And then there were Circles

by Terri

As 2019 was ending, I worked at a hydroponic greenhouse. I noticed several boxes of these cardboard discs, that arrived in some shipment as packing filler. I diverted some discs from recycling and hefted them to our empty, new old home.

Use what you got, right?! When materials were scarce during the quiet, at-home times of 2020, I realized that what I had in abundance, were circles. Little brown cardboard discs, in a huge plastic bag, in a closet, awaiting a purpose.

By now, I had acquired replacement scissors and piles of colorful printed catalogs arriving by snail mail.

And so I started again, playing, making art, playing mostly. I traced the cardboard discs, cutting up everything of interest I could find. I positioned myself in a comfy chair by the window, sorted the stacks on my new lap desk. I traced and cut, traced and cut with an antique metal Holly Hobby trashcan filling at my feet.

In 2022, I counted over 6100 circles that I had traced and cut, now sorted into old blueberry, pumpkin seed or microgreens style plastic containers. By 2023, I had probably cut about 3500 more.

In 2022 and 2023, a few circles made it onto collages shown and sold at the vast and varied Teeny Tiny Trifecta group shows at Second Street Gallery in Charlottesville.

In early January 2024, 3 days ago, I delivered plenty of multi-circle collages, rustic assemblages and sculptures for the just-about-to-open show at Staunton Augusta Art Center. Come see Cut Up and Put Together, January 12 – February 17, 2024.