Art I'm Making: Untitled Collage No. 315 (Santa Rosa)

Here's another recent collage, a very small one. This is Untitled Collage No. 315 (Santa Rosa). June 12, 2025. Acrylic on paper, acrylic monotype, found paper (braille fragment), collage. Image size 6.9cm x 8.6cm (2.7in x 3.4in). Matted to 11 x 14 inches. Signed on the mat. Signed and dated on the reverse.

For more of my abstract monotype collage work, visit my website at http://ctalcroft.wix.com/collage-site/ or you can purchase my recently published book commemorating ten years of working in the collage medium – Colin Talcroft: Abstract Monotype Collage: 2103–2023 (ISBN 979-8-218-37717-5). Available on the website.

Elsewhere, my work can be seen through Calabi Gallery in Santa Rosa (sadly, now online only), Hammerfriar Gallery in Healdsburg, and at the Ren Brown Collection in Bodega Bay or at my studio, by appointment. 

Serendipitous art: Chinatown security fence

I saw this security fence in front of a closed shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. Looked like art to me. Unintended art. Serendipitous art. 

For more serendipitous art, see my Serendipitous Art blog at serendipitous art.com. 

Rain: More mid-November rain

Over the last couple of days we've had more rain. Checking the rain gauge this morning (November 16), I see 1.75 inches of new rain. That brings our total so far for the current rain year to 4.95 inches. 

[Edit: As of November 26 we've had another 1.3 inches of rain on and off bringing the total at my location now to 6.25 inches.]

Art I'm Looking At: Color prints at the Legion of Honor

After seeing the Manet & Morrison show at the Legion of honor earlier this week, I looked into the side gallery on the first floor always used for small shows of prints and book arts from the collection of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, this one called 'Printing Color: Chiaroscuro to Screen print'. 

As the title suggests, it's a survey of color printmaking. Here are a couple of pieces I particularly liked. These shows are easy to miss but almost always worthwhile.

From top to bottom: Erich Heckel. 'Portrait of a Man,' 1919. Color woodcut with monotype printing on paper; Jasper Johns. 'Bushbaby,' 2004. Color spit-bite aquatint and soft ground etching on paper; Loretta Bennett. 'Forever (for Old Lady Sally), 2006. Color soft ground etching and spit-bite aquatint on paper; Wayne Thiebaud. 'Paint Cans,' 1990. Color lithograph with lithographic crayon and colored pencil; Alex Katz. 'The Green Cap,' 1985. Color woodcut printed on handmade Tosa Kozo paper

Art I'm Looking At: Open Studios at Atelier One, Graton

Despite having virtually no wall space left for art, I acquired a piece by Claude Smith yesterday at the Atelier One open studio event in Graton. It's a piece I've had my eye on for a couple of years, actually. Very pleased to give it a new, permanent home. I'll find a spot for it somewhere. 

I visited the studios of many friends and acquaintances and met a few people for the first time as well. I always enjoy seeing what fellow artists in the area are up to. I even learned something about yoga. Recommended. The event is on again today, Sunday, November 16. And don't miss Gina Kuta's pottery studio across the street from the main studio building.