Reading
My friend, Murph, and I at the Monet show in Denver recently.
The importance of childhood books… how deeply I enjoyed the gift of my first art history book.
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My page selected as one of the cut-out pages.
Kolaj Magazine has proclaimed Saturday to be World Collage Day. Celebratory events are happening all around the world, so you may want to check to see if there is something planned for your area. Or plan one for yourself! Hopefully people will also use the #worldcollageday hashtag and post their work online that day.
If you're unfamiliar with the magazine, and you're intrigued by collage, it's worth seeking out and/or subscribing. Besides in-depth articles and reviews, each issue typically includes a few fun cut-out pages for you to literally take apart and consider for use in your next collage.
For their World Collage Day Special Edition, the magazine included profiles of 14 artists along with a cut-out page for each. I'm happy to have been included (even though cutting is not generally part of my methodology, as I'm a ripper of materials). The cut-out page that I submitted reflects what I most like to work with: chunks of color, texture and pattern... in this case ripped and roughly organized in a grid. Happy World Collage Day! Of course, nearly every day is a happy collage day in my estimation!
Over 100 artists who work in the collage and/or assemblage mediums have joined a Ning Network website to post and discuss their work. This project was begun by Cecil Touchon in association with the International Museum of Collage, Assemblage and Construction so that members of the museum's email group and community can share their work and ideas in a more multi-media environment. If you are working in these mediums (or simply interested in them), the site is a resource with nearly every kind of work imaginable.
Full disclosure: I have recently started to moderate the site and try to keep it clear of spam. (Where do all these spammers come from?!) The good part is that I'm visiting more often and seeing some really amazing work, a real treat, plus being exposed to the breadth and depth of work these artists are creating.
I wanted to share this commentary about ongoing creative endeavors and our "new year" mentality... I was amazed to read about the artist Carmen Herrera in the New York Times last week. However, it was this column that really put her tenacity into perspective:
Portrait of an artist as an old woman: Do what you love - The Boston Globe by Beverly Beckham, December 27, 2009. Worth reading! "If the world had never known her, would her life and her work have meant less? Not to her."
So many of us have creative pursuits of one sort or another. Let's keep at it in 2010 -- and beyond -- no regrets!
My collage below, titled "Time flies," was created in 2004 (proving, for me at least, that time does fly...) and measures 12 x 12 x 1," composed of contemporary papers and recycled imagery on wood panel.
