quick update butterfly effect 3 analogue collage sharmon davidson

Butterfly Effect 3 is a hand-cut collage with mixed media, 15 x 12 inches in size. The substrate is a vintage atlas cover, and I used a world map for the bottom layer for the collage. Other materials include vintage map and book pages, an old engineering school blueprint, a luna moth wing I made from a map along with one I painted, and hand stitching. You may or may not know that the term “butterfly effect” refers to the delicately interconnected balance of everything in the universe. You can read more about that on this previous post.

JUNE, 2022

“Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity…” ~ Dorothea Tanning

Still Here

Hello again, my friends. I know it’s been a very long time since I’ve written a post. There are many reasons for this. Life has been unusually challenging lately, both in a personal sense and in the broader sense of – well – everything else.

Looked at another way, it could be my attitude that’s changed. Maybe I need an attitude adjustment – or just a vacation. But, whatever the cause, I haven’t gotten it together to write a complete post, though there are many drafts floating around the back end of my website.

However, throughout this writing lapse, I have continued to make art. To put it simply, making art is the only thing that seems to keep me sane in these crazy times. So this post is a quick update to let you know that I’m still here, and show you a bit of what I’ve been doing.

Short and Sweet

I’ve long suspected that part of the reason (maybe a big part) I’m so hesitant to write a post is that I actually put too much into them. Too much work, too much research, too much time, and far too much worry. If it didn’t seem like such a monumental task, I probably wouldn’t keep putting it off. So, I’m going to try to keep this post short and sweet.

quick update time's up collage detail little girl

Time’s Up, detail

My new collage, Time’s Up, is part of the “Ordinary Goddesses” series, which explores the roles and treatment of women in society. Click here to read more about this series and how it began. This is one of three pieces of my work included in the SOS Art 2022: Art for Peace and Justice. This is the 5th year I’ve participated in this hugely inspiring exhibition featuring over 100 artists using art as expressions for peace and social change. Watch the video below to find out more about this nonprofit organization and their many wonderful projects.

quick update time's up analogue collage sharmon davidson

Time’s Up, collage and mixed media, 12 x 19 inches

Updated

I’ve written more than once before about recycling, refurbishing, or reworking old artwork. Most often, pieces that have been around a while that haven’t sold, or that I’m not satisfied with, get torn up for collage fodder. But sometimes I liked them well enough to keep them, intending to come back to them when I had a better idea. Recently, I got some of these out to see if I could rework them. Here are the results.