Rainy afternoons and naps go together so nicely. Today I’ve been able to enjoy a bit of both.

Before taking a little snooze I was in the studio working on some still in-progress collages.. Since I last posted about this new body of work, I’ve completed several pieces. I’m using collage construction, with ragged-edge image on white gessoed muslin, turned with a clean edge, and constructed as an art quilt.

Things I am discovering:

The different characters of fabric are an important of the design process. Acrylics on muslin are opaque. Not so good for nuanced detail, but great for solids. Acrylics on sheer pick up lots of subtle washes. Great for transparency. Acrylics on rice paper pick up magic little details. So, mixing up the materials in one piece reveals lots of interesting little visual bits.

I am drawn to the wonderful tones of yellow created when yellow mixes with black. (I already knew I loved these hues. Just discovering it again.) That’s how I created the hues of the rice paper section above.

I like a sense of motion. One of the things I try to work through with collage is the solidness of compositions. The physical act of cutting things out and gluing them down can get a little too solid. I work to break this up with thinner, more linear pieces that imply motion, and details of hand-drawn shapes in black.

I feel at home when I have a horizon. While I enjoy the abstract nature of these compositions, they are not completely non-representational. Even when I begin with another intent, I create an abstract landscape. I see land forms or water and a sky above. I don’t know if I will evolve to see the picture plane differently or not. It just seems to be how my brain works – at least for now.

Today a collector purchased one of my smaller matted collages from my Web site. (THANK YOU, collector!)  This is “Shoreline Excursions.”

As I pulled this artwork from the shelf to pack for UPS, I took a look again. “Shoreline Excursion” definitely has recognizable objects in the little birds. Beyond that, however, I see a similar view of water and sky and distance that I am creating in the new larger works. I guess this must be what’s inside my head — because this is what comes out. (In addition to the fact that I really enjoy little bubbles!)

The abstract landscapes I have created so far are on my web site HERE. (I hope to be adding  to the  gallery soon.) Meanwhile, I have just started two large quilts that are COMPLETELY different from this abstract landscape series: emphasis on photo transfer, deeper colors, interior storytelling. I hope to share some of that process soon.

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi

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