MAZE10
©2012 Craig Ashby
7.75” x 9.375”
Collage

MAZE10, tenth in the MAZE Series, was a nightmare. Seven crops lost forever. Alas at all that could have been. Maybe in some alternate universe another Craig Ashby made all of these perfectly without any of the hassle.

Initially, this series was going to be nothing but the ocean landscape of 1 and 3. All four crops were cut from the same double page spread. I wanted that serenity and all those silhouettes. But the plotter/cutter was not of a like mind. I think it was plotting against me. Ouch, that pun hurts.

So I ended up substituting two additional crops from the same editorial shoot that MAZE05 came from. Overall the result is not bad. But the trauma I endured has tainted my opinion of this piece. Perhaps I will reflect back at a later date with a kinder eye.

So I have decided to spray each of the next 10, front and back, with a coat of clear acrylic. Another time-consuming process added to the equation. And I should probably spray the cutting mat with a coat of repositionable spray adhesive to insure the chance of success.

Of course this is all a gigantic experiment I am documenting as I go. Maybe I am over sharing but this is all I have. The things I make and my voice.