Collage Perspectives

Old China

2011-02-01T11:04:00.002-05:00

I created this collage during an event for a small town near me. The town hosts local artists. I enjoy the event as it gives me a chance to watch reactions to my work. It also forces me to use just the paper I take with me. I take small stacks of paper and create collages throughout the evening. This is my real challenge use just the paper in the several stacks that would fit in a small box. This collage is on watercolor paper rather than matboard. It has layers of found paper that provide interest and color. Once I got the collage home, I knew it needed something. The palette was flat, and there was not enough interest. I added the transfer image. I love the image of this woman. She is intriguing. The transparency of the transfer technique adds to this element. The collage has this juxtaposition of old and new, organic and inorganic. Look beyond.

Collages & Picasso

2011-01-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

I am beginning to create a series of collages for the International Collage Show. I have entered collages in this show before, but not the last several years. I have been otherwise occupied--teaching and my day job. I am getting re-engaged. I am in awe of the focus and dedication of a real artist. I am in awe of Picasso. His collages and his focus. Incredible! As I create my collages, I will post for all to see. Some will make it others will not.

Here is my personal inspiration. A collage that is clean. It is visually interesting. There is content interest. There are only 5 pieces to this collage. "I need to frame this collage."

Inconsistency

2011-01-03T07:55:00.004-05:00

This collage began with some abstract brush strokes on mat board. The Mader Hodel found paper created bold interest, while the found black papers and leaves provided balance. The page from a writers dictionary provided intricate detail and the name of the collage, "Inconsistency". The page includes the following quote "Mutability of temper and inconsistency with ourselves is the greatest weakness of human nature." --Addison

A person who is cold one day and hot the next is troublesome and difficult.

Don't Lose It --- Use It

2010-09-29T09:17:00.006-05:00

This collage is part of my collage card series. You see the post card tucked behind two pieces of found paper. The label provides the title of the collage "Don't Lose It -- Use It".
I started the collage with a painted background with tissue paper and a found image from a book. I added the image of the gentleman for interest. The image of the women is transferred using matte medium. This technique lets you see the gentlemen through her. I think this provides interest and to me contains a message of transparency. Transparency can be positive or negative. The card, black paper, and envelope flap were layered last for additional interest and meaning.
I was intrigued by the message on the flap. The flap could be worth money to you. If you don't use the flap, you will lose the flap.

Tariff of Charges

2010-03-13T09:19:00.004-05:00

This collage started with a combination of black silver metallic paint. It is painted in wide brush strokes. The found papers are a combination of music score, college entrance exam table of contents, and an advertisement. There are two modern women in the image. The one woman is only visible as her pink dress. The other woman is a transfer image. It is this woman that really adds the meaning and interest to the collage. She did not become part of the collage for year after the collage was first completed. She is seductive in her appearance and demeanor. She symbolizes a certain type of female. The title "Tariff of Charges" indicates the danger of an entanglement with this beautiful woman. A relationship with her will come at a high price.

Equally Wicked

2010-02-10T16:55:00.006-05:00

I have had this picture for months and months and months. It was one of those images that I just can not let go. It was on a table in my studio for that time. I would see it from time to time in stacks of paper. I found this poem with the had written commentary Equally Wicked and knew this was the beginning of a collage.
The support of the collage is painted and distressed. The other papers are there to provide some texture and some interest. I spray painted the texture with a stencil to add some interest and lead the viewers eye.
It is so interesting to me that the commentary point to a lawyer and priest being equally wicked. I feel like somehow this woman understands that they are equally wicked. Her response is demonstrated. I intentionally created the worn and wrinkled appearance to suggest her torment and struggle.

Now Open For Visitors

2009-12-26T09:13:00.003-05:00

This collage is #3 in the postcard series.

The postcard is oriented at the bottom on painted background. The background has a lace appearance because of a wax resist.

The postcard was the first piece of found paper added to the collage. The other pieces of paper were added to provide interest and detail.

The different layers of paper as well as the detailed background provide a great deal for the viewer to interpret. I used this activity to symbolize the amount of information, events, and commitments that can consume a modern woman's life.

There is pattern, texture, and color layered and competing for the viewer's attention. I used the pattern pocket to be a barrier from the woman.

She is so together. She looks almost perfect. I was struck by the contrast to the amount of stuff she stands beyond. I added the paper that provide the title "Now Open for Visitors" To communicate the idea that so many woman think that their lives have to be perfect before they can open it for visitors.

One to Fifteen

2009-10-05T19:34:00.002-05:00

This collage is the second in my card series. You see the post card here with numbers. It appears that the numbers are being used to keep track of something.

The iris is here, again. It is printed on a piece of grid graph paper. The colors of the papers match the distressed palette of the background. The young lady appears deep in thought, perhaps calculating something. I imagine she is calculating the acceptance of a ring, and thus the found ring advertisement. She appears suspended in time between the post card and the iris.

Say We're In Love

2009-08-14T17:01:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time.

It has been a long time, and I do not know why.

Maybe, the iris just wore me out. So, here is a new series.

I recently bought a box of old post cards. They all have a hole punched in the corner. Some have numbers written on them, some do not. On the other side there is a picture of a store. This is my new series.

Here you see the post card on a wax distressed background. I picked the found papers in a warm complementary pallette. The found text that provides the title is a piece of old sheet music. The remaining found items provide a hint of future that promises. It is the promise and hope that someone implies when they say "say we're in love."

Cut A, B

2009-04-10T15:16:00.002-05:00

I love self confident women. I love the sense of mystery and power that they exude. I think that a powerful woman has a certain undeniable magic. It is like everyone knows how hard it is and they somehow listen. Isn't that what power really is. . . the power to make everyone listen.

This collage pictures two very different women. Both women have a sense of self confidence and mystery. They could be mother and daughter. The collage has a painted background with distressed colored wax (crayon) . I layered different found papers to create a rhythm and interest.

Since this is a collage in my iris series, here it is, again.

The title paper is from a sewing pattern. This paper is great stuff. It is nearly transparent when glued. The palette is just wonderful. This one is in a frame hanging on my wall.

Day Of March

2009-03-21T15:34:00.002-05:00

I love the background in this collage. It is watered down acrylic paint. I merely left the brush go wherever. There is a sense of mystery and darkness about the brush strokes. It was really that sense of mystery that guided the creation of this collage. This unusual for me, as I normally take my inspiration from a picture or a found paper.

I repeated the mystery by using only a piece of the found marriage certificate and a blank tag.

I used the print of the iris on rice paper to cover the young women. I wanted to again to imply mystery.

I think that most of us keep parts of ourselves a mystery. Some of us do it intentionally, others do it without even knowing they do so. Some of do it to protect ourselves, others do it because they can not be honest.

Why do you do it?

Health and Beauty Depend Largely

2008-04-26T15:57:00.003-05:00

The collage presented a real for me. Collages sometimes to that to me. I have had times when a collage has appeared in minutes. I have had times when it has taken months to complete a collage. I have yet other collages that still sit on a pile in my studio.

I started with this wonderful distressed painted background. I had added the salmon colors of paper and got stuck. It sat staring at me for more than a month. I found the advertisement and then played with the vintage wallpaper, and picture to get a sense of balanced composition.

On my piles of ever present paper, I found this young girl. She appears the picture of youth and endless opportunities.

The ever present iris is printed in tissue paper. I placed the tissue paper over the girl to partially hide her. I wanted to present the idea that youth and beauty are not what they seem.

The orange foil from a wine bottle cam last. It provide some balance, texture, and interest.

Once It Was Empty

2008-04-12T09:37:00.002-05:00

I created this collage for the International Collage Exchange.

It is yet another exploration of my iris.

There is something so captivating about this flower.

I remember the day I carved it. I placed the piece of linoleum in the sun for about 30 minutes. When I started to carve the sun had made the surface soft. The lines were seamless.

For this collage, I concentrated on color, texture, and form.

The background is several layers of acrylic paint. The found papers are layered based on their color and texture rather than any context. The paper that adds the title, Once It Was Empty, was selected for it's graphic nature.

In Witness, Where of

2008-03-08T08:37:00.006-05:00

This collage is my first attempt at a transfer technique. The collage starts with a plain pale blue background. There are layers of found paper, and of course the linocut iris. The iris is printed on the inside of a congratulations on your wedding greeting card. The paper to the left is a found legal document of some kind. It is filled with legal terms. It is the legal phrase, "In Witness, Where of" that provides the title of the collage. The contrast of a wedding as a civil legal service and a religious celebration of love has always fascinated me. I then found the picture of the woman in a current issue of Vogue. She looks dreamily in a moment of contemplation. I think that is ironic that her dreaming head is transferred over the legal terms and language.

Free Space

2008-02-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite collages. It started with a very Robert Motherwell like painted background. I added the vintage text for a novel and the vintage bingo papers. The large numbers contrast the small type on the page of the novel. I added the picture of a woman to the center. This contradicts one of the leading guidelines for good composition. I then inked a linocut of an iris with red ink, and printed it directly on the collage. The end result is dramatic.

The title Free Space is borrowed from the bingo card center space. In my mind that woman is dreaming about freedom from her conventional society ties and the "Free Space" that awaits her if she dares to break free.

So Young So Lovely

2007-12-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

I found the Vintage advertisement with the text "So Young So Lovely [Until She]" in an 1950s magazine. I was so struck by the idea that over 50 years ago women heard the message that physical beautiful was something a woman should be working toward. The text became the motivation for the collage. I added the music as symbolic of the rhythm of the constant refrain of society that a woman be physically beautiful.

I removed the head of the women to emphasize my point. The found papers provide balance and interest.

Conspicuous

2007-12-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

This collage is another Iris collage. Although you can not tell, it is larger than all the other iris collages. It's larger size allows for larger images. I took advantage of this fact by using a larger image of a young modern woman. The magazine image was cut across the top of her hat. It used a white oil stick to add the missing piece of hat. I love that she has the hat tipped so deep that you can not see her eyes. I added the vintage advertisement for contrasting content. Image of the American lady in her hat is so different from the modern woman. The fact that the add is for corsets add additional contrast. The layers of found and made papers add depth and distance.

The found paper with the word "Conspicuous" adds texture, and interest. It also suggests the meaning of the collage.

The Chase

2007-10-20T06:57:00.000-05:00

This is another collage in my iris series.
The iris print is on a advertisement for a diamond wedding ring. The ring is probably not immediately recognizable to the viewer.
The diamond ring and the idea of it's importance was my motivation for this collage.
The background red color of the collage was created to closely match the background color of the advertisement. I wanted it to be hard to see where the print ended and the background started. For me this is symbolic of the chase for the diamond ring. The chase itself becomes so consuming that you can not see what is real and unreal.
I added the frame to the iris print. For me this underlines the idea that we can frame almost anything in our lives and make it look like something it is not.
I added the distressed woman from a vintage magazine.
Most of the collage is covered with handmade paper than contains fabric fibers. This adds to the symbolism of the piece.
The title, "The Chase" provides some hint to the viewer, but really allows the viewer to create their own story.

The Speech Of The Angels

2007-10-01T06:41:00.000-05:00

This is another collage in my iris series.

For this collage, I printed the iris on the background support rather than an additional piece of paper.

I placed all the found paper in layers on the other side of the collage. This orientation creates layers of meaning that appear to contain the iris.

The contrast of all the paper and bare background is hardly noticeable due to the design of the iris.

The found papers are a collection of items that I think help to communicate the "things" of life. The found paper with the phrase "The Speech of the Angels" provides the title and implies the meaning. The angels are talking to us telling us to slow down.

Live A Colorful Life

2007-09-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

Another in my Iris series . . .

As I was sorting through stacks of vintage magazines, I came across the text that adds the title to this piece.

Live a Colorful Life was part of a laundry detergent advertisement. It held my attention and provided the inspiration for this collage. I added the background papers in a neutral palette to contradict the colorful life the advertisement recommends. Everything in the background is in a organic hue that seems to be the opposite of colorful. The picture of the woman is also from a vintage magazine. She seems to be providing the advise, but not living it.

I think most of us want to live more colorful lives. We sometimes get stuck in a background of monochromatic colors.

Don't Fool With A Chill

2007-08-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

Another Iris Series Collage . . .

This collage was inspired by a picture from a modern fashion magazine of a woman a green and black dress. The contrast between the black and green as well as the graphic nature of the dress drew and kept my attention.

I created the background with layers of crayon that I melted and distressed.

I added a iris linocut in the same organic palette.

The vintage tag has nothing written on it, implying emptiness.

The vintage photo was perfect for the palette. Her facial expression is priceless, and lead me to the vintage text "Don't Fool With A Chill" that provides the title.

The phrase was so instructive, and personal. It is not wise to fool with a woman's chill.

Chicks

2007-08-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

Yet another collage in my iris series. I can not get enough of this linocut or the image of the flower.

The iris in this collage is literally framed with vintage and found paper. It gives the allusion of a large painting hanging on the wall of a cafe where a young woman waits.

The found Text "Chicks" provides not only the title, but also the idea of youth and naivete.

The was one of my first experiments in cutting the form out of the surrounding paper.

What a Pity

2007-08-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

This another collage in my iris series. In this collage the iris takes the center stage. The layers of a vintage Literature book symbolize leaves. The red rice paper adds some dimension, while the patterned vintage paper provides some interest and repeats an organic feel. The vintage text, photograph, and iris linocut provide are behind a beautiful flowered rice paper.

I was drawn to this vintage text. The girl vows she will never marry again, and he predicts she will be married within a year. Everyone else says "What a Pity". I feel like I have witnessed this very scene may times in my life.

One Hundred

2007-06-03T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is one of the collages in my iris series. Instead of the full print of the iris you only see the iris flower. The iris is printed on a paper that has a floral print. The added texture makes the iris different. The horizontal lines of the iris print are balanced by the vertical lines of the different papers. The vintage woman sees austere as she looks into the layers of the paper. An vintage counter check with the hand written amount of "One Hundred" provides the title.

"The Habit of Saying"

2007-04-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

The is another collage in my iris series.

The iris is printed on a piece of handmade rice paper. The rice paper provides a great transparency.

The iris provides balance and contrast to the female figure.

The text "The Habit of Saying" provides both the focal point and the title. The other papers are more about textures and color rather than context.

Here Without Him

2007-04-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

This collage is the first in a series that I am doing that include my iris linocut.

I created this iris linocut about 2 years ago. It is an iris that I cut in a piece of linoleum. I use it with ink to create a print of an iris. I am drawn to this flower. It is delicate and beautiful. In Victorian times the iris was often thought to symbolize virginity.

I selected a print of the iris on a brown paper bag. It provides a great contrast to the woman in her fur coat and diamond jewels. I placed the other pieces of paper on top of the iris to communicate distance. The vintage letter with the text "Here Without Him" provides the title.

Their Perfidy and Lies

2007-04-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

Perfidy means a betrayal of trust. This Collage gains it's title "Their Perfidy and Lies" from the text and picture found in a vintage magazine. The look of betrayal on the their faces drew me to the image. I cut the figures apart and then collaged them together to symbolize the divide between two people when trust is broken.

The gold leaf and rice paper add textures. The gold also provides symbolism. The found paper is picture of a women's handbag. The black color provides balance.

First Husband

2007-03-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

Another collage that did not make the cut for the collage exchange.

The inspiration was the found text that also provides the title "First Husband".

I find the idea of the title cynical and realistic at the same time.

I selected found paper that would provide a interesting palette. I the kissing couple photo is black and white. This sets them apart from the rest of the collage. I decided to tear the couple into strips to provide interest and foreboding.

25

2007-03-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

I created this collage for entry into The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange. I decided to not include this collage in my selections, because I could not part with it.

I started the collage with this a mottling of black over red for the background. This color served as the inspiration for selecting other papers. The flowered paper and the gold paper provide interest and richness. The vintage advertisement adds interest and context. The found picture of the woman echos the nostalgia of the advertisement. I added the calling card to provide repetition and balance.

The title comes from the number 25 at the bottom of the advertisement. The young woman was also located on page 25 of the catalogue.

How Many Ways Can A Man Pay A Debt

2007-03-17T06:45:00.000-05:00

This my thirteenth and final collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

The background provides mood and texture in this collage.

The layers of paper provide different colors and patterns.

I used a found piece of text from a old math textbook. It provides the title "How Many Ways Can A May Pay A Debt".

I placed the vintage photo against the image of the young woman to provide contextual contrast.

Forty Broad Street

2007-03-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

This my twelfth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

The inspiration for this collage is the found picture of a woman on her way to somewhere. She is in the midst of moving something. She is waving at someone or possibly hailing a taxi. Her stance implies movement. I used the music to provide a symbolic rhythm or beat.

The neutral palette allows the woman to be the viewer's focus. The splash of sliver red provides interest and balance.

The Cast In Order of Appearance

2007-02-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

This my eleventh collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

I love when a movie credits the actors in the order in which they appear in the movie. It sends a message that all are equal.

The found text in this collage is from a playbill and provides the title "The Cast In Order of Appearance".

The I have layered different types of paper some with texture and some with prints. There is a sliver of a women in one piece of paper and doorway in the other. The border at the bottom serves as a boundary.

Each piece of paper suggests a time in space. The title suggests that each time is equal.

If The Members Of An Equality

2007-02-26T11:25:00.000-05:00

This my tenth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

I work at a large table. On most days there are layers and layers of paper on the table. In fact, you can rarely see the tabletop for all of scraps of paper.

Every so often, I decide to create a collage using the scraps without putting to much thought into the meaning.

I created this collage in that fashion.

I am often amazed at how well collages created in this way work in terms of content and composition.

For This Space in the Program

2007-02-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

This my ninth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

For several years I have used these very simplistic female forms to symbolize the differences in women.

Here, I have printed a line of them on a vintage postcard.

One can barely read the writing through the women.

I used made and found papers to create space and depth, as well as interest to the otherwise neutral palette. The rice paper with fibers adds illusion.

The text "For This Space in the Program" is from an old playbill.

I think that we are all looking for our space in this program.

Beauty In A Bottle

2007-02-18T17:06:00.000-05:00

This my eighth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

The background is a very murky green blue black color.

There are 2 leaf linocut prints along the left side of the collage. These lend a organic sense and are symbolic of change.

The text if from a old advertisement for perfume. It provides the title "Beauty In a Bottle".

I have fragmented the advertisement and the picture of the young woman to provide emphasis and foreshadowing.

Winter Protection

2007-02-07T05:47:00.000-05:00

This my seventh collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

I used my iris linocut as the focal point for this collage.

I printed it on a Starbuck's paper bag. The black ink on the orange brown print is a nice contrast. The sliver of blue paper provide a complimentary color and the black paper provides balance. I added the found picture of a couple dancing at their wedding for interest and intrigue. I added the block letters spelling "ice cream" just for fun.

Many Hours By The Sun

2007-02-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

This my sixth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

I started this collage with a rich textured background.
The flowered paper and graphic found paper were next.
The woman, in her red tank seemed to fit in the collage.
The other paper seemed to frame her. The text is from a gardening textbook and adds many inferences. The photo from a wedding adds additional content.

Girl of the Month

2007-02-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

This my fifth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.

The small figure of a girl is a linocut I created. It is printed on a piece of old magazine with the words "Girl of The Month". The seductive young behind the layers of paper is thought to be the woman of the month. The layers of paper add to the complexity and the dialog.

Put Things Away Clean

2007-01-16T07:44:00.000-05:00

This my fourth collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.
I found this advertisement in a very old magazine. It adds the title "Put Things Away Clean" to this collage. The found blocks of paper add contrast and sense of complication and layeredness. The bottom most piece of paper us a magazine picture of a wedding dress.
The other piece of text tells of the hemlock tree. Hemlocks are poisonous. Hemlock is the purported poison used in the state commanded suicide of Socrates.
The contrast of these 2 thoughts fascinate me. I placed the dark red as the dividing line between the two thoughts.

Strange Interlude

2007-01-13T08:13:00.001-05:00

This my third collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.
The inspiration of this collage was the found paper of a young woman lying on a bed. The bed appears to be in an isolated cabin. I found the old text "Strange Interlude". The phrase seemed to immediately fit the picture. I placed the large square of black paper behind the image to add a sense of mystery and darkness. The other test says, "Look around NOW and choose the nearest exit to your seat." For me this emphasizes a desire to escape the strange interlude.

I Did It Myself

2007-01-07T15:53:00.000-05:00

This my second collage for The 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.
The phrase "I Did It Myself" stands as the only text in this collage. The viewer might assume that the veiled woman did it herself, or did the woman in the provocative attire do it herself?
I wanted the collage to be all about questions. I wanted the viewer to provide all the answers.

The Grand Rush Has Been On

2007-01-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

I created this collage as part of my submission of for the 9th International Collage Exhibit and Exchange.
The title and inspiration came from the piece of old letter. I have torn the letter in many pieces. The piece included in this collage contains the words "Since school began the grand rush has been on".
I read these words and thought of the rush many people are in to accumulate trophies. Some of these trophies are materials, while others are people.
The dark paint background provides a dark premonition, while the picture of the young woman and the jeweled paper hint of the allure of the trophies.

Alone, but Thin

2006-12-22T08:43:00.000-05:00

About a 2 years ago, I completed a series linocut prints. The prints were very simple female forms. Each form was intended to symbolize the different shapes of the female body. The figure that stands just left of center is my thinnest female form. She appears fragile in her thinness. Her head sits gently on the top of her shoulders her upper body barely attaches to her lower body, but she is thin. She looks vulnerable and isolated.
This collage is made of only 4 pieces of paper excluding the support watercolor paper. I tore each piece and layered them.
I think the laying creates complexity and questions. I used a glue that would create wrinkles in the paper. This added texture adds to the complexity.
Being thin, can not be what this life is all about. There has to be a pursuit of something other than the ideal body image.

Sadie Hawkins

2006-11-05T19:47:00.000-05:00

Every Year my High School would hold a Sadie Hawkins Dance. This event provided an opportunity for girls to invite guys. It was the one time that it was OK for a girl to be assertive enough to ask a boy on a date. It was permission to step outside the safety of waiting to be asked, and do the asking. It was a chance that he was just to shy to ask you, so if you asked him, and he said yes, it would end in magic.

The young girl in collage holds her large diamond dressed hand to her neck. She seems fragile and unsure. I think she seems unsure of her future as a married woman, even though she sports such a magnificent promise on her ring finger. The found text "Sadie Hawkins" introduces the viewer to idea that the women's desire is commanding. The layered paper add a sense of tension and complexity. The other text simply states, "The Substance of Things Hoped For". I tore the collage in half because the continued hoping takes a toll.

Three

2006-10-28T07:18:00.000-05:00

This collage began when a piece of 1950s magazine art picturing a little girl and her carriage was lying next to the modern black and white magazine photo of the woman on my counter. The 2 pieces of found paper seemed to be in contradiction to one another. The lifetime changes that a woman can allow or embrace seemed explained in these 2 pieces of paper.

I decided to allow the little girl to provide the only splash of color in the collage. I think this adds a sense of magic to her. I wanted the rest of the collage to stay in the same palette as the background color. The woman in black and white provides a stark contrast. I reinforced the contradiction by facing the woman away from the little girl, as if she is turning her back on the child. The linocut iris print and a wash of gold paint help outline the contrast.

I added the torn playing card, because turning away from your childhood persona is a gamble.

Baked Cheeseburger

2006-10-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

This collage makes me smile for 2 reasons.

The first reason is the whimsical art deco feel. The black and white tissue paper and the green and white wallpaper scrap remind me of an old diner. The cheeseburger recipe makes me think of the comfort food on the menu, simple and safe. I can just picture a 1950s diner with folks eating cheeseburgers, frenchfries, and drinking sodas.

I also love that the collage works against a central composition no no of not placing an area of interest in the center. The recipe with the block print of female forms is center stage.

Combing Makes the Difference

2006-09-25T08:01:00.000-05:00

The image of this woman leaning forward was so intriguing to me.
I love her pose, it suggests such confidence. I think the red in her dress communicates a kind of assurance.
I loved the contrast between the red in her dress and the background. I decided to use the same color for the background of the collage. I added the textured paper and red paper for balance.
The text is more about a block of color and abstraction than about the words.

The found paper, "Combing" Makes the difference provides the meaning and the irony to this collage.
There is no amount of combing that can provide the kind a self image this woman exudes.

Hatchet

2006-09-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

The textured background, the color palette, and the splattered paint create drama in this collage.
The single bolded word, Hatchet communicates volumes. It communicates not only a common tool, but the violent nature of the tool.
The next layered paper contains the word Flowerless Plants. To me this phrase is referencing the women that has no children. The small child provides the hint. The hand writing symbolizes time.
The poem reads"
"Though we are weak and sinful
And wander far astray,
Thou dost in loving-kindness send
New blessings day by day.

Of Sweetly Spiced Souls

2006-09-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

When I start a collage, I never really know what it is going to look like.
I can start with an idea or a image, and suddenly the collage has taken a turn that I did not suspect. It takes on a life or a persona of it's own.
This is just what happened with this collage.

I started with a yellow mustard watercolor background and the found papers on the left. The iris is from a lino block I carved. Once this had been placed the idea of using the torn old label as a frame could not be denied.

The bridge is a wrapper of chai tea with the words,
"Of Sweetly Spiced Souls"

All's Well That Begins Well

2006-08-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

Chaucer wrote that "love is blind", he believed that the intensity of romantic love blocks our ability to reason and remain objective. In our need to have love we sometimes overlook the signs that all is not well.

The couple in the collage are in the intense phase of their relationship. They have just begun their relationship and all is well. The text provides a tongue in cheek take on what lies ahead.

The lino print is a picture of a young girl arms folded behind her back in an apprehensive but naive stance provides compositional balance.

Varieties of Merit

2006-08-20T18:09:00.000-05:00

I created this collage for the 8th Annual International Collage Show. I was not able to part with it. So, I still have it. I think that it may be one that I keep for always.

I love the young woman's stance. It screams of self assurance. The length of her skirt and the fish net stockings just add to you knowing that she is just in control and loving it. She might even be using it. The vintage car in the background seals the deal. She is no fading violet.

The constructed cross provides a contrast both in content and composition.

Hands Tell

2006-08-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by this picture of a woman's hands. The way she holds her collar. You can see the years of her life worn by her hands.

I look at my hands and I see my grandmother and mother. My middle finger on my right hand gently curves to the right, just as my grandmother's did. My fingers are short and fleshy just as my mothers are today.

The wrinkled paper is worn by gold paint and black crayon.
The window symbolizes the looking into a person that is possible when look at someone's hands.

Picture Perfect

2006-08-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Perfection is so seductive. Many people spend countless years chasing the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect life.
Never is perfection so ardently pursued as a wedding day. Women look for the perfect dress, the perfect reception site, the perfect cake. The dark spatters of India ink bring reality to this collage.
The reality that perfection is only in our minds.

Perma-Lift

2006-08-19T18:58:00.000-05:00

As time passes, it changes things. It changes a beautiful flower. It changes a beautiful body. There isn't anything that escapes the passage of time. The woman in this collage seems hopeful that she has found her answer. However, the large looming clock and the soiled paper communicate the reality.

Hahn

2006-08-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

For me, this collage is about balance. The collage is a balance of the mechanical pen marks and the organic nature of the leaf. There is a balance of the large black found paper foil and the india ink run at the top.
The color of the ledger paper and the leaf provide additional balance.

This is such a simple collage, but it's impact always delights me.