Hello Reader,
The design of the next issue of UPPERCASE is done! After another round of proofing, this issue is off to the printer tomorrow. Inconveniently, the power's going to be off at my office for some upgrades, so I'm sending this message early in the day. If you have any questions, I'll reply to you when I can.
And now, it's time for the cover reveal!
The front and back covers are both by UPPERCASE readers who submitted to the open calls for issue #70. I love being surprised and impressed by reader submissions. I am grateful that I can highlight readers' artwork on the cover and inside each issue. (Both artists are compensated for the use of their art on the cover.)
Elen Delafouge Jones, based in Luxembourg, submitted this mesmerizing composition. She writes, "During an art psychotherapy course, I was given one hour to create an artwork without a prompt. I began by drawing a circular framework of overlapping forms in a symmetrical structure. Into the spaces between these arcs, I placed freehand-cut circles of coloured paper. The process immediately captivated me. There was no pressure, only freedom to play and explore."
From this starting point, collaging circles have become constants in her creative practice. "My process is cyclical and balanced, echoing the symbolic nature of the circle. The circle is also the dominant visual element, providing rhythm and unity through repetition and structure. Ever present and quietly comforting, the circle remains for me the most perfect geometric form."
Look at Elen's work up close to appreciate its complexity and detail... these circles are punched out of various papers and meticulously glued in place (using tweezers to grip the tiny shapes) atop a background of watercolour shapes. This particular piece took four months to complete. Elen writes, "Its creation has provided me with moments of peace in times that have otherwise been rather turbulent."
You can see how this work perfectly exemplifies the two themes in issue #70: how practice and repetition make perfect, as well as the circle as concept, symbol and motif.
Elen Delafouge Jones is an artist and educator based in Luxembourg. Her work is centred on process, with a long-standing interest in labour-intensive, repetitive methods that run through both her earlier embroidery and her more recent collage practice. She studied textiles and embroidery in Manchester, after which her work evolved towards drawing, collage and printmaking, informed by her experience as an educator and further study in illustration and book arts in Cambridge, as well as an online art psychotherapy course. She is of Welsh and French background, and her work has taken her internationally, including time spent living and working in Japan. Instagram / Website
The back cover art is by California-based artist Tina Norén. Her watercolour circles, placed in a grid, were the perfect companion to the complexity of the front cover. Tina chose circles as a simple theme for a recent 100 Day Project. "I wanted to leave a lot of room for exploration," she explains. "From colour wheels and sketchbook studies, using a circle as a starting point allowed me to approach my project with the ease and flexibility I had hoped for. This marked the seventh time I have completed the 100 Day Project. Each one taught me a lot about myself and my creative process. I highly recommend any creative to try it and see what they discover."
Save CA$15 until May 31st with
'perfectcircle'
Please subscribe* or renew*—readers keep UPPERCASE going, year after year! As a special offer, if you subscribe or renew before the end of the month, you can get CA$15 off with the code perfectcircle. (The code cannot be retroactively applied to past purchases.)
Thank you!
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Janine Vangool
UPPERCASE magazine publisher / editor / designer
(and customer service, too!)
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