Dispatch from Omega Centauri, Kathleen Thoma, monotype & collage, 11×14 in

This month has been busy with work, a series of out-of-this-world invitations, a few shows and lots of printmaking. With the addition of collage to my monotype work, my images have been expanding in many new directions. You can view a number of new monotypes with collage worked into their compositions in my galleries. See New Abstract Works

I began to get some exciting fun ideas with the discovery of 7 new exoplanets, Trappist 1, in the constellations of Aquarius, only 40 light years away (235 trillion miles) from earth.https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-reveals-largest-batch-of-earth-size-habitable-zone-planets-around

I imagined a series of Royal Invitations inviting us for a visit

Royal Invitation from the 7 planets-2, Kathleen Thoma, monotype & collage, 5×7

Wouldn’t other life-forms on otherworld’s use a visual, symbolic language to communicate? Or would they use sound? I have no idea. In my own work, I created  a series of invitations to our planet, inviting us for a visit. I’m sure I’m not the only one to have fantasies about these far away exoplanets, and I will be watching for the ideas they spark in the minds of creative people all over the world. Although more recent updates to this discovery are less exciting, it is still an enjoyable source of inspiration.

In my mind’s eye, I can see the invitations appear in front of me. Perhaps, I remember how the invitations arrived to Harry Potter in the movie, by flying into the mailbox. I imagine that is how they must arrive, if they were from another constellation. I have no idea what sort of paper aliens would use, so I just used what I had on hand.

Royal Invitation from the 7 planets-3, Kathleen Thoma, monotype & collage, 5×7 in

It’s been fun to play with these ideas, so have a look at the gallery and tell me what you think. I have a feeling there are more alien communications on the way. See Invitations

Some other news, I have three monotypes in a show coming up at the Fallbrook Art Center, May 21 – July 2, in the “Annual Artist Guild, Juried Members Show”. Fallbrook has a wonderful, very professional gallery, you can see more at the link here. http://fallbrookartcenter.org/

I am currently in the “National Collage Society Postcard Exhibit” at the Chaffey Community Museum of Art in Ontario, CA, and I was also in a show called the “The Heart Seed”, at The Hive in North Kingstown in Rhode Island this past January.