Tuesday, July 9, 2024

everything is potential collage material

"You learn nothing from success", says George Clooney, most successful guy on Earth.

Nothing? You learn what success is, which looks quite nice... 
But point taken. "Try lots of things and make mistakes," as my librarian friend said.

Look: I failed to carve recognizable sew-on snaps on lino.
I pulled one print, just to see.
Yep, FAIL.
Then I drew eyes with a marker, and now it's "Planets Share Secrets" or something.

What I learned:
Carving a block is reductive, you can't add to the block... but you can add to individual prints--by hand, later.
Everything is potential collage material.

Clooney showed up on my IG feed after I'd been texting a friend about daring to FAIL in printmaking... To keep trying to print sewing notions, which are hard, rather than going back to bears, which are easy (relatively).

I'd also seen Clooney when I rewatched Gravity (2013) the night before, but that was on DVD, so the Socials wouldn't know. Would they?

Heh. THE SOCIALS KNOW ALL.

How come some systems work so well it's scary, and others can barely manage the minimum?
Like, how come Amazon delivers our every whim to our door  within 24 hours, driving by people living in tents to get me my doohickeys,
and meanwhile the US presidential race is a malfunctioning Clown Car?

I don't follow politics but some of it is unmissable, and I do think Biden should step down from the race.
You got a print image that doesn't work?
Mix it up. Tear it up. Try something else!

Concerns about Biden's age aside, some young people especially hate him for his handling of Israel enough to not-vote for him. 

UPDATE, to clarify: I worry that Biden might lose to Trump because he’s lost people’s confidence with his frighteningly poor performance in the debate and he’s alienated otherwise sympathetic voters over Israel. 

I'll vote against Trump no matter what, even if Biden were completely gaga—but plenty won’t

I hear a lot of people saying they won’t vote at all. 
(Trump's hardline pro-Israel anyway, no improvement there, though he rightly says they are "losing the PR war".
No kidding.
What if they'd let the horrific Hamas terror attacks of October sink into the world's consciousness for a good while longer?)

Maybe the Democrats should learn from strategies in the UK's and France's recent victories:
"The winning parties in both the UK and France won by realizing that the nature of their systems required that they
sacrifice some specific candidates in order to defeat the right."

--via Vox, "The real lesson for America in the French and British elections", July 8, 2024.

I guess I do follow politics, a little:
my primary sources are mostly bink (in person) and Orange Crate Art--then I do look up specific things.
_________________________

bink made a print on Sunday too--a terrier (of course) in a beret, holding a coffee mug--based on graffiti she saw in Spain:

11 comments:

  1. Prints looking interesting...keep at it!

    Biden may be getting older...but factor in jet lag, a cold..an ex- stammerer...and the orange one's tactics...
    We need him to save us from the orange one.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I added an update to the op, to clarify that I’m not talking about my personal judgment of Biden but my fear that Biden won’t save us from Trump because of his terrible performance in the debate, plus how angry people are about Israel.
      People around me have lost confidence in him —
      and some dislike him enough to not-vote for anyone.

      Delete
    2. Would a fresh candidate be more likely to beat Trump? I don’t know—but they might—they might activate a little hope in people who otherwise won’t vote

      Delete
  2. The problem is, same as here, is that any of the alternative candidates for any party are just not well known enough. Also have probably been sidelined...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, GZ—we’re in a pickle!

      Delete
    2. Possibly V.p. Kamala Harris, if she’d distance herself from Biden? Oh I know she’s not exactly popular… But if she came on with a fresh message?
      I don’t know…
      Heaven help us!

      Delete
  3. Your print looks like a Finnish design for fabric- I love it, without the eyes. I especially love the color.
    Bink's design of course is fabulous!
    I would vote for a shoe if it would prevent fascist theocracy. Biden is NOT looking good, not just the Gaza stance or the "debate" , his brain farts are many. Not great to have him Brain farting in front of the camera all the damned time BUT he has been a great president , as policies/environmental concerns- that sort...four more years , though...Dismal. Vote Blue and vote often...haha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also If Kamala were to debate the orange phlegm, she would shred him.

      Delete
    2. Finnish fabric--that's a high compliment--thank you, Linda Sue!
      I love the orange too.
      Definitely any Democrat would be a shoe-in for me. Biden has been good--I'd be fine with a second term, even... just worry about his electability...
      Kamala could do it.

      Delete
  4. I, a primary source? I better watch myself.

    Robert Reich has some suggestions for what to do in these perilous times, one of which is to vote for the Democratic candidate for president, whoever it is. No not voting, no third parties.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Luckily, you do watch yourself, Michael---you are a good source, with footnotes and links. Thanks!
      Reich is right,
      but not everyone is so reasonable...

      Delete