Neurotically Zen: September 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Finally, the book is Finnished...

The printers now have all of the files and they are busy making a physical proof for me to give the OK, so I thought I would upload some of the pages for everyone to see. Please let me know what you think.

If you have already ordered the book and/or artwork, you should expect them in the mail as soon as I get them. For those of you who ordered a complete PDF and soundfiles, I will be sending you instructions on how to view it.

Signed, edition copies of the book with CD insert are still available for $30 plus shipping and handling ($5 in the US), but I am happy to say they are going quick, only a handful of copies left. PDFs of the entire book and mp3s of recorded stories in the Rauma dialect are available for $10. You can order through Paypal or send a personal check. If you want to order with a check, please contact me through my homepage www.ronlsaunders.com or from the link on the right.

From Rauma Blog

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Rauma in New York

We are getting ready for another lecture tomorrow at the Newfield Fire Hall in Newfield, NY. We will be talking about the newest collages made which were inspired by our sojourn in Finland. We will be bringing many of the collages that were made while in Finland. Also, this lecture will be the first time people will have a chance to see pages of the book. All of the design is finalized and has been sent to prepress. With any luck, we should be getting a proof in the mail before the end of September. Once this happens, Mackenzie and I (and a few other lucky people) will have a chance to look it over, making sure there are no errors and verifying the color accuracy. After that, it will be printed, and then, finally mailed off to anyone who ordered it.

Just a reminder to those who are interested, there are copies are still available, but I'm excited to say that most have already been sold. It’s a great opportunity to own a book for your coffee table that doubles as a limited edition artwork (125 copies). This artwork is different, though. Instead of just a simple edition print, you get a signed, full color 56 page book, and it’s the same price as a print, $40.00. In a few days I will post some of the pages so you have chance to see the work.

I am still very inspired by my time in Finland; the landscape, the culture, and the people continue to fill my mind with an insatiable creative drive. I plan to continue this work through the winter, but at the same time, the Finger Lakes Autumn season is beginning, and the trees are beginning to change. It is such a beautiful time of year in and around Elmira, even though the Goldenrod is giving me the sniffles. In the end, my current work may be a result of memories of Finland merged with the wonderful landscape of the region, particularly the rolling hills and old architecture.

With that, I leave you with two images of Mackenzie and I, one taken of us at the lecture in Elmira at the Steele Memorial Library on September the 8th, and one taken 5 minutes before we left Rauma (we literally had to run to the bus stop to catch our bus to Helsinki).

From Rauma Blog

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Library lecture

Last Wednesday, the OIC held a lecture for the public at the Steel Memorial Library. Along with the information provided about their Raumars Artist Program experience, attendees took a survey at the end of the talk. Also during the meeting at the library the OIC invited collaborators to work back into images from Rauma, Finland. These images were pre-edited for content using a porous white ground. Collaborators could turn these images in at the end of the night or take them home to complete them at a later time. Collaborators could then return finished art pieces to the OIC or frame and hang them in their home. Two pieces were returned at the end of the night, many were taken away. We look forward to seeing these art works as they materialize, regardless of physical ownership.

Below are some examples of works waiting for a collaborator... Anyone out there see potential in any of these? Anything you'd like to add? Let us know. The Office of International Cooperation looks forward to working with you.

Sunset at Syvarauma Bay (unfinished) 11"X 14.6"

From Rauma Blog

Our Boat (unfinished) 11"X 14.6"

From Rauma Blog

Repairing the Damage (unfinished 11"X14.6"

From Rauma Blog

Rauma Old Town (unfinished) 11"14.6"

From Rauma Blog

A second presentation will be held at the monthly Finger Lakes Finns meeting in Newfield Fire Hall, Newfield, NY on Saturday the 19th of September at 1pm.

http://www.fingerlakesfinns.org/events/index.htm

View Newfield Fire Department in a larger map

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Latest Collage Work

This is embellished modification of a personal postcard image made into an 8" X 10" work mounted on paper from Rauma. The windows in the old town have some of the most amazing and original carpentry I've ever seen, rivaling the old Victorian architecture of Elmira.

The problem... everyone in Finland has a sauna.

Window Shopping, 2010
Korean Hanji, Lace, and Photocollage on Rauma Paper
8"X10"

From Rauma Blog

This collage is composed of images taken from Helsinki and Rauma. I was trying to capture the quick transition from Winter to Spring in Finland.

Bloom, 2010
Digital Print, Ink, Wallpaper, and Acrylic on Finished Masonite
18"X18"

From Rauma Blog

This Beautiful Seagull, 2010
Acrylic, Spray Enamel, Decal Paper, Photocollage, and Plastic on Finished Masonite
16"X18"

From Rauma Blog

The Mark Twain painting is finally done.

Well, it's been a year in the making but it's finally finished. Last year, I was asked by the Center For Mark Twain Studies to design the 2009 Christmas card, and was invited to stay in Mark Twain's Summer home and I was inspired. There has been a lot of stop and goes with this, but I'm finally happy with the apocalyptic, atmospheric vibe.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain's death in 1910. I wanted to create a universal likeness of him in front of an apocalyptic background. The purple funnel cloud appears to have devastating properties, but upon closer inspection a bolt of light representing Halley's comet breaks through the chaos. It is unclear whether Mark Twain is coming or going.
(cue Space Oddity by David Bowie)

Legacy (The Exaggeration), 2010
Acrylic, Spray Enamel, Korean Hanji, Plastic, and Ink on Masonite
24"X9"

From Rauma Blog