|
Same Not Same 1, 2, 3 12" x 12" image matted to 16" x 16" final image painted paper collage on board    Here and There 1, 2 12" x 12" image matted to 16" x 16" final image painted paper collage on board   Happy December to anyone reading. It sounds like a cliche to say this but I can hardly believe that the end of the year is coming. It's absolutely true that time passes more quickly as you get older. All the more reason to make every moment count.
I have several pieces to show. With all of the pieces this year, I have been trying to work with proportion, repetition, and variation. I try to manipulate proportion of scale and color, of the size of the print and text, and of the blocks themselves. Repetition and variation of those elements help to add visual variety. And because I was a painter to begin with (not a great one but somewhat competent), I am always interested in color temperature. Having both warm and cool colors as well as varied chroma and contrast is always something that I am interested in. In trying to manipulate these variables, I always remember something that I read about Georgia O'Keeffe early on when I was struggling to learn how to make art. She had talked about the start of her career when she was taking lessons from Arthur Dove I think. She said that she hated everything she had done to that point. Then, once she learned about some basic design principles, how they could be endlessly manipulated, she realized that she could make whatever she wished in whatever combination of variables that she liked. The possibilities opened up and became endless for her. I would guess it is why, in part, she chose to make those close up paintings of flowers that really became her signature. Anyway, I am not Georgia O'Keeffe but I get what she got. To circle back to the end of the year idea, in January I decided that I was going to focus on a theme of Nature and Nurture for all of my collages this year. As it turned out, this was a sort of cart before the horse idea. I never deliberately make art that has to do with anything (not in the past several years). I always have something in my mind when I make the collages though, but these days the collages don't directly represent those ideas. At most, the collages have a feel to them but not a specific meaning. Anyway, that is what happened here. I had that theme of nature and nurture in mind but the collages this year aren't about that specifically. At most, I discovered (again) that I do have color preferences and ideas about shapes and lines and writing but that is kind of it. I don't think those things (the artistic variables) are likely inherent to my genetic being. They are part of who I am because I like them but I don't know that I was born with those preferences. Speaking more broadly on this topic, I can say that I always come back to the idea of whether or not we really have free will. (A humanities professor in college posed this question to my classmates and me and at the time I opted for a yes to free will.) My answer today, after acquiring a little more life experience, is always no, that we don't. We think we do but we don't. (I feel the same way about rational thinking and decision making: forget about that.) And I continue to wonder whether or not we really and truly are hard wired to do something. How much do our genes and genetic makeup really affect the decisions that we make? Some things yes, and some things no. I have come to strongly believe in probability and statistics and the utter complexity and contradictory nature of humanity. Anyway, I think that is all too much to ask of some paper and paint and glue! The last two things I want to mention for this year are the inclusion in the collages of asemic writing (writing that looks like it should say something but doesn't) and my coptic stitch book making. First, the asemic writing has been a much welcomed addition to the work. It's a great way for me to think something and write it down without actually writing it out so it can be read. It's really therapeutic. Rest assured that all of the scribbles that are present in the work relate to something that I was thinking. I think they are a great design variable too. They add direction and scale and a personal touch. Second thing, I started making collage books using coptic stitching. It's a great looking stitch and making the books is a fun way to use up paper that I have printed and written on. Into the books go small collages that can be used later for reference in larger pieces. The link to the books is right here. Both of these ideas (asemic writing and coptic stitched books) have expanded my art practice in a way that I was not anticipating. Well, that's it. Thanks for reading if you got this far. The transition from blogging to other types and formats of social media has been a real challenge for me. I didn't make it in the way that others have. A full on technology based production, podcasts, camera work, and presentation are all things that I simply couldn't invest my time in. That's the truth. I don't want to feel bad about myself (read: OLD!) for not making this transition, so for those of you that read occasionally, I appreciate it. I realize the train has left the station! Thanks again and happy end of December to everyone. May the New Year bring peace, hope, and the sanity. (There is no point in not wishing for those things though I am a realist. Find them where you can and if you can.) Libby [email protected] |
Archives
July 2025
|
