There's somethin' about Mary . . .

Mary Haldeman that is. (click her name to see her photostream). I discovered altered art a little over a year ago. I must've been living under a rock, right? Well, it so happened that I discovered it while researching art projects for my K-8th grade students and ran across Artist Trading Cards for the first time. That opened up a whole new world for me - one I don't know how I missed now. I found the Artist Trading Card Workshop book by Bernie Berlin and devoured it over and over again. Mary Haldeman's work stood out to me more than anyone else's. So, if you haven't figured it out by now, she has been the biggest influence on my work. Can you guess how? (being rhetorical) Not in specific imagery but most definitely in the use of color. Her colors melted me, spoke to me, got me excited. I was thinking of her work tonight as I made this piece.

Hope . . .


copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 1/25/09
5 x 7 collage using a black and white vintage image, reprinted, carefully trimmed and hand-colored and arranged with a crown from lisasalteredart.etsy.com and wings from jackandcatcurio, and arranged with original and ribbon trims on a watercolored background.

It is funny that this piece came out of me tonight. I was just etalking with Shellypaints (whose rocket journal page will be mine someday, I swear!) about my thinking I might mute my colors a bit (thus Maude and the Lucky Bug in the earlier post). To be candid, my bright colors don't fit into most decors very well (and don't sell well) and they take away from the vintage feel of the images I use, I know. It is still all a bit of my searching for my artistic voice, what I want to say in my work. The color debate will work itself out, just like the hats and wings when I'm ready.

Mary remains a bit of a mystery to me. I haven't looked lately, but I have in the past and I could never find a blog or bio or website - just her photostream. It frustrates me because I want to stalk her properly, as one would stalk the person whose work made you want to change your life, quit your jobs, and start making art full time.

This piece and many other new pieces will be listed on my Etsy sometime in the next few days. I've been trying to get rid of older work at lower prices, so don't be sticker shocked if you look up the new work. The new pieces are more complicated and taking a lot more time.