Conversation Hearts / January 29, 2024

January 29, 2024

Conversation Hearts

With Valentine’s Day coming, and shapes on my agenda, I’ve been playing with the heart symbol, an ideograph that’s—endearingly—an anatomically inaccurate shape. 

You’re probably familiar with conversation hearts, those little candies imprinted with messages—BE MINE, KISS ME, FOR EVER. I’m using my blog as an art journal today to capture a different conversation, one my heart and mind had, shining light on today’s CutUp, taking note of what worked and what didn’t.

YES:
• the spontaneity of the colors and linework on the hearts; I totally loved painting the source material six months ago
• the color palette
• the texture
• the free-flow of the linework and the contrast it provides
• the variation in size, shape, and directionality of the collaged hearts
• the inclusion of circles as contrast to the heart shapes
• the variation of size in the two sets of circles
• the way three circles are aligned with each other and three are scattered
• the way two hearts bleed off edges of the card, several points kiss edges, two hearts kiss each other, and others float freely
• the unexpected disruption of a right-angled piece ‘missing’ from the edge of the largest heart
• the asymmetries of the arrangement of the collage pieces
• the amount of quiet space
• the subtle white-on-white asemic writing on the substrate
• the thickness of the collage pieces which provides depth and allows for subtle shadows
• the fact that the composition feels close to but not entirely ‘balanced’

NOT SO MUCH:
• the uniformly clean sharp edges of the collage pieces, i.e. no torn soft edges for contrast
• the orientation of the heart at the top right—a little too straight up and down
• the severe rectilinearity of the piece missing from the largest heart

Wow. Helpful conversation. I feel inspired and informed as I head into my next CutUp.

She Sings Along at the Top of Her Voice
3.5 x 5″; acrylic, ink, and collage on card stock
CutUp
2024

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1. 

   Joyful Puttering

   January 29, 2024 at 2:34 pm

   Edit

   Love the hearts….and especially love the conversation you had with yourself! Great observations!

   That little odd heart in the middle at the bottom captured my heart!

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      January 29, 2024 at 4:43 pm

      Edit

      Thanks, MaryAnn. The inner dialogue was upliftingly informative and useful! That same little odd heart captured my heart also!

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      Reply
2. 

   imajenationgmailcom

   January 29, 2024 at 3:57 pm

   Edit

   I love conversation hearts….they make me melt inside! And the unexpected disruption – OH! It takes this piece from whimsy to an emotional trust fall. Brilliant.

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      January 29, 2024 at 4:46 pm

      Edit

      I send you a conversation heart: WHOLA lotta love for LOLA!

      Whoa, thanks for your celebration of and specific language for the unexpected disruption.

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3. 

   Simone

   January 30, 2024 at 7:52 am

   Edit

   It’s so interesting and helpful to ask questions like this about the composition and all the visual elements separately. I think one can learn immensely from observing work closely, and that’s what you did!

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      January 30, 2024 at 10:28 am

      Edit

      I did! I think I must be doing a bunch of this subliminally as well as consciously when I’m in process, but this explicitly analytical exercise was enjoyable and instructive. woo hoo! Thanks for cheering me in my efforts, Simone : )

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4. 

   Sheila Marie Delgado

   January 31, 2024 at 5:34 pm

   Edit

   Awesome post, Dotty, and a terrific piece as well. I love everything about this. But I agree, I do want to rotate that top heart just a smidge. Haha. xoxo

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   1. 

      Dotty Seiter

      January 31, 2024 at 7:06 pm

      Edit

      Thanks, Sheila, I’m glad I paused to do written analysis. LOL about that top heart needing a smidge of rotation. As I recall, it had already been cut at an earlier stage in the process when it was in a different configuration. Then, later, it fit PERFECTLY where it landed—I think in my excitement over the flawless fit, I forgot to pay attention to orientation!

      But, onward!