How often does a garage sale totally rock your world? Hmmm, pretty much never. But when a Bay Area artist I admire announced a moving sale I knew I had to drag my butt to Berkeley.
Michael Cutlip, a popular collage artist, combines paint and paper to create bold, colorful work that often includes unexpected elements that make his work unique. His email said he was moving to Hawaii so the sale promised to be a major purge of studio goodies.
I was not disappointed. Immediately, I was drawn to the far corner of the garage where jumbo plastic baggies were packed with paper scraps, random ephemera, vintage dress patterns, blueprints, and even huge sheets of paper printed with bingo cards. Score! I couldn't wait to get back to the studio.
Hours later, lost in a pile of scraps, I had glued and painted my way to a whole new creative direction; a new color palette and a style that embraces more open space. Once again, I am reminded that inspiration can happen at any moment.
