So, I had an AMAZING weekend collage workshop with Alexandra Sheldon, an artist in Cambridge. I had such a blast. Thanks to the kindness of my DH, I was able to go. (thankyouthankyouthankyou). Alexandra focuses on the creation of collage material, as well as the actual making of collages. I’m not sure what I enjoyed the most: mixing up a color palette of bright paints…learning all sorts of crazy ways to make cool collage material…furiously working on collages…or generally yakking away about life in general. It was such a ridiculous treat for me. The other women in the class were fabulous. I learned so much from everyone…each person’s work was so fantastic…and different. We all had such a good time that we’re trying to get together again as a group! I hope that I can go.
So, I have quite a few collages from the weekend. Some of them happened somewhat quickly…some of them took a long time. I couldn’t tell you how long, as I was sort of in a collage trance as I was working on them. Here’s the first one:
Kind of cute, right? It always takes me ages to get “warmed up”. If I compare this to the last collages that I made in the one other course that I took with Alexandra, I think that I already made some progress. You can check an older post to see the previous ones. Then, I started to work on bigger collages…it’s hard to tell here, as I shrink them down to fit the page…
That one was a real struggle for me at a certain point. I was trying to push myself to use found materials as well, but it was making me so stuck. Alexandra suggested that I go back to my own papers. This helped me get though being stuck, I added the enormous orange rectangle on the collage, and felt MUCH happier with it. After that, I pretty much didn’t get myself bogged down with trying to use found materials. Some people in the class were very good at using found stuff…but I had a harder time with it. I think that I did this one next:
I really like this one. I love the colors that I made, and the crazy textures that we experiemented with were really fun. Next:
Again, I love the color combo. I find these so much fun to make. I can totally get into that art-trance, and I’m happy as a clam.
That one might be my favorite. It took quite a long time, relatively speaking. I just like it.
We also tried to do several fast collages…just to work as intuitively as possible. I find this really hard, as it does take me time to get warmed up. I’m not as crazy about these ones:
and:
These are back to the small size, as I didn’t know if I could do a big one in 15 minutes. They were so-so. After these two, I went back to the larger size. Here is my attempt to keep things simple:
Well, I was trying to keep it simple, but I have a tendency not to do that well. I did manage to stop myself before things got too clarty. Then, I switched to a horizontal format:
I liked this, and I felt that it was taking me in a new direction. I kept going with this direction and got this:
I was happy with these, as I felt that I had shifted into something different than before. I’m not sure if that’s evident to you, but for me there was a change. Then, I started getting very layered with textures and image transfers:
Image transfers are taking a printed image and using matte medium to get the picture to transfer onto another surface. This was initially hard for me, again because I struggle with found imagery. But, once I started layering the transfers, then I was much happier. This was the last complete one that I did. This next one I didn’t finish, but I’m including anyway…
It’s blah and not done, but I’d thought that I’d post everything from the weekend.
Comments? I have the distinct feeling that the general population is not keen on collages. I asked my DH what he thought of them, and if he wasn’t keen on them either…he admitted that he did think that they were “random”. Sigh. I appreciate the honesty. Here’s my dilemma: I like doing these, but I wonder if I’m the only one who likes them? I know that my friend, KP, is not too keen on collages either (right???). I asked my DH if he would like these more if they were paintings instead. He wasn’t sure. I have a feeling that he would! Again, I have this sense that people can’t see beyond the fact that collages are made of pieces of paper. Yes, I do recognize that it could really just be MY collages that are the issue. Hmmm.
So, does anyone out there have any thoughts on collage in general? Is it really a medium that either resonates with people, or leaves them cold? Thoughts?
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, drypoint, intaglio, print, printmaking, visual art
I have a few new, drypoint prints to show. These are a bit different that the woodcuts that I just posted. I got some positive feedback on the woodcuts…so, what do you think about these prints? Comments? Do you like the woodcuts better, or are these interesting in their own way? Feedback, please!
I’m going to post them in the order that I made them. I really liked how this one above turned out. The odd, prickly image is a magazine clipping of a strange sea creature. I loved how it looked, so I thought that it would look cool incorporated into a print. This odd sea creature is making me think of my odd plant woodcut. Maybe there is actually a theme here. Next print:
I also like this one. I like the punchy, graphic quality with the scratchy marks. I may do more like this one. Next:
You can see the red plate printed again here on another magazine scrap. I thought that the vertical arrangement in the photo of the people worked well with the long plate. I think that this one initially looks abstract, until you notice that there are figures in the print. Next:
I was on the fence about this print above. I wondered if it was too “even”, without any focus. Someone in my print class thought that it was nice, but does anyone else have a comment? As this is not a big print, perhaps it doesn’t need much more. The print size is only 3″ wide x 7.5″ tall…thoughts?
It’s so hard to decide what kind of printmaking to do. I loved the woodcuts, but I also like doing these intaglio prints. I feel that I should have a certain aesthetic that I build on, but you can see that my aesthetic thus far is rather varied. I suppose only time will tell, right?
Any artist out there have a suggestion on how you narrowed down your focus to get a unified body of work?
Any non-artist have thoughts on this as well?
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, print, printmaking, visual art, woodblock printing, Woodcut
Last night’s woodcut print class was great. I brought two large woodcuts, and a smaller one. Annie, the teacher, did a great job by suggesting that I combine the two woodcuts to make a single print. So, here is the first print, which was from the woodblock shown in the last post:
I liked this one, even though it’s kind of crazy. The orange splotches are shellac, which wasn’t quite dry yet. Those won’t appear again. This was my second block, which I thought ended up rather dull:
I wanted to do something very different than the first. I did something vaguely architectural, just to get it out of my system. It seems a bit lifeless to me. Then, I threw together this tiny one:
I abandoned this one, as I didn’t really have a plan for it. I paired the first two blocks together, which I think looks kind of interesting:
I might stick with this size of block, and do other combinations like this. All of these prints are on newsprint, unfortunately. Maybe next week, I’ll switch to real paper. Newsprint will crumble in a few years.
So, here is the first of the hybrid, mutant plant prints:
Hilarious, right? I love it. I was totally apathetic about the architectural block at first, but now I think it’s so funny to have this crazy plant thing in the mix. So, this was the improved version:
I love this! So funny. I love the craziness invading the staid architectural space. I think that I may do more of these combinations. What do you think? I really like this type of printmaking. The colors are beautiful…I love the messy, handmade quality of the marks…and the layering is so interesting. I need to build up an inventory of blocks, so that I can do some more layering. So many possibilities!
Here’s a scrap of my newsprint, which I thought looked neat as well:
I’m itchy to carve/print more of these. Luckily, my poison ivy has gone, so THAT itchy has gone away…
Filed under: Collage, printmaking | Tags: art, artist, Collage, printmaking, visual art
I’m very sad that my collage class has just ended. It was so fun, and I think that I most enjoyed seeing everyone else’s work. It’s always amazing that we get the same assignment, but we have such a variety of responses. I was not finished with the collage that I showed in a previous post…it was an interpretation of a still life that the entire class created and composed. So, I worked on the collage a bit, and balanced it out. Here it is:
I’m much happier with it…it felt really “off kilter” before. So, during our last class, we needed to create an interpretation of this collage…so here it is!
I’m not sure if this one is completed yet…but I liked it. I’m still wondering about collage as an artistic medium. I have this sense that it isn’t considered a “serious” medium, like oil painting, etc. It sort of is a diversion that some great artists (and architects) have dabbled in. I think that if I made an oil painting…someone would consider that serious art. But, if I make a collage, then that’s just having fun. Is this how the art world thinks? Comments, anyone???
I still haven’t heard much from anyone out there on collage artists that you’d recommend. I think that I got one response! I’m familiar with Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch, Juan Gris and Georges Braque. Anyone else that I should look at????
I began to experiment with a sort of scratchy, collage type of printing. I’m not thrilled with them yet, but I think that they form a good basis for something more. Here is the first one:
Please ignore how “un-square” the print is…I still need to flatten these. I like the strength of the values in this one, but overal it’s a bit flat and needs more layering. Here was the ghost composition from this:
This has a more unified feel, but it is a bit pale for me. I changed the colors slightly here:
It’s too static, and needs something else breaking it up a bit. I’m still pondering what my next step is. Here is the ghost of this one:
I’m very neutral about these prints. I need to do more, but I’m trying to plan what that would be. I like some of the details, so perhaps I need to cut up all of the prints!
another:
another:
I’m also working on a chaotic woodblock. I’ll hopefully print this on Tuesday night. When I had to start cutting the block, I sort of drew a blank…as I hadn’t really any plan. The teacher told me to “just start making marks”, so I did. This is what resulted:
I know…total hodge podge. Still, I’m excited to see what it looks like. There are lots of fine lines that I also inscribed into the wood, which you can’t see here. So, we’ll see how the actual print turns out. I love cutting the wood…there is something very “zen” about it. Just don’t cut your finger. I think that it’s considered very “un-zen” to curse and bleed.
Filed under: Collage, printmaking | Tags: art, Collage, drypoint, print, printmaking, visual art, woodblock printing
So, I started a new class this week! This is good, as my collage class is ending tomorrow. My new class is woodblock printing with Annie Silverman, and I am so excited! She’s super talented, funny, and nice. It was great to see all of her work, and she got me started on a woodblock, which I can hopefully print next week! This is very different woodblock printing than the traditional Japanese technique of moku hanga. I took a weekend course this summer on that type of printing. This class is more free-form/free-wheelin’ woodcuts. Moku hanga, in my opinion, is sort of the opposite of free-wheelin’…it’s very precise…very methodical…very controlled…etc. So, I’m excited to try a new way.
I have another new print in this “dark” drypoint series. I tried to do something more with the background, but it came out a bit too subtle. Here’s the print:
So, the black area in this image is uniform…but there is actually some texture there that you can see better in this print:
See the texture? So, I tried to get a subtle figure in the background…but it was too subtle, in my opinion:
Hmmm…I want to pursue this idea, so I’m going to have to do it differently.
I also did a little collage this week for a friend:
I like how this turned out. I really like collage. I’m not sure that my collages are worth pursuing more seriously, or if this is just an artistic diversion that I’ll continue to simply play with. I don’t mean that collage isn’t serious…just that I’m not sure that I want to try to do any more than I’m doing at the moment. Any thoughts? I asked once before if anyone out there has a favorite collage artist…so I’ll ask again to see if I get any more responses:
Do you have a favorite collage artist? Who is it, and why?
It was a GORGEOUS day today…70 degrees and sunny…no humidity. We get just a few days in the year like this. I can’t imagine living in a place where it’s this lovely all year. BTW my poison ivy has subsided quite a bit, so it was just about 1 1/2 weeks of torture. I thought that it was a good sign that I woke up this morning, without having gotten up in the middle of the night to slather on more itch cream.
Maybe I’ll do a series about loathsome poison ivy?
Filed under: Collage, Drawing, printmaking | Tags: art, artist, Collage, doodles, drawing, printmaking, sketches, visual art
This week, I had some paralysis in deciding what to focus on. Therefore, I was a bit unfocused. I managed to mount one of my prints onto canvas. This is something that my printmaking teacher showed us. This was my first attempt to do it myself:
Can you see the shadow on the bottom and right edge? This is the print mounted onto canvas. See, here is the edge:
Much clearer, right? You will also note the difference in the colors of the print between the top and bottom picture. The bottom picture is closer to the true colors. I have to work on my camera skills, so that it doesn’t do odd things to the color of my prints, as in the uppermost picture.
Back onto mounting prints onto canvas: this is kind of an interesting way to turn a print into a painting of sorts. I’ve been told that it really only works with prints that are completely covered with ink…no areas of bare paper. The bare paper gets dirty too easily without a frame/glass. Interesting, right? It is a very laborious process, so I don’t think that I’m going to do too many of these. I wanted a 10″ x 12″ canvas, which of course, is an atypical size. So, I had to make and prime my own. Very tedious. But…I think that I like the result. I’m going to do one more of a related print, so that I’ll have a diptych.
As I mentioned, I was in indecisive/pensive/sketchy mode this week. Here are some of my sketchy ramblings:
and this one:
and this:
Don’t ask me what I was thinking about. These are just doodles. Why am I showing doodles? Because I was waffling on what to do, so I just grabbed a pen and scribbled. Coincidentally, my collage class also began with scribbles. Everyone had to bring in small boxes that they had “collaged” into. Then, we composed everyone’s boxes into different arrangements. THEN, we were asked to sketch different views and parts of the arrangement, as a basis for a 2D collage. So, here is my initial scribble sketch:
Yes, the objects are fairly unrecognizable…you may see a ribbon bow, an empty plastic tofu tub, crayons stuffed into a cigarette box…etc. So, based on this sketch, I was supposed to create a collage. This is what I did in class:
I was only really looking at the right hand area of the sketch. I think that this is interesting. I’m not sure if I’ll keep going with it, or just let it be. It’s always hard to find a stopping point, right? It seems a bit “even” to me…and I’m not so sure about the big slant on the right hand edge. Comments?
So, to address the “scratchy” in the post title: I managed to get poison ivy on my arm/hands. This is a very mild case of it, as I’ve had horrible poison ivy in the past. It is NOT fun, though. I noticed my son playing with a bush that he was standing near…and I realized that it was poison ivy. Needless to say, I panicked…took him home, scrubbed him down, and now I’ve got it on me. Luckily. he doesn’t have any! So, I either did a fabulous job scrubbing him, or he’s not allergic, or it’s his first exposure…so he won’t be so lucky next time. Why is there such a thing as poison ivy? Why? Whyyyy?
Filed under: Collage | Tags: art, Collage, Mixed media, Ursula von Rydingsvard, visual art
I went to see the work of Ursula von Rydingsvard at the DeCordova this week. She works mostly with massive hunks of red cedar, which she roughly saws to create soft, organic forms. The sculptures reference domestic items: bowls, spoons, plates. They are massive. She also marks the sculptures with graphite…you can see her sketchy pencil marks, notes, labels, arrows, etc….but she also uses the graphite to create marks that emphasize, or directly relate to, the forms. I liked seeing the marks of her “process”.
Some of the things that struck me were: the smell of the red cedar before you even enter the gallery…it’s a very strong smell. I can’t imagine what her studio/workshop must be like. Breathing in that air, thick with the smell of cedar, must be almost…noxious? Not for the faint of heart. Also, there were no obvious “fasteners”, or anything holding the forms together. I did notice one end of a threaded rod with a nut on the underside of a large bowl scuplture. But besides that…these enormous forms, while clearly composed of numerous individual pieces of wood, somehow formed a single piece. This seems effective, as you really focus on the wood, and there is an odd scale to all of them…a scale not related to a person. Seeing nails or screws would have eroded that scaleless quality.
These are really impressive works to see. But for some reason…they did not resonate with me as strongly as Leonardo Drew’s earlier show in the same space. I think that Drew’s work had small, very personal items buried in his large, tumultuous sculptures. von Rydingsvard’s work did not have that intimacy. Her works are imposing, bold, and beautifully made.
She also has some works of handmade paper with thread and pigment, which were amazing. Go see it!
My collage class this week was a bit of a challenge for me. We had to make three collages: the first was a collage with only found material, using squares/rectangles only…the second was an interpretation of the first, but with only handmade material, and the third was a combination of the two. As per usual, I had a really difficult time working with the found material. I really struggled with this! Here it is:
Hmmm. No matter what “found” material I am working with, I always feel that I don’t have good things to work with. I would be really interested to have myself and someone else work with the exact same magazine, and see how they work with these materials that I feel are “impossible”.
Here is the second one…which was an “interpretation” of this first one, but with only handmade material:
I guess I like that better…a bit more chaotic. The thing is…I wouldn’t made that collage from scratch. What I mean is: if I could have just made an independent collage, it would have been easier, and probably turned out better. Instead, I was trying to interpret the first one, which I found to be difficult…especially when I was lukewarm about the first one!
Here is the last one:
Hmm. I’m just much happier when I don’t have to work with photos or magazines. Comments? Suggestions?
So, who is your favorite collage artist? (besides me, of course…KIDDING!)
Filed under: Collage | Tags: art, artist, Collage, Mixed media, painting, visual art
So, this weekend…I took an afternoon collage class with Alexandra Sheldon. She is a local artist, who began as a painter…but now also does collage. Her work is so beautiful, and she has an amazing, intuitive sense about composition. She is also extremely enthusiastic, which creates a very fun atmosphere. This class was focused on edges in collage. We looked at hard/soft edges, their relation to one another and to the collage’s perimeter, and used all sorts of interesting techniques to create our collage material. I much prefer to use “made” material for a collage, rather than found material. I always struggle with found material…as it may have text that I don’t want, or simply be too strong of a singular image.
Here’s my first one…it took a little time to get “warmed up”:
I like the colors. Here is the next one…Alexandra suggested that I add the orange curve on the left…I’m glad that she did!
I think that cutting out the orange curve (hard edged), was not something that I would have thought of, but I like it. Here is the next one:
I really like the colors on that one. This is the next one:
That was one of my “exercises in restraint”. I was testing out different pieces, and another classmate said that the orange piece on the right was good. I agree! The last one:
My classmates liked the turquoise blue next to the yellow. I liked this one as well. I do think that the last one shows improvement over the first one. I guess this is typical…it takes a little time of working to just get “in the zone”. Alexandra suggested this might happen as the left side of the brain eventually stops interfering, when it isn’t being asked to participate. Interesting! I’d often like to tell the left side of my brain to “chill out” when it’s whining about things not being EXACTLY right, whatever that means.
I went to the Danforth Museum this week. I love that place. They had an exhibit of works by a local artist, Adria Arch. I really liked her painting…they almost looked screen printed to me. She works with “doodles”, or abstract symbols. I found that really interesting. Another artist also had work there: Elizabeth Keithline. I LOVED her work. She made figures out of wire which were amazing. It was really almost like looking at a computer generated wireframe of a human form, but it was standing in the room with you. I liked the fact that the forms were clearly handmade, and not overly precise, as a computer would do. Really extraordinary. Go see this show immediately, as it is going down on June 5. So worth it.
Happy Memorial Day!
Filed under: Collage, Drawing, painting | Tags: art, Collage, El Anatsui, Mixed media, Printmakers, printmaking, visual art
Today, I went to the Davis Museum to see the exhibit of El Anatsui. He’s an artist born in Ghana, who makes these amazing metal tapestries from discarded liquor bottle tops. Totally crazy. They’re a multicolored chainmail of trash…and they’re stunning. He also does ridiculously amazing sculpture and painting. Go see it now. Seriously. Why are you still reading this?
I keep thinking about this portfolio review. It’s really made me stop and ponder…I’m not sure that I’ve come to any brilliant conclusions. I just keep mulling it all over in my head again and again. Tumultuous.
As a result, everything that I’ve been doing is tumultuous. I started by just making marks in a “zen” sort of way…ended up with this weird garden:
Hmmm…a physical manifestation of the chaos of thoughts that I’m having…
I also made material for my collage class. Here is what the pile looked like earlier:
It’s a mix of relief prints…gelatin prints…and other randomness. I don’t think that I’m a big fan of gelatin printing. I like the immediacy of it, but I am never in awe of what is produced. I’m sure that I need to work on it some more…
I decided that I should attempt a couple of collages with this new material. I threw caution to the wind, and came up with these two:
and:
I liked using these materials for collage. I almost felt that I didn’t have to do too much to them, as they had so much character of their own. Naturally…I did too much to them anyway. Perhaps I’ve given up on restraint. Restraint can be so boring. Yes? No? Any comments? I don’t even drink anything with caffeine, so you can’t suggest that I cut back a little.
One of the challenges that I’m having in general, is that I like to do so many different things. I like printmaking…painting…drawing, etc. I think that I should try to focus on one, but each time that I do…I wonder if I’m narrowing down unnecessarily. I know that Picasso could make art with a potato and a dry stick, but the REST of us might do well with a bit of focus. True?
So, the theme for today is: wishing for focus, whilst seriously out of focus.
Is it any coincidence that I’m going to the eyedoctor tomorrow? I hope that those eye charts don’t start looking like my collages…
Filed under: printmaking | Tags: art, chine colle, drypoint, print, printmaking, visual art
It’s been SUCH a crazy week. I spent the whole week preparing for a portfolio review, which was held today. SO INTERESTING. I met with four reviewers: Philip Prodger of the Peabody Essex, Dina Deitsch of the DeCordova, Katherine French of the Danforth, and Jane Young of the Chase Young Gallery. It was fascinating to hear each of their reactions to what I presented, and their suggestions of how I might proceed. By the end of the morning, my head was spinning with all of their comments and thoughts. So much to think about…
P.P. suggested that I consider learning aquatint and soft ground etching. I think that he liked what I’ve been doing with the carborundum in my prints, and thought that aquatint/soft ground etching would benefit me. Both of those types of printmaking require acid, so I’ve not been able to try them. I think that he felt that my work was interesting and had potential. He seemed to like the complex layering and gestural mark making.
D.D. really liked my drypoints, and wanted me to push this further. I showed her that small drypoint of my son, which is the print recently accepted at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. I found her positive response to the drypoints really interesting, as I think of the drypoints as much more “conventional”. She felt that I could take advantage of my ability to draw and drypoint’s “traditional” aesthetic, and do something different with it.
K.F. was very positive, and said that I need to find the “right teacher”. She suggested that I consider a master’s program (gulp!). She said that my work was visually sophisticated (!), and on the edge of being really exciting. She also encouraged me to continue with the more energetic mark making that appears in my work. That comment seemed to be a running theme from the reviewers.
J.Y. helped me to understand more what a gallery owner is looking for. They are looking for a “clear voice” in the work. She liked the tension between the “uncontrolled” abstract marks in the prints, and my clean drawing that gets overlaid. I also learned how works on paper can be more challenging for a gallery to deal with.
I have so much to think about now.
Here are some of the new prints from this week:
This is a continuation of the “long” series of prints on Japanese paper. This paper had some existing marks on it, from previously toying around with some printing. The large, textured piece of paper is chine colle, which took the ink in interesting ways. I like the abstract vertical form.
and
This series on chairs got some interesting comments. I think that people responded well to the layering and textures. The icon of “chair” brought much debate/discussion. Several of the reviewers talked about “narrative”, which comes when one uses a recognizable form like this.
and:
and:
and:
This series was an exercise in restraint. Perhaps I have pulled back on the reins too far…but I wanted to try to work more “simply”. These prints are very much about “chance” and do not have any drawing marks on them. These prints got mixed reviews.
All in all, I learned so much. I know how important good teachers are. My teachers at UPenn for architecture were amazing. I absorbed an incredible amount in three years. I’d love to be able to do a fine art master’s degree. Maybe it isn’t as out of reach as I think! I can eat ramen noodles for a year…it will just be a year of being bloated and thirsty with an MSG headache, no prob. 🙂
slightly wonky 