Drowning in Pink


Saffron Skies

I find myself drowning in pink. I recently finished a new altered book/wall hanging, Saffron Skies, which was packed with frills of light pink darkening to magenta. And now I’m working on a book called Dream of Orchids which is also filled with pink . . . and violet, yellow, hints of orange, and white. This book is going to be similar in structure to Anatomy of Paradise. You can see some of the orchids I made in the picture below.

Right now my tiny work area is covered in beautiful scraps of pinkish and yellowish paper, and there are pink inks and crayons and oil pastels lying around. It’s such a lovely mess, that I almost hate to clean it up. But I will. I need to make room for green so I can start working on the tendrils, leaves, and vines that my orchids will dangle from.

Today was my first day of work, and although the thought of going back to work is somewhat depressing, I enjoyed seeing my colleagues and felt that familiar rush of energy and excitement that getting ready for the new school year always brings to me — even as I’m sad by the loss of my “art time.” I got home around four, and continued working on my book, and before I knew it, it was 8:00 p.m. already! The time goes by so fast, and I have so much that I want to do.

But going to back to work also tends to make me more efficient in some ways. I have to make more productive use of each minute and really multi-task. So I write a blog entry while the paint is drying, and I eat a sandwich while the glue sets, and I take a break when all the pinkness is done and watch some TV with my son. Then I clean up and get started again until my eyelids just get too heavy and I know it’s time for bed.

7 thoughts on “Drowning in Pink

  1. can you tell me how do you make those flowers?
    I create altered books and would be very interested in making some for covers.. or try a wall hanging.. what do you paint the pages with?

  2. Thanks for leaving the comments on my blog, Sherry. For the flowers, I use acrylic paints and FW acrylic inks, watercolor crayons, and colored pencils. It would be difficult for me to explain how I make them because I just grab my scissors and start cutting. Sometimes I make a little drawing on a sticky note of what I want, and then when I like it, I use it as a template to make the flowers. For this particular book, I checked out two orchid books from the library to get ideas of different types of orchids and used them as models.

  3. wow, that wall hanging book is amazing, and I’m not just saying that because pink is my favourit colour! 🙂 Isn’t it great that you can take pictures of your workspace and keep, so that lovely messes can be kept but still cleaned away?

  4. Karen, I’ve been just fortunate to get into your site and as an art historian, I have to say, I find your work not only interesting but innovating, and moving. O
    bviously with an influence of dadaist art -almost surreal-, you’ve had the sesibility of mixing literature with the ansamblage of readymade objects and conceptual art. I would like to know, if the books you have chosen to elaborate eache piece, have a relation with the collages or the dolls in your work…

    Here, in my coutry, Mexico, this work has never been done, and as a performer myself I’m intrested in the interaction and the feedback that artistic expressions can to bring one an other…

    Thank you for your attention.

    Fernanda Oaxaca

  5. I love your work,especially the “weird art” as your sister called it. I’ve been aching to create some weird pieces myself. The word phantasmorgorical keeps popping into my head. Thanks for inspiring me to create that which is both weird and wonderful!

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