Stained-glass that is made of paper

What if you have artwork with the brightness of stained-glass on an interior wall? And what if it could be made with lightweight paper instead of heavy glass? My monoprint collage Cosmos has the look of a modern stained-glass window, with blues and oranges that make me think of Marc Chagall.

Vertical monoprint collage globe transformation blues orange stained glass cyanotype vintage maps Elizabeth Busey 36 x 24 inch
Cosmos. Monoprint collage with cyanotypes and vintage maps, 36 x 24 in, $900 ($1,300 framed)

This collage was inspired by stained-glass.

To create Cosmos, I modified a huge 36 x 24  inch monoprint plate I had used for other collages. I took away half of the lines, allowing large pieces of my collage elements to be viewed. I limited myself to three tones of blue, plus some white and a hint of orange. The pattern is a global projection that is usually viewed horizontally, but I decided to place it vertically, as with most stained-glass windows.

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Art Awakens Memories

Travel can be limited these days. Thankfully, art awakens memories. My latest monoprint collage series considers reflecting memories. I use a matrix that evokes the shape of skyscraper buildings with numerous windows to create artwork that encourages memory of other places and times.

Vertical monoprint collage reflections skyscraper building pinks blush sunrise cyanotype vintage maps Elizabeth Busey 24 x 18 inch
After the Torrent. Monoprint collage with cyanotypes. 24 x 18 in.
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Art for when you can’t travel

Can’t travel this summer? Art can have a transformative effect on your surroundings and therefore your mental health. Remembering past travels or dreaming about future trips can lift your mood and brighten your day. My latest suite of monoprint collages considers the beautiful destinations of our world and captures them along with patterns in nature, thanks to images I’ve taken on past travels.

Fibonacci pattern monoprint collage with cyanotypes and vintage maps of England by Elizabeth Busey. 18 x 18 inch. Prussian blues oranges nature patterns
Lucent. Monoprint Collage. 18 x 18in. $475 ($575 framed)
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Creation as Meditation

“This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.”

This is My Song
Lyrics by Lloyd Stone (with a third stanza by Georgia Harkness)
Sung to the tune Finlandia from a tone poem by Jean Sibelius
©Elizabeth Busey. This is my song. Monoprint collage, 12 x 12 in. ($350, $450 framed)
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Creating amidst crises

Creating amidst crises can either be cathartic or impossible. My crises actually started before the current novel coronavirus. In early February, my husband was suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor, and within a week he had surgery to have it removed. Rare, but benign, I guess you could say we won the brain tumor lottery. Could I create anything during a month of worry and caregiving. Not at all.

Getting your creative groove back is something I have spent some time considering. Read some suggestions here. A month after his surgery, I spent time looking at old work in my flat files, and came across a multiple block woodcut I created while a student at Indiana University in 2009. Our prompt was another worrying pandemic — the novel H1N1 virus, nicknamed Bird Flu

Goose Girl in the Time of Flu. Multiple block woodcut, 18 x 18in approx.
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Breaking the rules yet again

When you begin to learn about printmaking at a university, there are many rules. Some are for safety — avoid catching your hand under the press roller, don’t splash the acid, etc. You also learn how to create an edition where each print should be virtually identical. Use wheat paste for chine collé (collage) work. More rules…

If I am honest, I have been enjoying printmaking so much more, now that I’m breaking the rules.

Efflorescence. Monoprint collage, 18 x 18in, $475.
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Is this still printmaking?

As I consider what work to include in an upcoming printmaking exhibit, I do start to wonder if my work is still considered printmaking. I’m no longer as interested in creating things in editions. I’m reveling in being able to create one of something — with my successes and mistakes confined to a single work. But the question is still there. Consider my latest monoprint collage, Aeon.

Aeon. Monoprint Collage, 18 x 18in, $475 ($575 framed)
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Coaxing emotion out of color and shape

Do you ever get a feeling simply from the color or shape of something? Sanctum (below) came about as I mused about what made me feel supported and renewed. Relying on a Voronoi diagram matrix, I employed both color and shape to explore these emotions. (New readers: You can learn more about my obsession with Voronoi diagrams and art here.)

Elizabeth Busey. Sanctum. Monoprint collage. 18 x 18in, $475 ($575 framed.)

I purposefully used the structure in different ways. Some were familiar polygons, and others more angular.  I can see several  examples from nature that are evoked by these elements. But I’d rather not influence your reactions.

What do you see?

Open Studios — in case you missed it

Opening my studio is one of the best parts of making art. As a member of the Bloomington Open Studios Tour collaborative, I open my studio to guests once a year. In case you missed it, here are some highlights. A very special THANK YOU to painter Dawn Adams, who took these images.

Mary Uthuppuru and guests having way too much fun.

My studio is in my home, a vintage 1976 four-level home. We transform our living room to a gallery space. This year I was joined by printmaker and book artist Mary Uthuppuru. The inclusion of 3D work and her infectious enthusiasm was a valuable addition to the weekend.

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