A Final Word on The Circus

I cannot believe after all my "I Now Love the Circus" rants I forgot to upload my finished circus pages! I made 28 5" x 5" all-original front-and-back pages for The Faerie Zine's Circus Fat Book page swap, hosted by Lisa Kettell http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com. It was possibly the fastest 28 pages have ever come together, and I was kind of bummed when they were done-and especially that I ran out of vintage supplies. But, I had just the right amount to do the pages. Some have removeable ringmaster tags; some have vintage tickets and popcorn bags, as you can see. Each one is different and as colorful as possible. I can hardly wait to get this book back, although it will likely be August before I see the finished product.

Some New Art & A Little More Circus

Although I have a gazillion specific projects due, from book reviews to hand-made book pages, I just wanted to play last night. Okay, so my idea of playing on Friday night is staying home in the basement and maybe getting pizza delivered. But, it also means getting paint all over and making art. I figured I'd better try some techniques from Art & Soul before I unlearn them. So "Fashion Victim" was created on an 11 x 14 canvas out of acrylic paint, magazine collage, marker and beeswax a la Anne Grgich. The entire canvas is covered with bits of paper before painting and making into something else. Oh yeah, the entire canvas is also covered with glue, lots of glue. That is her technique, in fact, to make an color-washed "ice rink" to move around the papers by mixing coffee with cream and PVA glue. You can use the glue to protect images you want to keep, and then paint or collage over the rest. Then the glue dries clear, and voila! There are your images again.

The 8 x 10 painted canvas is called "Spring in My Soul." I just love bright colors and wanted to try a sponging technique as well as granular gel medium to make the flowering trees. The garden stroller might be me; haven't decided. Her dress is paint, collage, charcoal, gel pen, tissue paper, beeswax and a piece of a vintage earring. I can't explain it. I just like it.

The next art adventure, making circus book pages, had to wait until today. Some more circus ephemera arrived in the mail, including more vintage popcorn bags and tickets- enough to make 28 all-original 5" x 5" book pages for The Faerine Zine's circus book. I took a break in the middle of those to inspect my outside flowers and take some pictures. Have to find a suitable spot for some outdoor prom pictures tonight. Must plan ahead, as 17-year-old boys are not patient.

Circus, Circus, Even More Circus News!

This beautiful, soft-cover, perfect-bound book-magazine is now available from the lovely Imaginator Lisa Kettell at her website and blog http://www.moonfairesworld.com or http://thefaeriezine.blogspot.com. Naturally, I would have to call to your attention the headline at the bottom middle proclaiming my "circus exploration."

Besides my article, you can expect: artwork by Stef Morgante, Donna Howard and The Two Pixies; articles on Rudolph Valentino, The Romance of Paris, Moulin Rouge and Other Follies; the Victorians of Cape May, pirates of the Atlantic, Peeps: A Candy Sensation; Port Fairy, Australia; Southern Belles; Creole Style; Cupcakes: the New Dessert Rage; The Secrets of Marie Antoinette, Part One; Mermaids and Seaside Pageants; and a free China Doll Collage Sheet for your projects. My article was inspired after researching and writing the circus post of May 11, just below this one. If, like me, you didn't get your fill of circus as a child, you'll want to order this zine!

Meanwhile, coincidentally (cue the "Twilight Zone" music if you are old enough), the same day I wrote the post I learned on the 11 p.m. news that the International Circus Hall of Fame had barely escaped severe fire damage.

According to the Web site for Channel 21 WPTA in Fort Wayne, IN., "An historic building in Peru, Indiana was in jeopardy after flames engulfed an adjacent structure. Grant Home Furnishings in Peru caught fire just before 5:30 Saturday evening. The store is located on Broadway downtown next to the historic Circus City Festival Arena. People were evacuated safely from both buildings...no injuries reported.The north wall of the circus building has sustained some damage. Circus operators are assessing that damage to see if the first performance can go on as planned in July." The news continued to say that volunteers started to rally immediately to repair the circus quarters. Thank goodness!

My Life Really is A Circus

Never has my blog banner been more appropriate! Although I haven't run off and joined yet, it does seem as if my life has been revolving around the circus lately. The most exciting news, of which I am just a teeny tiny part, is that art friend Lisa Kettel http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com/ is having her art book, Art Circus, published by Quarry Books (see cover above). It has a real ISBN number 1592534872 and ISBN-13 978-1592534876 and can be found on Amazon! I think she's arrived. Did I mention a piece of my art is in the book? I didn't? Well, I AM IN THE BOOK!

I've been published a few times before: poetry, crochet (editing) and a small piece of artwork in Never Forgotten, published unexpectedly by ZNE http://www.zneart.com/, but THIS is the big deal. I was invited by Lisa to be in the book, which was an incredible opportunity, and I created a piece of art specifically for Lisa for the book and as a gift to her. What is it, you ask? You'll just have to BUY THE BOOK!

I did not know at the time the book would be called Art Circus, although coincidentally, Lisa started a handmade/non-published book of original art in her Flickr group, The Faerie Zine, that is also circus-related.

Since I had signed up for that, which entails creating 28 original pages, front and back, 5" x 5", I started looking for circus ephemera. This led me to vendor night at Art & Soul in Hampton, VA recently where I scored some collage sheets, a vintage ad and some old and colorful popcorn bags (shown above).

Today I happened to find in an antique mall a coffee table circus book that I thought I would cut up for collage materials since it was not old or valuable. However, I started reading and was just sucked in, and now I could never cut it up! I had forgotten all about Indiana's colorful history with the circus! The city of Peru (pronounced Pee-roo), about 45 minutes south of my home, has long been known as Circus City USA and is now home to the International Circus Hall of Fame. the authors interviewed descendants of a number of circus families and performers who had their heyday in the late 1800s. I also discovered the book was published by the Indiana Historical Society.

According to the book, at one point Peru, IN boasted three thousand acres for circus winter quarters, five full circuses which together were larger than the Ringling Brothers' enterprise, 500 employees and a calliope manufacturing firm. More than 50 elephants were kept over the winters in Peru as well as other exotic animals. Other fascinating information can be found at the Circus Hall of Fame Web site, http://www.circushof.com/

The book also details the evolution of circus travel from foot (known as 'mud shows') to rail (the most successful) and now truck. I also learned there was a large circus company in Rochester, IN, even closer to home. Having been a writer at the local newspaper for several years, I have no idea how I did not know this!

In truth, the circus has never interested me until now. I also shied away from county fairs, amusement parks and the like, viewing them, due to lack of understanding, as dirty and dangerous. Clowns never really interested me as a child, but nor did they frighten me, thank goodness. In fact, I think I found them "creepier" as an adult. That has changed somewhat, after learning of the necessary training and education required to be a true clown that two different business colleagues, Tom Morrical and Pam Griffin, have gone through for their after-hours craft. It is most definitely a skill, with particular protocols.

And so, while I can hardly wait to get my hands on Art Circus, I think I might also be paying a visit to Circus City Days in Peru this year, July 12-19, see http://www.perucircus.com/circus_city_festival.asp for info. Ladies and gentlemen, c'mon down!