This week, I’m working on incorporating stencils into my collages. In spite of the fact that I do this ALL THE TIME in printmaking, I haven’t really done much with it in collage. My initial moves are pretty minimal:
What I really like about collage is that it seems like a purely compositional exercise. I know…all forms of art are concerned with composition. But in collage, one can simply arrange found scraps of paper…it’s the arrangement that is the creation. Sure, some people make their own collage material…and one can certainly draw, paint, stencil, etc. on a collage. But at its most basic…collage (2d) is a composition of found papers. I find it really challenging.
I have a book of collages by Richard Meier (famous architect). They’re amazing. SO simple…yet so beautiful and provocative. He does mark his collages, so he isn’t a collage “purist”, so to speak. In grad school, we could only work with found papers, the collage had to be rectangular, and no additional marks were to be made. I know…these are more reasons why I didn’t enjoy that class.
Filed under: Collage, Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: art, artist, Collage, print, printmaking, Visual Arts
So, I did a bit of a crazy thing. I signed up to have my “portfolio” reviewed by professionals in the local art world…gallery owners, curators, etc. The Cambridge Art Association has organized this. Each artist gets three, 20 minute conversations with three different reviewers. This seemed like a great idea when I signed up. Now, I’m panicking.
I realized, after signing up, that this is a very formal interview. Think of it as a job interview for artists. I thought that I could casually bring a pile of my work, and just talk about what seems to have potential. This is NOT what is supposed to happen. I am supposed to have a clear, coherent portfolio of around 8 works/images to discuss. I am presenting myself and my work, as if I was trying to get them to offer to show my work. This is…serious.
As a result, I am in a bit of a panic. What am I going to show them? Which one of these varied things is going to be my “thing”…my “artistic vision”? My vision feels blurry right now. I now believe that I must create something BRILLIANT in the next couple of weeks. When I puts this kind of pressure on myself…a kind of paralysis ensues. I’m freaking out. I also realize that I CANNOT mention this blog, lest they read about my panic. That wouldn’t be very professional, I think.
So, I somehow have to get my act together very quickly. I do wish that I could miraculously come up with some brilliant things in the next week or so. I have a feeling that’s not reasonable.
Sigh. Now, onto other matters of panic…
I’m taking a collage class. This also stresses me out. In graduate school, I took a collage class. It was traumatizing. I think that I have mentioned it before in a previous post. Anyway, I am hoping that this class is more relaxed, and doesn’t make me break out in a cold sweat every time I see a glue stick.
Here are the random things that I did in the last class:
We were supposed to do a collage about ourselves…in 20 minutes. That’s what I came up with. Hmmm…I won’t explain.
This is the next collage, where we had to use one entire page of a magazine to make the collage:
I kind of liked that one. This next one was supposed to be an “all text” collage. I was in a rush, as I ran out of time because I was chit-chatting with my classmates.
Kind of silly. This was sort of refreshing, though, as our collages in grad school ALWAYS had to be rectangles with clean edges. Yawn.
Here is the other color scheme of that lino print from before. I’m disappointed with it.
Okay, pay attention:
Has anyone out there done an “artist interview”? Any words of wisdom? I know. Don’t panic. Seriously…besides “not panicking”, anything else to think about? How do you decide what to present, when your work is so varied? Don’t say, “avoid participating in interviews”, or “get your act together”. That’s obvious, and not helpful.
Maybe I should wear a disguise and use a fake name…KIDDING (I think).
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts..., painting | Tags: arts, chicken, Collage, drawing, Igloo, Ink, painting, Rainbow Brite, sketching, watercolors
Well, this just about does it. Apparently, we are getting MORE snow. I’ve heard between 4 and…21 inches??? What kind of estimate is THAT? Anyway, all of this snow has put me over the deep end. I’m bracing myself for two days of winter ugliness. My husband has possibly embraced this whole snow thing more than I have…this is the IGLOO in our front yard that he built for my son:
Yes, you know it’s bad when you have an igloo on your front lawn. Hey, at least I’m not LIVING in an igloo. Sometimes, I am so cold in the house that it feels like an igloo. I’ve typed the word, “igloo” so many times now, that it’s starting to look weird. Hence, I am losing my grip on reality with all of this ice-hut-building/snowball-eating/northeast-cursing/blood vessel-bursting/stir-crazy/cabin-fever weather.
I’m trying to fight S.A.D. by using obnoxious colors. I’m not sure that it’s working for me.
Do any of you remember the toy, “Rainbow Brite“? I feel like I’m channeling her…
These are my neurons when I heard that we were getting more snow…
Now, I’m completely regressing…
I did this ages ago, and never wanted to post it. Well…I think that this is the time to post such randomness…
If this week is a series of snow days…you may not hear from me in awhile. I’ll be holding a plastic Elmo figurine and mumbling to myself in the corner of the room while my son asks me to “make Elmo talking…”
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, Calvin Coolidge, Collage, drawing, Graduate school, inspiration, Manwich, President, United States, Visual Arts
Hey all…not much free time lately…on account of there being SIXTEEN INCHES OF SNOW outside. Seriously. Our two lane street, is now a 1.5 lane street. Sidewalks? We don’t need no stinkin’ sidewalks! Can you tell that I’m a bit crotchety?
So, I’ve not had the free time that I dream of lately. As a result, my work has been minimal…mostly black & white. I did attempt a collage at the end…you’ll see my Manwich reference. I am sort of scared of collage. I think that I already told the story of taking a collage class in grad school, and the teacher not liking any of my stuff. This kind of stuck with me. I didn’t disagree with him, really.
I also have to say, going to the Leonard Drew exibit was so amazing, yet so depressing. I mean…seriously, when I see stuff like that…I just wonder WHY I bother at all. No joke. I’ve been feeling rather uninspired and droopy lately, on account that I am not a brilliant artist. Go figure. I know…I have to pick myself up and just keep going.
I’m going to share with you my favorite quote of all time. It typically helps me pick myself off the floor when I often find myself there. In all honesty, I have basically built my life around it:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are alone omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
– Calvin Coolidge
And so I press on…
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: art, Collage, painting, printmaking, Visual Arts
So, I didn’t hear from many on you on my question regarding posting EVERY DAY. Perhaps I should interpret your silence as polite pleading not to innundate you with posts.
Clearly, I’m ignoring this for now. The first image is my 365 creation from yesterday. It’s so much better to photograph with sunlight.
detail:
This was obviously a departure from the printmaking stuff. Well, I take that back…as that isn’t really obvious. This was a collage/painting.
I also took another stab at another print in the series of the cartoonish guy. It turned out so-so…I took away too much red ink.
detail:
I’m not sure that I have much more to say with him. We’ll see. Here is a print using yet ANOTHER type of ink…oil based:
detail:
I wasn’t too thrilled with it. I think that the general technique has some interesting possibilities (if I was Picasso), but I’m going to have to try again.
Here are a couple of experiments:
I photoshopped out two big smudges in the margins of this last one. I know. That’s kind of cheating. If I wasn’t so sloppy, I wouldn’t have to do that!
Thumbs up? Down? No comment? I am so looking forward to my classes, as I feel that I am fumbling around with a lot of these printmaking materials. Also, feedback from my teacher/classmates will be good (or OTHERS…hint..hint).
🙂
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: art, Collage, Graduate school, Visual Arts
Okay, here is my print for the day. Again…not so good. (try to be surprised) It took me a couple of hours. I know. Doesn’t look like it. The collage part took a while. I’ve been pretty hesitant to do any type of collage work. I took a collage course in grad school with this pretty well respected painter teaching it. Anyway, he didn’t think much of what I did. Neither did I. As a result, I’ve kept my distance from collage, as I have decided that I’m bad at it. Now, as I’m trying to throw caution to the wind…I’m trying it again. We’ll see how it goes. I’m liking the whole glue stick thingy. It feels so “elementary school” and fun.
[okay…once again, i couldn’t leave well enough alone. i messed with this print…see below. notice the smudgy fingerprints now in the margins…nice!]
okay, so i photoshopped out all of my smudgy prints, as they’re sloppy and distracting:
slightly wonky 
