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Friday, January 1, 2016

Ahead of the Game...


Happy New Year! Wanting to continue to explore new avenues of art, I signed up for Lenna's Creative Swap for 2016. This swap is closed now, but you can see the details there along with links for her many previous swaps. This is the first swap Lenna has conducted after a break, and she chose collage as our focus. Thirty of so of us will make three 5" collages on watercolor paper Lenna sent us, and using bits she included combined with our own supplies. They aren't due till the end of January, but look- I completed mine already! It was such an absorbing endeavor that I just kept pawing though all the paper and ephemera, grouping the pieces and letting ideas "percolate". I challenged myself to use only black and white for one of the small collages, and this is the result. It includes the out-of-control, swirling playing cards image plus security envelope, lace, fabric elements, shell, and of course the quote about our "plans," which can also swirl out of control at times!



Next, these "old world" images kind of came together. I love the vintage look. I also tried to incorporate some texture and dimension in each collage by using fabric, flowers, or beads. Doing these became an exercise in building collage confidence. I'm not experienced at it, so it's a good stretch.



Between fabric scraps and bits of paper I just can't toss, my sewing room gets wild and wooly at times. It's a lot like those swirling playing cards above. Maybe that's why I was drawn to that image. The Williston Peanuts is from their business card and I've held onto it for awhile just because I like the font, the color, the graphic. Apparently it was just waiting to be combined with images and papers to create this piece.




I was having so much fun (and had so many bits and pieces strewn around) that I decided to make a fourth collage for Lenna as hostess of the swap. I learned a bit about adhesives in making these. Attaching the citrus mesh over top of this collage took some ingenuity, but it's pretty secure. Glossy accents, Uhu Gluestick, and my small Xyron that turns paper into stickers all came in handy! I'll mail these off in the coming week and look forward to seeing what others have come up with.


4 comments:

Nancy said...

Nancy, these are outstanding. Each one has a voice with it's perfect composition. I'd say you have mastered this art form.....Happy New Year.....

Robbie said...

I just love these!!! You are so good at collage work!!! Very good eye for sure! What fun!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

As someone who also loves collage, I would say you have done an excellent job of pulling pieces together to make four very fun collages.

I was explaining to my friend Sally the types of adhesive I used on a single mixed media piece. She was shocked at how much glue and how many different adhesives were actually needed to create these pieces, especially if they include more than paper. I have never owned a sticker xyron, but have it on my list of wants. I know whoever the recipient is of each of these pieces will be very, very happy.

creativelenna said...

So great to read this Nancy! Thank you, I have linked to it. For someone inexperienced at collage, you did really well AND you jumped in and played -that's the ticket!