We are new members of the Cape May Artists Cooperative!

We are showing all repurposed artwork with an emphasis on using discarded books.  We have turned them into floating bookshelves, lamps, vases, wall displays, miniature book houses, jewelry and even a set of napkin rings!  This is our first try at setting up our display and I'm sure it will continue to evolve over time.

Jeffrey and I are making artwork together for this endeavor and are having a great time collaborating!

We just set up our booth this morning.

Come visit the gallery and enjoy the work of 17 other local artists!

Something fishy...

I made this today.  It started out as an idea for a mobile with some chimes, but after playing with lots of different materials and ideas I settled on this.  I love the process of discovering what I am going to make and how it takes me by surprise sometimes.  I found the fish barbecue rack at my thrift store, brought it home and just started attaching metal things to it.  Only certain pieces worked.  There are keys, single earrings, random hardware, a tin whistle and a jingle bell. This is not a haphazard arrangement - it is a very deliberate one, but I love that it looks like it just washed up on the beach as it is, all weathered and messy.  It was fun to use things from my stash that I have had for years - I finally figured out why I have been saving them.   The creative process is so satisfying - it nourishes my soul.  I laughed when I finished it.  I think I'll have fish for dinner to celebrate!

Art-o-mat

Several years ago I discovered an old cigarette machine at the Whitney Museum that vends art, instead of cigarettes.  It is in the gift shop and requires the purchase of a special token for $7.50 to use it.  After pulling the knob, you receive an original piece of artwork the exact size of a package of cigarettes.  These machines are located in arts institutions and museums throughout the country.  Last year I submitted these small assemblages in solid color tones for consideration in the program.  They were accepted and I became an official Art-o-mat artist!  This is a photograph of the fifty finished pieces that went into the re-purposed   machines all over the country.  Each one was packaged in a box that was labeled "Object Lessons" by Penelope Cake.  They are all sold out now, so I plan to make a whole new batch but I need more solid colored random pieces of junk to finish them.  Any donations would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!