Sue Roddis: Halloween Variations on a Theme

Featured Artist: Sue Roddis
Blog: JABBERWOCKY
Location: Kazakhstan

NOTE: It is the LAST DAY to enter the blog candy drawing!
I have to admit I am behind on my Halloween postings due to an overload of work and an unexpected out-of-town trip. My real life is really interfering with my blogging! I know you all understand exactly what I mean. So we are going to continue our Halloween tricks and treats into November as I have more amazing projects to share with you!

As one of the predominant features of these two art journal pages by altered artist Sue Roddis is Alice's witch hat, it seemed fitting that they be featured in our last pre-Halloween treat. Sue's first version wound up at The Stamper's Attic, and enjoyed the process so much that she made a variation to keep! It is fun to see both the similarities and the differences.  Take a look:

Click to enlarge

I really love this assembly of Alices! One of the themes of the story was how a people change, particularly Alice! As she said when she was talking to the caterpillar:

`Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'

I love the way she has taken the cutout of Alice pulling the curtain back and jusxtaposed it next to the fleeting rabbit. Now two of the Alice's seem to be contemplating his departure, and the positioning also adds a feeling of depth.  The flourishes filling the open space are very nice, it is hard to go wrong with fourishes after all. But what I love most about this page, design-wise, are the dots!

Click to enlarge



There are dots along the outlines of everything, and they really integrate these ivory Alices into the white of the page. they also unify the dark green and black elements, the ivory and black Alices, and the graceful lines of the flourishes.  There is also a sort of altered Jabberwocky-style connection to folk or tole painting which often uses white dots around painted elements on a dark background.

Click to enlarge

This time, the focus is more on TIME. The next spread uses the same assembly of Alices, but the spread is unified, not by dots but clocks! The clock faces throughout really unify the piece and we can almost here the clock ticking away!Of course we have the White Rabbit who was so concerned with time. Alices many changes were distressing to her as they happened in such a short space of time:

`I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, `because I'm not myself, you see.'

`I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.

`I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, `for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'

I hope you will visit Sue's blog and leave her some love. You will find the first piece on this blog post and the second one here, where you will also find Alice reaching out to the transformed Absolem, a caterpillar no more.

Please be sure you are entered in the blog candy contest for Donna's fabulous printer's tray, and please leave me a comment here before you go!