"THE LOVERS" Mixed Media Salvage (or why I love this art form!)

As much as I hate to admit it, I make things occasionally that just DO NOT turn out. You know, the things you want to shove under a pile of papers when you hear someone approaching or give to the dog to chew on (or in my case, put in the bottom of the Budgie's cage.......)
At any rate, I'd had a collage I had done on a *no brain* day, just tearing and gluing paper, adding a bit of paint and why I kept it around, I don't know. I had it pinned up on the wall, irritating me each time I saw it.
During the current sorting and throwing binge, I yanked it off the wall and as I did the light showed the texture as opposed to what was supposed to be seen. Hmmmmmm.......so instead of the garbage bag, it went to the studio table. It was somewhat vaguely oriental themed and I had glued three fake Chinese coins on it. Those went. Then I pulled some stamps, some tracing paper and let it sit.
I started with some oriental characters on the tracing paper, covered most of the background, then kept pushing. Some ink around the edges, some stamping in black, the paperclay to make the individual words......but what next?
More washes, more tinkering----I needed an image that was bright to offset the dark toned background. So I began digging as I recalled having some oriental images a friend had given me. I was thinking Geisha at first and then found this, "The Lovers" from a tarot deck page she gave me. (Thanks Val!) It was perfect. Everything began pulling together, setting the card and the paperclay pieces in heavy gel medium and using fine black glass glitter to cover the edges of the gel.
I added more ink around the edges and some interference paint here and there. A bit of glitter paint. I stood back and looked at it.
It just couldn't be the same piece.
And I was delighted!
Sometimes we keep things we don't need. But often, we keep things that need finishing, fixing, a different approach. We save things that can be taken apart and reused. We cleave to things that need refining---we are able to see past what is actually there to what could be. It's a wonderful way to learn to look at work, especially the things you just plain want to dump. It's a pretty interesting way to look at life too.
I learned a long time ago from art magazine articles that if something really turned me off but I kept returning to it, there was something important there for me to learn. It is a lesson that has paid off in the long run!
Please click on the photo so you can get a good look at the details, particularly where I have used the clay. The size of the piece is a mere 5"x7" canvas panel but there is a lot in that little package.
I wish you a day of pleasant surprises, things to recycle, and above all else, an artist's eye and creativity.
Pax.