February, 2025
February has been another travel month, so another month that art has to be made in the cracks of available time and with whatever materials made it into the art supply cull or ephemera from daily life.
Collage is one of the “multi”s in my multi-passionate art practice. That means I can’t settle on one type of work to make or medium to use.
Starting February 1, a series of prompts were issued on Instagram under the #februllage. It seemed appropriate since I started late and haven’t caught up to share with you the February 5 prompt piece: Chaos. Honestly, it sort of feels like an appropriate prompt for the whole month, and then some.
March, 2024
#The100 day project continues, sometimes with Instagram evidence, sometimes not. My challenge to my self was a 5”x5” piece I work on for no more than 25 minutes each day.
The first couple of weeks I was in California, and the images reflected that.
Now, back in Chicago, I can see the change. I like the freedom this small format and the no-rules rules gives me, so that one is drawn and scraped with watercolor blocks, and the other is collage, but the view from my window is obvious in both pieces.
February, 2024
The time is approaching, as Instagram keeps reminding me, to think about the 2024 version of the #100 day project. Since my intention last year was to “resolve” and this year to “curate”, my attention has been on looking around my studio and giving some love to some of the series or challenges I’ve already completed, more or less.
A couple of years ago, I spend about 30 days making quick dialy collages. The rules were, use black paper as a substrate and work with a lot of transparency, and mostly with monochromatic color schemes corresponding to a “color of the day” framework I use (that’s a story for another day).
Then, they kind of sat there in a drawer. I thought it was time to take another look. Maybe to think about whether or not they are sale-worthly, or at least display-worthy, or just to see how they stood up over time.
Some I liked right away, and some I felt needed some refinement or reimagining. And as I worked with each one, I thought maybe they deserved, or I deserved, to be dressed up a little bit. I’m always happier when I see pieces in a mat, at least, if not a frame, but usually don’t make the investment. This time I did.
A while ago I was on a podcast talking about how your Enneagram number may impact your creative life (I’m apparently a six). The interviewer responded to something I said by saying “oh, so you are loyal to the work”. I guess that’s what this is.
December, 2023
Sometimes I feel the work I create is random and doesn’t have a cohesive style. But then, sometimes, when I look back after several months connective tissue appears.
Years ago I moved away from Atlanta and my art teacher before I completed my “final project” in composition. I never intended to paint. It was a composition course. But the last assignment was 10 paintings in a series. I was drawn to a color palette I later realized was inspired by a villa in Sorrento Italy I have visited several times, the Villa La Contessina series.
That color palette turned up in a collage series I recently completed too.
Here’s a little show of all of them together
April, 2023
I don’t have to go far back at all for this month’s Thankful Thursday Artist. I’m just finishing off the series I worked on during Cat Rains’ Collage Joy on-line course – some final finishing to do, and some good advice to follow as I decide how to mount.
So many things kept me moving through this course when so many others I have signed up for are still waiting. . .
I really appreciated the combination of making papers and making pieces. I really appreciated the “color palette first” approach – color is almost always my spark – and the focus and coherence that comes from finishing the palette.
I’ll take titles more seriously and keep a notebook of marks. I’ll make small studies. I’ll think more about warm and cool.
At least I hope I will!
