TCW Creativity Exercise 15: Old Books

Famous Women/Modern Family

collage on paper 6"x4"

28 June 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 14: Stamps

Be Free

collage on paper 6"x4"

28 June 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 13: Secret Message

Authentic Craft

collage on paper 4"x3"

12 June 2013

Big Ideas

collage on chipboard 6"x4"

12 June 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 12: Typography

The Big Fix

collage on paper 4"x3"

28 June 2013

Memory Maker

collage on paper 4"x3"

28 June 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 11: Numbers

 Easy As 1-2-3

collage on paper 3"x4"

5 June 2013

Countdown

collage on paper 4"x3"

5 June 2013

 Measure Twice

collage on paper 4"x3"

6 June 2013

 Wrong Number

collage on paper 3"x4"

6 June 2013

 New No./Old No.

collage on paper 3"x4"

6 June 2013

Notes: I love numbers as graphic elements! I had lots of collage fodder for this challenge.

TCW Creativity Exercise 10: Decollage

Trot Stitch

collage on paper 3"x4"

4 June 2013

Two Guys

collage on paper 3"x4"

2 June 2013

Notes: Removing some of what you apply is trickier than it sounds. I definitely need more practice to get the most out of  this technique.

TCW Creativity Exercise 9: Squares & Rectangles

 Lush Landscape

collage on paper 4"x3"

2 June 2013

 Like Clockwork

collage on paper 3"x4"

4 June 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 8: Reassemble

Telescope Shuffle

collage on paper 3"x4"

27 May 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 7: Strips

Navigation

collage on paper 4"x3"

27 May 2013

alternating slices of a map and reproduction star chart

TCW Creativity Exercise 6: Image Pairings

 Tangled Web

collage on paper 4"x3"

27 May 2013

Road Trip

collage on paper 4"x3"

27 May 2013

Notes: It took me a little while to find an image I felt I could effectively cut in half to create two unique collages, but I am pleased with the results.

TCW Creativity Exercise 5: Color Plunge

 Round Red

 collage on paper 3"x4"

21 May 2013

 Golden Harvest

 collage on paper 4"x3"

21 May 2013

 Green Eggs

 collage on paper 4"x3"

21 May 2013

Ocean Blue

collage on paper 4"x3"

21 May 2013

TCW Creativity Exercise 4: Color Charge

 Knights Favor

collage on paper 4"x3"

15-16 May 2013

God Save the Queen

collage on paper 4"x3"

15-16 May 2013

Notes: These were initially created for the Black & White exercise. The background images are x-ray photographs of museum items found in a magazine.

TCW Creativity Exercise 3: Black & White

Feminine Vision

 collage on paper 4"x3"

15 May 2013

 Dream Mask

collage on paper 4"x3"

15 May 2013

Notes: Two more from this series will appear in Exercise 4, altered with a bit of color.

TCW Creativity Exercise 2: White Out

Post White

collage on paper 4"x3"

13 May 2013

24 78c White

collage on paper 4"x3"

13 May 2013

Eggshell White

collage on paper 4"x3"

13 May2013

Window White

collage on paper 4"x3"

13 May 2013 

TCW Creativity Exercise 1: Five 5-Minute Collages

 

Protect and Preserve

 collage on paper 4"x3"

12 May 2013

The Sorrows of Young Umar

 collage on paper 4"x3"

12 May 2013

 The History of the History of Death

collage on paper 4"x3"

12 May 2013

 Perfect Settings

collage on paper 4"x3"

12 May 2013

Six More Considerations

collage on paper 3"x4"

12 May 2013

Notes: These may be more like ten minute collages. For each one, I gave myself five minutes to pick through paper bits, then five minutes to arrange and glue. Of course, I was interrupted by children's wants and needs several times during the process as well. So these ended up taking a lot longer than the allotted 25 minutes. The titles came from a discarded magazine and were great inspiration.

The Collage Workbook: Ink Transfers Using Transparency Film

 Solitary
 collage on paper 4"x3"

10 May 2013

 Duet 
 collage on paper 4"x3"

 10 May 2013

Shadow
 collage on paper 4"x3"

10 May 2013

Notes: After purchasing the ink jet transparency sheets, I realized the technique instructions called for ink jet pigment ink and my printer uses dye ink. I gave it a try anyway. This image was black and white, so I will try it again with a color image.

The Collage Workbook: Printing on Tracing Paper

Findings

collage on paper 4"x3"

9 May 2013
Explore: Printing on Tracing Paper

Notes: I love printing on tracing paper! It's one technique I can effectively accomplish with my little ink jet printer. My old Plaid brand aerosol Clear Acrylic Sealer kept the ink from running/bleeding.

Continuing Education of an Aspriring Artist

my altered book, front cover

On 8 May 2013, I spent two lovely hours at the Lancaster Public Library absorbing instruction and inspiration from Mimi Shapiro, a Lancaster collage and altered book artist of world renown.  After seeing one of her exhibits last year, meeting her was one of my goals for 2013.

my altered book, interior spread no. 2

After returning home from her altered book workshop, one thought she shared stuck with me more than any other. Make art every day, because art is important. Everyone needs art.

I had started to feel that my creating was pointless,because so many other activities were demanding my time and energy. I decided now was the time to continue my art education. I finally began working from two books, Collage Lab by Bee Shay and The Collage Workbook by Randel Plowman. Both books offer small assignments to increase my knowledge of materials and challenge me to explore new techniques. Over the past month, I completed several labs and exercises in each, and I already had to step out of my creative comfort zone. Although I try to fit in an assignment a day, sometimes I miss a day or two, then do two or three in one day. These two books are helping me grow my artistic abilities like participating in Pilates and Zumba are beginning to stretch and strengthen my body.

print of a collage by Mimi Shapiro

As I complete labs and assignments and document my progress here, I will once again begin to send some Real Mail. Thank you to all who continued to send art to my mailbox while I stepped away from posting (Real and virtual) to pursue my continuing education in art,
because we all need art!