Ochoco Forest - mapping series

by Jo Reimer


Ochoco Forest
14 x 18
Collage on Canvas
by Jo Reimer

The Ochoco Forest and its neighbor, the Malheur Forest, is located in central Oregon. The area is one of immense beauty and teems with wildlife especially migratory birds which call it home.

And there are BIG trees, all over Oregon.

I was lucky to have a map large enough to cover the lower part of my canvas and from there it was a matter of finding the right combination of greens and browns in my paper stash to make the statement I intended.

Small Town Oregon... mapping

by Jo Reimer



Small Town Oregon
Collage Painting
14" x 18"

Like many of you I often being my day with quiet meditation and writing in my journal, morphing from what has been into plans for the coming day in the studio. I explore ideas about current work during this time and jot down sketchy ideas about what I'll do with my studio time. 

I'm continuing to explore ways to use my connection with maps in my artwork and am finding even more excitement in working through this series.  This journey via my old maps just gets more interesting.

I've shredded maps; I've cut maps with scissors; I've torn maps; I've drawn the lines of highways, roads, and streets on paper and canvas; I've used maps as the substrate upon which I paint; I've glued maps onto just about anything that will hold still...  

....and the ideas keep coming.

Small Town Oregon began as an atmospheric landscape painting in acrylic.  It needed something more interesting than soft color so I asked the What If questions and decided to lift the maps of small towns upright as though the maps were being projected onto the sky.

Before I go much further I'll write a statement about the series so that it become clearer in my mind, not that this will be the final statement. It'll be refined as I work, but simply stating some of my intentions should help me leap ahead. It's one of the things I remember from Journalism 101... answer the questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How... and and my own mantra, What If...  what could I do next because of what's been done.

The Day's Ending

by Jo Reimer

The Day's Ending
16 x 20"
mixed fibers, fabric collage, stitching
by Jo Reimer

At the beginning of each year I spend a bit of time like many of you, reminding myself that indeed I accomplished a lot last year, and I think about what I hope to do with the time I'm given in this new year. I set loose goals but I don't obsess about it now that my intention isn't about racing with myself to see how much more and better I can work.  

This year I'm determined to clear out more of the nooks and crannies of my home and pass the things I won't be using to others who might. I started with the shelves of fabric stored in my studio closet, and lo and behold I found two mostly half-done fiber pieces. I was inspired to see what I could do with them. I've always loved sunsets (and sunrises) and these held promise. So I finished them both and they're now ready to sell.

Working on these two pieces for a good part of the last two days reminded me once again why I've fallen in love with the immediacy of painting and collage.  I could have done each of these works tons faster with a brush or glue pot.  And my back wouldn't hurt as it does after hours at the sewing machine.

The Day's Ending 2
14 x 18"
mixed fibers, fabric collage, stitching
by Jo Reimer