Creativity

Seeing possibilities... collecting collage ingredients

Whatisee1

I'm often asked where the bits and pieces of my collages come from... I have a habit of looking at the negative spaces, the spaces BETWEEN and AROUND the featured items in a photograph. It's often there that I see the patterns, color gradations, and subtle imagery that I find most intriguing and useable.

Whatisee2

The large photo above shows a recent photograph from the newspaper that had ingredient potential. (Caveat: It's very dangerous not to finish the paper before I get to it, if you want to be assured of reading the complete story!)

At left is a detail of the photo where I've indicated, with green outlines, the areas that I will rip out for future use.

I was recently explaining how I gather materials during a demonstration to a local art guild. Afterwards one fellow said, "You sure see things differently..." Yep, and I took that statement as a huge compliment!

Junk Mail Journal collage circa 3.10.12

Another in my ongoing series of collage studies with ingredients supplied by the daily mail. (It begins to dawn on me that the proposed postal delivery cutbacks may eventually compromise this creative practice... hmm.)

Janice_mcdonald.JMJ3.10.12

"Junk Mail Journal 3.10.12," contemporary paper collage, in sketchbook, 9 x 6."
© 2012, Janice McDonald.

Collage in progress, 3.6.12 (and a nod to surprises)

Mcdonaldcollageinprogress3.6.12
This photo was taken yesterday after two work sessions on the latest collage. I use a wet process so there is plenty of drying time to consider my next additions. I don't plan the composition in advance but begin with something I like and build from there. Some of the elements that appear now may be covered up with others before it's over.

SurpriseAt left is an example of one of the surprises inherent in working this way... once the selected paper is damp with glue, images on the reverse side may show through. Sometimes remnants of imagery remain after the piece has dried, sometimes not. In this case the woman's face and high heel went away almost completely. I enjoy discovering how much will remain. It adds another "unknown" to respond to as I work. (You can see the dried blue area in the upper right portion of the larger collage image.)

More updates soon.

Happy Valentine's Day…

Collageheart

...not to mention paper of all kinds, glue, chaos, order, scraps, synchronicity, ripped edges, wild color, subtle patterns, layering, negative spaces, texture, stripes, printed napkins, forms/grids, postcards, pages of books, ribbon, cardboard, packaging, and unexpected daily "finds" to add to my collection of collage ingredients!

May we all find someone or something to love. I am grateful to have found both.