A Match Made in Handbag Heaven

Handmade Handbags by Flashbags - Made in Vermont

Paper Paintings lend themselves beautifully to Flashbags. Since Flashbags use layers of recycled newsprint inside their bags, and I use layers of colored and recycled paper to create my mixed media collages, we are truly a match made in heaven!

Wholesale Retail Opportunities

Know someone with a unique boutique or shop? Flashbags offers wholesale purchasing opportunities and we'd love to get these unique bags in the hands of shop owners everywhere! Call 1-866-64 FLASH, ask for Ali and tell her Elizabeth sent you!

Carry A Conversation™

My Art is Being Made into Handbags

Yesterday Ali Marchildon, one of the co founders of flashbags, gave me the thumbs up that my art is ready to purchase as handbags on the flashbags homepage I can't tell you how excited I am about this wonderful opportunity to work with such great people on such a unique and original product! These funky handbags are made in Burlington VT, their lively start-up story is featured in the current summer issue of Vermont Life Magazine. Get the whole scoop!

What is a Flashbag?

A flashbag is a handmade purse or accessory such as a wallet, checkbook holder or wine tote. Instead of leather or canvas, the bag is made of laminated color prints that are wrapped around several sheets of newsprint that provide support. The materials are sewn together and covered with decorative stitching. To make a shoulder bag, clear plastic tubing is added as straps.

A photo of my sample flashbag is in the previous post. See more samples of my art as flashbags or better yet, BUY MY FLASHBAGS at my flashbags gallery. 

On The Horizon

Carry a Conversation!

I have been working closely with a company that makes all kinds of bags—from wine totes, to wallets, to purses—to adorn their wonderful decorative products with my collages! Today I received my sample bag and let me tell you, it's gorgeous! 

The straps are clear plastic tubing through grommets, the edges are reinforced with heavy plastic and their is decorative top-stitching all over, done one-at-a-time by a person sitting at a sewing machine in Burlington, VT. Is that very cool or what?

I am going to be one of the featured artists for these bags, which you order online. They are setting up my collage artwork on their website as we speak, just as soon as it's up and running I'll have more information for the blog, including some local galleries and shops which might carry them as well.

Consider this your up-to-the-minute Sneak Peek!

Burning the Midnight Oil

Staying up All Night, Painting Roosters

Isn't there an oxymoron in there somewhere? Last night I worked from 9pm until 3am this morning on these two pieces. When I say "worked" I mean I worked the collage process. They were already sketched up and under-painted by the time I got out to the studio and started the collage process. I work in stages this way, and with this rooster series I sketched them all first, then painted them all, so I have a supply of "ready to go" boards in my studio. Right about now I could use a coffee, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

The Eyes Have It

Capturing the Human Quality

For me the roosters seem to have a very human looking eye. It's the eye that is my favorite part to do with the collage. I feel like if you get the eye just right, it's really what draws the viewer in to the collage. Despite the fact that the tail feathers are incredibly fun to randomly rip and glue from many different papers and colors, it's the eye that draws me in.

The French Connection

A Symbol of Hope and Faith

as yet untitled, 24 x 20

In France, the rooster during the middle ages, was a religious symbol of hope and faith. During the Renaissance, the rooster became more of a symbol of French nationality, and later during 'la Resistance', of the countrymen, pride and courage. 

This information was given to me by my sister when I asked her to help me name the roosters. Aimée is currently working, going to school for her masters, (could you guess that her undergraduate degree is in French?) and raising her 8-year old son. One could say she's very busy! I have been asking her to help me with titles for these new pieces and so at this point they are untitled. I will take suggestions however, if any of you are inclined. And yes, you may suggest in English –– I have a translator!