Story Telling through Collage

I had a fabulous day last Sunday.  I was invited to run a collage workshop at the Write Around the Murray Festival.   At the end of the day, I posted of FaceBook:

A fabulous day. A fabulous workshop. Fabulous people. Says it all.     Had a ball faciltating a collage workshop as part of the Write Around  the Murray festival.       

My fabulous workshop participants made it work. I thank them all for their enthusiasm, laughter and sharing with me and fellow participants.                                                                                                                                                                                                   I have been given permission to share their work and here are a couple of photos.  Every one was so engaged to the last minute I forgot to get a group shot and photos of all the works made.   (Please seek permission before resharing these images).

 

Here is what we had up on the white board - a tad neater and clearer than it was on the day

STORY TELLING WITH CREATIVE COLLAGE

Collage – torn and or/ cut paper and glue                         Paper – heavy enough to hold collage

Photo montage – magazine images& photos                    Cardboard                                           

Assemblage – above/orand found objects                         Timber                                                

Mixed media collage –  “the kitchen sink”                        What else ?  Natural substrates         

Booklets, postcards, concertina, scroll, min, maxi            Archival – acid fee                            

                                                                                            Found papers not archival               

 

How will you tell your story:                                             GLUES:                                              

-          Realist                                                          -  Glue Stick                                      

-          Surreal                                                          -  PVA (White Glue)                         

-          Cubist                                                           -  Aleene’s Tacky Glue (if heavy)    

-          Abstract                                                         -  Paper Cement - bookmakers glue

-          Fantasy                                                           -  Gel medium - glue and glaze     

-          Geometric                                                                                                             

-          What other style or format can you think of ?                                                      

What is your story?                 How do you want to tell it?             Be inspired by the image

TRUST THE PROCESS

Much metta  

Donna

Artist residencey - Refection - Goal setting

 

Small mixed media booklet. It is a work in progress that sits on my table. 

When the right scrap comes along I add to it.

  The sheet music opens out to reveal the words - BE THE REASON.

It is clear from my blog that I am all over the shop when it comes to what I like to create.  Focus and narrowing down is difficult.   I’m wondering whether I need to?   Do I have to give it all up?

On reflection, these days I am project driven and tend to work primarily in one/technique/style in that project.   When I throw in too many different mediums my project falters.   Having said that, I think that this relates more to solo shows than group shows.

In the Re-create Collective's exhibition From where I sit: Stories from within I worked across a couple of mediums.  Focal points in my installations Fine Dining and I don’t hold a hose were largely embroidered but had other elements.  For Fine Dining I learnt to reupholster chairs, located vintage items such as a tea service, table cloths and napkins in op shops (and my stash) and embroidered a wall hanging.   It was the wall hanging that had the message but the table and chair which provoked many memories and comments.   On the other hand, I don’t hold a hose comprised a deck chair and items that reflected the statement upon which the title of the work was based; a direct quote from our PM of the time.   The deck chair is heavily embroidered depicting fires in Australia in 2019/20120 and was the statement piece.  The other bits of the installation including a lei, a fancy cocktail and an embroidery were context.

My other works in the exhibition include a series interpreting a poem and a series inspired by lockdowns and limited travel.  In the former I created seven textile panels (30 cm X 30 cm) interpreting a poem Blue and Green by Australian poet Lesbia Harford.  I had been exploring thoughts of how to translate text to textile and looking at work of  colour field artist Helen Frankenthaler.   Arm chair travel is a number of whimsical collages (14 cm X 14 cm) made for the joy of it andgrouped together in salon style.

Even though each of these sets of works are in different mediums they were not discordant in the exhibition.  I’m thinking this is so as the quality of all the works in the exhibition was high, the ideas explored different and presented with information available for those who wished to read it. The Collective’s members works were all different but all held together well. And importantly, the layout and curation of the exhibition was fabulous thanks to the team at the Albury LibraryMuseum.  

This bit of navel gazing arises out of an online residency I’m undertaking with the Enso Circle.  It is structured to cover questions and issues which relate to our individual art practises.  Week one was goal setting for the 12 weeks of the residency.   And I need to decide what my focus will be (groan  - I have to make a choice!!!) 

I thought about what I wanted to explore/learn, and what outcome I want out of these 12 weeks.   And I want to make sure my continued learning supports and dovetails into my current long-term plans - though they may change again after this residency.   This is what I came up with as part of the what when I was considering the 5 W's (who, what, when, where and how)  :

·       Distal what I want to keep, let go of others and learn new techniques.

·       Have a serious approach to studio practice - turn up every day

·       Look at other artists

·       Build up a resource folio

·       Aim for a small series of mixed media textile works in postcard, book, scroll and/or hanging format

No doubt something will change along the way 😊

May you stay creative,  well and  safe

Much metta 

Donna