I am not fond of flying. I am not fond of a number of modes of transportation. I also do not like enclosed spaces, crowds, wide open spaces, heights…the list goes on.
An internet buddy told me that as one gets older that part of the brain deteriorates. He said that he used to have a fear of flying, but now he’s asleep even before take-off. (I think it’s probably because he’s drunk.) I also have anxiety. Lots and lots of it. This same person says that goes away with age too. I’m still waiting. Perhaps a spike in my frontal lobe will do the trick. I once read a book about a guy who ended up with a railroad spike in his head. He was fine. Or seemed fine. But it was realized that he couldn’t think about the future. Or plan ahead. Which would force that person to stay in the “now”. This is a popular concept. Most recently made even more popular by the Eckhart Tolle book “The Power of Now”. I am not in the Now. I am in the future, past, I’m bouncing all over the place.
The picture above is a collage called “Fear of Flying” I was inspired to do a collage by my sister, who just won third prize for her fabulous collage called “The Future Just Happened”. It is currently on display at the Katonah Museum. I was also inspired by my sister’s good friend and brilliant assemblage and collage artist Jean Tock. Last year she took part in an interesting collage exchange project out of New Zealand. I want to give it a shot this year. The site for it is here: http://outofsight.co.nz/Dale/collage.htm
I hope to do a few more collages this weekend. And then maybe it will be back to watercolor next week. I hope. I am planning on it. Unless I get a spike in my frontal lobe.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
8 comments
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February 14, 2009 at 4:44 am
AKLizzy
Your mix of modern events (US Air) and flight history (Wright Bros) made this piece really dynamic. I especially liked the well-placed birds!
Between you and Mom and Jean, the collage/assemblage art-world is getting a vivacious kick! Very neat!!
And if you have to choose between a frontal lobe spike or say, a tattoo – I’d go with the tat.
February 14, 2009 at 11:48 am
Bonnie Luria
If airplane events of the last two weeks aren’t enough to make you walk wherever you go, I don’t know what is.
Your friend may well be right about caring less as you get older. I think we just don’t have enough emotional stuffing to react and care like we used to ( or still do , but are, waiting…).
Now- I love the elements of this collage and the gentle presence of the butterfly. I prefer flitting to flying.
During the days of intense collage making ( before getting back to paints ), there was not a dentist’s waiting room that was off limits to my rip and tear technique.
As usual, funny, droll, dark, and interesting post.
February 14, 2009 at 3:00 pm
judylobo
Evolution, svhevolution. The penguin does not fly because it developed a fear of flying and likes the cold. I like nothing about flying. The packing, the ride to the airport, the airport, the bogus probing security, the seats, the plane’s air, the other people, the bathrooms and the turbulence. The only thing good about flying is that you get to some place new and wonderful – just like your new collage. Brava, my friend.
February 14, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Jim
You are SO good! You’re inspiring me– I love collage work. Remember when you decoupaged yourself into a stupor? NO MAGAZINE WAS SAFE AROUND CAROL! She would eviscerate your treasured Premiere #1 First Introductory Issue of Martha Stewart Living if there was something she could clip and glue. “Carol, that article about antiquing clay flowerpots is missing!” And you would find it glued to a mailbox, or a snack tray, or a chifforobe.
Excellent! Keep up the good work !
xoxo
February 17, 2009 at 3:34 am
charlie pizzarello
I kept trying to click on ‘spike in my frontal lobe’ hoping it was a live link. This collage is awesome!
February 17, 2009 at 3:39 pm
wrjones
This is quite a nice design. I like it.
As for the anxiety, you poor thing. Elevate you feet and have a drink with me.
Before we go for the spike, we could try a few thumps to the head. I like to use the minimum amount of medicine required.
February 17, 2009 at 3:42 pm
wrjones
Oh, ya. I have to fly tomorrow in the rain. Should we go down, you can be an I told you so. I’m thinking just before we hit I might could work up a tiny bit of anxiety.
March 5, 2009 at 7:00 am
swatch
Hey cool collage!
the other day I was watching a movie on a long flight and the part where the hero crash lands the plane in the sea was taken out – one moment they are flying and the next they are swimming – I heard afterwards that airlines do this to reduce the panic factor in anxious passengers.
We have an advert where people are seen screaming, pointing and running out of the sea – the shot zooms in on what they are pointing at – a chair floating in the water. Statistics show more people die falling off chairs than by shark attack. There are similar stats about air-travel.
But of course anxiety is not about logic.
I hope you keep painting though – you are growing in this.