Beat the Clock

I have yet to meet an artist who doesn’t work right up to the deadline, including myself. There must be something about the added element of working against the clock that helps us squeeze out every last little bit of creativity. And, it can’t be denied that finishing a project under the wire feels just that much more satisfying. It’s almost the same sensation as finishing a race; you can’t tell if you’re happier for your accomplishment, or just happy to not be running anymore.

Last night I had one of those experiences. For the third year in a row, I found myself working on my submission for the MAWA annual fundraising art auction on the night before the due-date. I’ve known about it since last year, but that didn’t stop me from once again procrastinating myself into a night-before frenzy of cutting and gluing.

Thankfully, this year’s pieces came together surprisingly fast, thanks to a few well-chosen* bits of vintage ephemera and a last-minute burst of inspiration. Some collages have been known to put up a fight, but these ones just kinda fell into place. I was feeling so cocky, that I even had time to throw together a third.

I will post pics of my two MAWA pieces, plus the “bonus” one, later this week. Until then, here’s a sneak peek at one of them, taken at midnight in the abysmal lighting of my living room. One day, I will have a sun-drenched loft studio, but until then I will work at the coffee table while watching the telly and you will have to put up with grainy, low-light shots taken on my Blackberry.


Detail of "In Her New Position", vintage images and text.



* Oh, who am I kidding? I ran downstairs to my scary craft room on a commercial break and grabbed the first 5 things that caught my eye. Thank goodness the first 5 things were a vintage touch-typing book, 2 vintage postcards, vintage Mother’s Day card and a vintage pattern envelope. Had I looked to the left instead of the right, things could have gone horribly wrong.