Collages
I don’t think there’s anything more fun than collage since it requires letting go of habit and flowing into new domaines of experience.
Years ago, in Oriental, North Carolina, I participated in a group called The June Painters. One of the artists in that group created astonishing collages with material she picked up off the road as she walked to and from our meetings. They were not always beautiful, but they were fascinating… and more importantly inspiring. I loved the concept of creating art out of cast-0ffs, living proof that one person’s trash is another one’s treasure. So I created this:
Leftovers
The piece shown above is a prototype for a larger piece which won first prize at the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Museum of Art in a National Juried Show, 2002. Made of bone, shell, hair, feathers, shell, orphaned earrings, things-found-in-the-junk-drawer, Leftovers 2 is an artful assemblage of this and that.
Leftovers 2
The difference between the two versions of Leftovers, other than content, is that the components of the larger piece are mounted on squares of wire mesh, which are connected together with copper rings soldered in place, while the components of the smaller piece are mounted on a backing. Leftovers 2 is not meant to hang against a wall, but rather in some venue where it can be seen through: a doorway, an arch, against an expanse of class. This object is in the permanent collection of the Rocky Mount Museum.
Shipboard Romance
I had a great deal of fun with this one. It contains handmade papers which have been overpainted, flakes of gold foil, shredded fiber and an old hairnet, salvaged from one of those mystery boxes you buy at an auction for two dollars. This piece has real depth and texture. Its inspiration came from a voyage on the Mediterranean.
Self Portrait
I created this self-portrait at Penland School of Crafts while taking a two-week long residential drawing class. The teacher insisted on defining drawing as “marks on paper,” which allowed us the freedom to wander off into print-making. This collage has both printed and painted features, along with sewn objects. I hate the colors I chose here (I should have gone with earth tones), but I like the technique.
Encaustic Collage
Matisse Meets Marge