"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! 🦆

My concept for "Monkeys of Compassion" was inspired by the smiling monkey faces that are the main focus of each piece.  I wanted to create works that remind the viewer to be aware of compassion and goodness in humanity.  The "Monkeys of Compassion" evolved from the idea that, to me, the well known Three Wise Monkeys represent fear.  The world needs to move beyond our fears and respond with compassion.  Courage, kindness, and passion are just a few examples of the strengths of humankind. 

A spiral motif is the dominant design element.  The spirals are made with fortunes from fortune cookies I've been collecting for twenty plus years and three years of collecting Sunday horoscopes representing all twelve signs of the Zodiac.  The messages are slightly obscured, dispensing advice is not my goal, the viewer will gravitate to the words or not.  Placements of random found objects, toys, jewelry, buttons, game pieces and more, compliment the spiral.

"Monkeys of Compassion: Courage"
"Monkeys of Compassion: Kindness"
"Monkeys of Compassion: Passion"
17" x 17"
Assemblages
Materials include:
Vintage buttons from my Mother's collection
Vintage jewelry from my Mother In Law's collection
Fortunes from 20+ years of collecting
Sunday Horoscopes from 3 years of collecting
3 Dashboard Saints from El Santuariò de Chimayó
3 Vials of healing dirt from El Santuariò de Chimayó
3 Small raku offering bowls created by Peggy Zask
Found toys, rusty nails, beach rocks, monkey doll face, game pieces, and more
Vintage Angels wrapping paper
Glue
Gesso
Texture Paste
Mod Podge