"Armored Duck" by Snow Mack
Assemblage on duck decoy, Approximately 14 1/2" x 6" x 6", 2024
Details, photos and videos, sharing my process and final result
🦆

In the early days of eBay, I was shopping for a present for a friend who was obsessed with duck decoys. I found a lovely hand painted duck decoy carved out of wood for my friend, but a long the way I collected 3 plastic, floating style, actual working decoys. I placed them in the backyard next to the pool as decoration but ducks started showing up soon after so I brought the decoys inside. That was in 2004. Over the years, I have brainstormed the many ways I could use them in my art practice. On an afternoon in 2024, while sorting my collection of yard sale jewelry, and other bits and bobs, I began layering random pieces onto a duck decoy perched on my desk. Work on "Armored Duck" began as soon as I could clear a space for it. 
I turned to eBay again for the eyes, and ordered a pack with different sizes and colors. Armored Duck has one blue and one green eye, a bit of a shout out to one of my inspirations, David Bowie. As the project got underway, I installed the eyes, then covered them with masking tape to keep them in pristine condition. I painted the plastic decoy with several coats of gesso to prepare it for the next step. I used texture paste, applied in small areas, to act as glue for the items attached to the duck. I used found objects & trinkets friends sent to me for my art frames, buttons collected for decades, yard sale jewelry, small plastic toys, bits of computers, credit card holograms, belt buckles and keepsake pins.
As I worked on the duck, the assemblage began to take on meaning. I was creating armor for the duck to act as protection. The duck is a protection robot and spaceship/vehicle for a ragtag crew.  Captain Turtle and First Officer Frog, operate the computers from the bridge on the duck's back. Two pilot fish, one on each side, guide the duck through the perilous environment. A Ladybug is a hitchhiker along for the journey. Quack! 🦆

Ultra Hive CD Cover Art Show in Japan ~ NANO GALLERY OSAKA- May 16th-18th ~ DESIGNFESTA GALLERY HARAJUKU, TOKYO- May 20-21 ~ in USA ~ HIVE GALLERY- July 2025 ~ FM OAKLAND- AUGUST and SEPTEMBER 2025

"Forbidden Love" created for UltraHive CD Cover Art Exhibits in 2025, is a variation of a painting titled "Forbidden Love of Blue Cheese Ninja and  Geisha Crane Song" from my colorful Cheesehead series. The theme of the painting, a couple in love standing in front of Cherry blossom tree, was inspired by a photo of my mother. In the photo, my mom who is pregnant with me, is standing in front of a Cherry blossom tree in bloom, in Tokyo, Japan. I was born a few months later just outside of Japan. It has been a dream of mine to return to Japan during the Spring to see Cherry blossoms! 🌸 I am honored to send my artwork to represent me. ​💮
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"Iam65; Passport Project 3" by Snow Mack, Digital Collage, Dimensions Vary, 2023
​top row Left to right
1. 1958 - age 2 months, Tokyo Japan, Passport
2. 1963 - age 4, Alexandria VA, Passport
3. 1970 - age 12, New Canaan, CT, School Photo 7th Grade
4. 1976 - age 17, Providence, RI, Passport
 
2nd row l to r
5. 1980 - age 21, Pasadena, CA, School Project, Product Design ACCD
6. 1982 - age 23, West LA, CA, Passport
7. 1988 - age 30, Wilmington, NC, Head Shot for Band 
8. 1989 - age 31, South Fallsburg, NY, ID for Siddah Yoga Ashram

3rd row l to r
9. 1999 - age 41, Venice, CA Digital Domain, with Academy Award photo 
10. 2003 - age 43, Santa Monica, CA - Driver's License
11. 2004 - age 44, Los Angeles, CA - Passport 
12. 2005 - age 45, Downtown LA, CA - Artist Portrait by Jonathan Mack

4th row l to r
13. 2009 - age 51, Mar Vista, CA, Head Shot for Modeling Gig
14. 2015 - age 58, Los Angeles, CA, Passport
15. 2021 - age 63, Los Angeles, CA, Artist Portrait by Jonathan Mack
16. 2023 - age 65, Costco ID photo 

As our country comes to grips with the devastating Covid 19 Pandemic, a very old wound continues to fester until an egregious crime, a murder of a Black man named George Floyd by the very people who have sworn to protect all citizens, sparkes such outrage that Citizens of all colors and all backgrounds take to the streets in protest. So many people, all over the World, voice their anger at the injustices that shatter black families' lives everyday. Some people march on the streets and some contribute in quiet ways. The signs began appearing right after the protests swept through Westwood and Santa Monica. The quiet voices echo throughout my Westside neighborhood, I documented the signs in windows, on light posts, painted rocks and creative installations on front yards. The majority of the images are from June 2020, but I will continue to document the quiet resolute voices of my neighbors in Los Angeles.

World Peace Buddha

Prayer of Loving Kindness

May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.
May all beings be free

​Metta Prayer

Drawing inspiration from my toys and Pez collection, I set up a small "stage" to create scenes.  In "Whispers",  3 Princess Leia Pez appear to be two woman talking about a third woman as she is just out of ear shot.  In "Gossip" the conversation is taking a unpleasant turn as the two women confide what they think they know to a third person.  Casting the Pez as characters in a play had the odd effect of giving each duplicate a unique look even though they are exact copies.  Exploring human situations through inanimate objects facilitates the task of sharpening my observing and rendering skills.

I started collecting Pez in 2004 to use on frames.  I had a system of bidding on large lots on Ebay, only bidding up to a few cents per items that I wanted.  It was always fun to get the large boxes with many mystery items, usually the photos showed a pile of Pez without an exact list of items.  I concentrated on Star Wars Pez for a series of Star Wars characters to be framed in Pez. 

Pez Collection
9 Hulk big head in package movie with Ed Norton 
1 Hulk big head no package Ed Norton 
1 light green hulk, animated 
5 Hearts in package assorted colors 
1 Heart no package red 
2 Eye in Hand no package 
1 Witch 3 color in package 
1 Witch 3 color no package 
2 Skulls 
1 Eeyore 
1 Pooh 
1 Tigger 
1 Pumpkin in package 
1 Black Cat 
2 Tasmanian Devil 
1 Ninja Turtle 
1 Yosemite Sam 
2 Pluto 
1 Garfield 
1 Donald Duck mouth open 
1 Donald Duck mouth closed 
1 Bart Simpson 
1 Maggie Simpson 
2 Pebbles Flintstone 
1 Barney Rubble 
1 He Saur Pez O Saur 
2 Fred Flintstone 
6 Fred Flintstone in package 
2 Bugs Bunny 
1 Bunny Light pink ears 
2 Bunnies dark pink ears 
1 Bunny dark pink ears in package  
2 Bunnies pink with white ears 
2 Lambs 
1 Bird in Nest with Hat 
3 Batman DC Comics 
2 Sour Pineapple 
1 Sour Watermelon 
1 Sour Apple Ghost no glow 
2 She Saur 
4 Bugz assorted 
2 Bees from the film 
1 Elf 2002 
1 Snowman Red Nose 
1 Sylvester 
1 Santa painted eyes 
1 Santa no painted eyes 
1 Snoopy 
1 Charlie Brown 
1 Lucy original version narrow head 
7 Lucy big head in package 
1 Lucy big head no package 
1 Peter Pez Clown 1979? 
1 Polar Bear with knit hat 
1 Fozzy Bear no package 
11 Fozzy Bear in package 
1 Wolverine big head no package 
5 Wolverine big head in package 
7 Race Car Helmets all different 
1 Elvis Soldier 
1 Snow White Collectors 8 pieces 
1 Yummy Bubbles He Saur 1 Giant Santa 
Total = 132 
 
Star Wars 
3 special Limited Edition Collectors sets 11 in each 33 total 
1 General Grevious 
1 Death Star Emperor Palpatine glow in the dark Emperor Palpatine 
3 R2D2 no package
1 R2D2 in package 
8 Luke Skywalker no package 
2 Luke Skywalker in package 
1 Darth Vador Bonbons blister pack collect all 9 series 
2 Darth Vador blister pack 
8 Darth Vador no package 
12 Darth Vador in package 
1 Chewbacca Bonbons blister pack 
1 Chewbacca blister pack 
10 Chewbacca no package 
12 Chewbacca in package 
1 C3PO Bonbons blister pack 
2 C3PO in blister pack 1 needs repair
8 C3PO no package 
11 C3PO in package 
4 Princess Leia no package 
1 Princess Leia in package 
3 Princess Leia in blister pack 
4 Ewok no package 
1 Ewok in package 
2 Ewok in blister pack 
1 Boba Fett in blister pack 
9 Boba Fett no package 
1 Storm Trooper Bonbons blister pack 
1 Storm Trooper blister pack needs repair 
12 Storm Troopers in package 
8 Storm Troopers no package 
1 Yoda in blister pack 
11 Yoda in package 
13 Yoda no package 
2 Jango Fett no package
Total = 194
Grand total = 326

Paintings by Snow Mack