Friday, August 17, 2012

every teacher should be a taxidermist














new collages made on rescued book covers

18 comments:

  1. Hello Jen:
    These collages are so quirky and such fun. Have spent many long years in classrooms, the taxidermist teacher has a particular appeal.

    The quotations are really intriguing, one cannot help but ponder on where they came from, and the collages are mounted so beautifully with a real eye for colour and composition. Perfect!

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  2. Dear Jane and Lance--

    The quotes are from antiques spellers and readers (that were falling apart). The taxidermy ad was from an antique bird journal.

    Thank you for your kind words--they are great fun to make!

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  3. Replies
    1. That's the way I think of them--visual poems.

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  4. I'm so predictable. I went back to study the cat collage. It's charming and wonderful!

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    1. Thank you! I'm going to make a donkey one to tease Shelley.

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  5. That's wonderful. I can imagine how you enjoy it. And it is useful ...!!

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    1. I get completely lost in them. Of the many creative things I've done, this is the most purely enjoyable.

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  6. But should all taxidermists also be teachers?

    To me that's always been the real question.

    xo jane

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    1. Always? You are such a deep thinker! The line in the ad that taxidermy is a "fascinating and profitable art" has me thinking that all artists should be taxidermists.

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  7. Beautiful collages Jen, I can't decide which one I like best. OK, all.

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  8. Hello, I just found and joined your blog via the perceptive comment you left on Hattatt about their adventures in the factory. Your nature photos are incredible, and I am looking forward to future installments.

    I like the humor backed by serious purpose in these collages. At first I thought the ad was from the Norman Bates School of Taxidermy, but after looking closer, I will know what to suspect when someone says "I went to Northwestern".
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Welcome--thank you for stopping by, and for you amusing comment. We like to have fun around here.

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  9. i don't read blogs on weekends so i'm glad i thought to click on your link. so lovely to see your work. and of course i'm thrilled at working on old hardback covers.

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  10. These are so much fun! I love the mix of texture, color, words, etc. I like the ragged edges where the covers were removed from the books and the extra bits of seeds and string. I have been making collage bookmarks out of vintage images and words.

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  11. Love these, I've beeen covering notebooks for my christmas stock at my craft fairs. Julie xxx

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  12. i love these collages of yours. and i love seeing the progression. i have an idea.....i think an office, or a guest room, or a powder room should be papered in them. floor to ceiling. they are compact and dense with content and i would love to sit and stare at a wall of them.

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