Listening to the Cosmos

Mixed media collage with both hand printed and commercially printed elements - Listening to the Cosmos.

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

I visited the Very Large Array a couple of years ago, and this kind of captures the idea. I have not heard much from the cosmos myself. God is very quiet sometimes but maybe that’s because I drone on and on and have put Him to sleep.

It’s possible.

Despite God’s not so unusual silence, I must say my life has been remarkably blessed of late. Kindness and gentleness are bewitching, and I’m drawn like a bee to a blossom. While my own nimbus is probably about as distorted as this one, I still manage to keep it up around my head.

Life is good and getting better every day.

Read more at Listening to the Cosmos.

Head in the Clouds

Head in the Clouds is a mixed media collage that uses moth hand printed and commercially printed materials including great pictures of blue sky and clouds.

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

Yellow again. Crazy!

I started this piece because I had kind of connected with this photo of some clouds, but it wasn’t big enough, so I trotted down to Ed McKay’s Used Books and picked up a book on clouds, so you may see more of them.

I’m kind of a “head in the clouds” these days anyway. Who knew after so much trauma over the past year that I would see my life turn around so remarkably? I’m in a really great place, and it’s amazing. OK, back to reality.

This piece has linocuts as well as commercially printed stuff. colored pencil, and dots of course. I still need them, but feeling safer every day so maybe someday I won’t need them so much.

You can read more about this piece - Head in the Clouds - and like almost everything else, it’s for sale so don’t hesitate to ask about that.

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

I had a good time with this piece, which I did in honor of a friend. And of course, there’s Frankie Valli, so what’s not to love?

This piece features a lot of eyes, and with the abundance of green and blue eye shadow, it will probably not surprise you that they are of a 1960’s ilk. The whole piece has a sort of retro vibe with its array of aqua and green tints mixed with a yellow ochre.

Besides the printmade pieces and the 60’s eyes, there are shoes from a book about shoes, a hand from an anatomy book, and lettering taken, oddly enough, from a couple of hip hop magazines. You can read more about it on its gallery page.

Remind Me of My Freedom

Remind Me of My Freedom is a mixed media collage that uses both hand and commercially printed elements, along with colored pencil and acrylic.

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

Freedom is a mysterious thing. So easily taken for granted. This piece is related to the previous one, Curiously Confined. I think I need to be reminded that I have always been free, despite feeling otherwise for so long.

Being free is also really frightening; so many opportunities. But things are changing in my life these days - for the better I might add - and that’s helping me move forward.

I wrote about this piece, and how I used to trim just the right wing of each of my guineas, which caused them to be off balance and unable to fly.

Trimming guinea wings is not for the faint of heart. They resist this process.

I think I need to give more consideration to the whole interconnectedness of freedom and balance. To be continued.

Curiously Confined

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

It’s funny how we are so confined by things of our own choosing. I know most people at some time feel confined by a relationship, but lack the courage to break away. I certainly felt that way. But now that I am looking back on it, I am puzzled by why I didn’t see the writing on the wall, which actually I did but ignored it, and why I lacked the courage to do something about it. Time to put it in the rear view mirror, dimly.

Moving forward has inclined me to think less about the past, and look forward to the future, which is becoming very interesting. Life is good and getting better every day.

Curiously Confined - read more and let me know if you’d like to take it home.

Mellow Yellow

Mixed media collage with both hand and commercially printed elements, colored pencil and acrylic dots

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

What is with me and yellow these days? I almost never use yellow in my work, and all of a sudden there’s yellow all over the place. I wonder what that’s about?

I read the Wikipedia article on the song, Mellow Yellow, which inspired this not so subtle piece of erotica, inasmuch as I do erotica. Really, it’s just mildly naughty when you get to the heart of it.

I was especially pleased to get to use a hand printed Christmas card from my friend, Kit Donnelly, whose card ended up as the legs and feet of my sassy girl.

Back to the yellow thing. I can’t imagine what would cause me to suddenly shift my color palette. I have been a blues and greens person forever. So I Googled color meanings, and yellow stands for happiness, hope, and spontaneity.

Yeah, I see that a lot. Embracing the mellow yellow for real.

You can read more about this piece at Mellow Yellow.

Cultural Appropriation

Cultural Appropriation is a mixed media collage that features linocuts that have been hand printed mixed with book and magazine pieces, colored pencil and acrylic.

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

You know, if cultural appropriation had been a thing when I was in high school and college, people would have been all over me because I was constantly crawling around thrift stores and coming home with all kinds of ethnic gack, much to my mother’s chagrin.

It wasn’t that I was trying to offend anyone, except possibly my mother, but it was more that I wondered at and wanted to celebrate all these cool clothes and make them part of my self expression. I guess it’s a good thing I grew up in the 1960s instead of today.

I am part Scottish, so I think the plaid men’s shirts I got from Goodwill the other day are going to be OK, and since I am a small part Swedish according to Ancestry DNA, I am thinking my IKEA furniture is safe. As for the leopard print heels, they made it back to Goodwill, hopefully to fall on an appropriate pair of feet before I get back there.

You can read more about this piece at Cultural Appropriation. You can even buy it.

The Terror of Too Many Choices

Mixed media collage with hand and commercially printed elements, vintage wallpaper,, colored pencil and acrylic - The Terror of Too Many Choices

© Natalie Schorr 2021

I was reading just recently that, when presented with too many choices, people will opt to make no choice at all. That makes no sense to me, but I have a relatively easy time making up my mind on most things.

I wonder if it’s the same with online dating? I signed up with eHarmony. According to their literature, you get presented with new matches daily, but just a few so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Not.

I have had the same 35 matches every day since I joined and I can pretty much tell you that I had no trouble sorting through them and making some quick decisions. Not that they were all losers, but they were definitely not a good fit for me. And to be honest, I am guessing that they felt the same as none of them so much as batted an eye in my direction. But I can’t see what it’s like on the other side, so it could be that the guys are being served a huge number of new gals every day, and hence, the terror of too many choices would apply.

But I kind of doubt it.

Read more on The Terror of Too Many Choices.

What's With the Postcards?

Shout © Natalie Schorr 2021

Shout
© Natalie Schorr 2021

By any chance, have you been receiving some art postcards? Lucky you!

I decided to try something new. After all, I can’t expect anyone to just jump up and find me, so I need to be proactive and put myself - and my work - out there. This thought used to terrify me, but I’m 60 now, my children are grown, and my husband has left me, so I really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Besides, I believe in my work.

I spent some time with Google, being the researcher I was in my earlier life, looking for museums and galleries and curators and advisors I liked, and I compiled a big spread sheet of names and addresses. I love a good spread sheet; it’s oddly comforting.

Then I decided to go old school, and hand wrote a postcard to each person on the list. And then I wrote another. And another. Not asking for anything yet, just sharing my work at this point.

My intention is to find a champion; someone who believes in my work enough to represent me. Someone who is interested in the stories my work tells. But along the way, I’d also really like to have some conversations about art, and feedback. As Tyler Perry says, a hunter only shoots a deer he can see, and I really want to be seen. So… postcards.

My work is different, as my mother frequently points out in that special way only she has. Whether you love it or hate it or don’t understand it, write to me. Let’s have a conversation.

Caught Red-Handed

© Natalie Schorr, 2021

I don’t really know where I was going with this one, but my friend Peggy gave a killer explanation over on Caught Left-Handed.

I kind of like the outfit with all the different patterns, but I know there are those who would break out in hives if they had to wear something so interesting. And I feel for her slightly swollen, red eyes. I think I resemble that more often than not. But I’m making progress toward moving forward, so yay me!

I’m going home to visit for a week. I think I will benefit from some long lunches heavily laced with laughter. There has been little to laugh about here in Georgia, and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon.