph Niemann
I continue to have mixed emotions about social networking formats, as do many others who use them daily. We enjoy the advantages and remain dubious about the rest (as if we even know what “the rest” means anymore). The continuous cross pollination and instant feedback across continents is unprecedented in the history of creativity. That must surely be filed under Awesome. On the other hand, the false intimacy and ubiquitous jockeying for the most visible presence on stage can be tedious. The potential for subtle exploitation, calculated abuse, and hidden subversion will be left for others to analyze.
The Instagram-centered Februllage project — coordinated by Scandinavian Collage Museum and The Edinburgh Collage Collective — ran into some parameter problems with the virtual platform last month. “Work-arounds” were devised. Because the unwelcome limitations were probably related to the massive participation, it would be reasonable to characterize the initiative as a huge success. I found it personally worthwhile to flirt with a few of season two’s catalytic “word prompts.” I wasn’t about to let “rabbit” slip by on day 27, so I combined a ruined book cover with ingredients from my bunny stash and added a minor ribbon that my dad claimed over 60 years ago during his reign as a nationally celebrated rabbit breeder. After posting an image on Instagram, I decided to revise the artwork with two additional critters and by restoring the string that I’d previously thought should be removed from the premium. The refined version is featured here.
Rabbit Book, 1958
collage artifact by J A Dixon
7.5 x 7.5 inches
available for purchase
Big night for tiny art
Saturday, February 29th, 2020“Many artists struggle to make a profit each year, and although it might sound noble to give art away, sometimes it does the community of artists more harm than good. Fundraisers who ask numerous artists for outright donations devalue the worth of the art in that community. … The folks that put on these fundraisers are not malicious people. They just don’t understand how selling donated art at low prices hurts the art community.”
— Lori Woodward
Our local Art Center had another successful fundraiser last night, thanks to a massive number of minuscule donations from regional artists. Staff members had to rethink how the event was organized. The turnout was so insane last year that the fire marshal weighed in with concerns.
I contributed four playing card experiments a year ago, but this time around I decided to boost that to five collage miniatures that met the 6×6-inch constraint.
Much has been said and written about the expectation that artists will continuously supply the fruits of their creative labor without compensation in support of nonprofit fundraisers. My basic motto is, “Keep it small, and keep it infrequent.” I’ve gone into more detail about the issue at this blogsite more than once. I have respect for those who decline requests across the board. It’s a decision for each individual. It bugs me when people preach a universal approach. Pro-bono contributions are a time-honored activity in the professional world, but, as with nearly everything, there has to be balance. I recently took part in a fundraiser that split some of the proceeds with participating artists. Nothing wrong with a win-win like that. I hope the practice spreads to a greater number of worthy organizations.
It’s not a new idea. Maria Brophy, Lori Woodward, and others had pretty much thought this through ten years ago:
• mariabrophy.com / the problem with donating art and the solution
• fineartviews.com / fundraisers that do it right
Please share your observations with me. I shall always reply!
Five Tiny Donations
collage miniatures by J A Dixon
within a 6×6-inch size limit
“Tiny Art” fundraiser to benefit
Art Center of the Bluegrass