Synthesis hand printed papers and sewing on wc paper Suitors Anticipation Old School hand printed papers and embroidery and sewing on wc paper I wanted to share my recent collages from September and October. I am pleased with all of them. They each have a particular vibe for me that I think I would like to continue working with.
The pieces shown at the bottom are all standalone pieces, meaning that they are just one offs. For this way of working, I cull through leftover pieces of papers from other projects and see if I can put anything together. I then supplement what I have with pieces of printed paper from my stash. I try not to agonize too much over these pieces but to pick papers that feel good to me when I look at them. I try and do some thinking about the papers, seeing how they might fit together and what aspects of design that they represent for me. I think this decision making process is really valuable as a skill building tool. For me, making design decisions and saying them out loud is how I learn. For the Synthesis series, shown at the top, I used another method of working. I start with full sheet collage papers from my regular stash. I pull out whatever grabs my eye and then try and fit other papers with what I have selected. Sometimes I have a theme in mind or a color idea, but not always. I generally end up with 10-15 pieces of printed paper. I spread the papers all on the ground and look to see how I can fit them together. I definitely talk a lot to myself about what I am seeing and why I like or don't like something. This too is a way that I learn. After some time, I edit down to maybe 10 or 12 papers. I then cut them up into different sizes and start laying them out into 12" x 12" collages, cutting the pieces to fit as I go. It's very much like dumping out puzzle pieces onto the floor and trying to rearrange them into an image. For this series, I ended up with five pieces because I nearly used up all of the papers and just loved working with them. I titled this series Synthesis because I wanted a particular feel for these collages that combined some memories and ideas, both past and present. I had been reminiscing about being in grammar school and was remembering my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Bolar. When I think of him he is always wearing a yellow collared short sleeved shirt with brown slacks. This was the 70's right? So, this is where the brown and yellow colors come in. I was also remembering that somewhere in that school there were aqua colored tiles (maybe a bathroom?) and that there were black and white squares of linoleum on the floors. I think. Also, I remember gray or green chalkboards as well. In any case, the collage papers all seemed to fit together somehow, at least in my mind. As an aside and a bit of history, my grammar school was laid out in a kind of rectilinear "U" shape: one central long area with two long wings on each end. Those wings had two stories. I can remember that there was a lot of hullabaloo about earthquakes and retrofitting. Those upstairs wings were eventually torn down because of this concern. I can recall being at the school with my dad prior to the tear down. And I remember that we were in portables for awhile at another nearby school, I think because of the construction. It was a big controversy at the time. I should say though that I don't have any special love for this time period; it's just really all selective memories. Being a kid was difficult for me. But I do look back with a kind of nostalgia. I can't help it. And this time period, the memories and feels associated with the town I grew up in, has yielded several strong and personal collages. That is worth something. Alright, that is it. I am busy working on a new idea. I have gotten into the practice of asemic writing. It's mark making that looks like it should be readable but isn't. It looks like cursive or printing but it's meant to be illegible. (This is a very simplistic explanation. Like everything else art related people can really complicate the shit out of it, making it hard to get into.) I find it both energetic and peaceful in a strange way and I am enjoying looking at different prompts such as alphabets, calligraphy, and other images. I have been slowly incorporating the writing into my prints and I really enjoy the effects. Thanks for reading and as alway feel free to email. Libby [email protected] Comments are closed.
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