jennifer culp art

3rd bird has the key 2009 8"x 10" mixed media

The birds in this piece are created from a page from a vintage cookbook that is entitled something like foreign food with flair. The key is an actual key, like that of a cheap diary, which may explain the meaning of this work. It's funny, but a piece like this is just as mysterious to me as the random viewer. Sometimes when I'm finished, I realize an unintentional story has come to fruition, although I usually don't even know what it is. This piece, for instance, evolves through color and placement--a bird here, a bird there, then a key to fill a void, and Voila! When I step back I realize, something is going on between these 3, but what?

windmill bird mini framed art 2009 4.5"x 5.5" mixed media

This little painting has a rather drab title, but for practical reasons I wanted it easily understandable for those shopping in my etsy store. It began with my love for this thrift store found vintage frame. I intended to open it and fill it with new art, but when I popped the original art out, I found it charming. It looked to be a snippet out of a vintage magazine, possibly a photo of an original, printed in a magazine. I decided to add to it instead and draw from its charm. I put it all back together and sealed up the back--ready to hang.

cathedral canary 2009 5.25"x 7.25"

This is a marriage between things I love: upcycled pieces (like the frame) + vintage (like the European 19th/20th c postcard) + my art. The upcycled element brings a tacky frame to relevance, the postcard brings character and history to the entirety of the piece and my artistic addition brings new life to once forgotten pieces. The postcard is one of many I've collected--mostly from a particular girl who went on a European holiday at the turn of the century (20th).



bon voyage blue bird 2009 6"x 8" mixed media

This piece also incorporates an upcycled frame, a vintage postcard (from Astoria Oregon) and one of my birds (fashioned out of vintage sheet music), with a background of recycled cardboard that used to line my work space, so it's basically a history of colors and materials I've used in various projects.




country cottage bird mini framed art 2009 4.5"x 5.5" mixed media

This piece is also made from a vintage frame purchased at a thrift store, adding to the art that was already inside. The bird is made from vintage sheet music.