Virginia A. Spiegel

Revealing
Paper collage with photo of leaf over-printed with a scan of cherry stems. 

I have received some questions about a 365 Days of Art project as the basis of the collages for my Third Thoughts series of small art quilts. I started my first book of collage-a-day in 2004 when a group started with collage as its focus. The group either fell apart or I didn’t keep in touch, but I kept going.

Nothing fancy, just a beautiful Fabriano paper book and a mini-collage, a drawing, or a photo included every day. It became a type of daybook with some of my favorite quotes included.  Minimalism was the key as was just doing it every day.

 
Chocolate
Paper collage with altered photo, found paper, ink.

In 2006, I prepared ahead of time with a Xyron machine and a subscription to House and Garden (alas, now defunct). It was a magazine with quality paper, a variety of images, images to which I could relate (I like chairs as images) and lots of peppy typography.

I would recommend going to your local bookstore and checking out all the high-end magazines (thick paper, many images) and seeing which one sparks your interest. Art magazines aren’t your best choice. Look in a section that interests you and then subscribe to a nice fat magazine that you want only to tear up and use in your own collages. Since this project is only for your own inspiration and education, no need to worry about using found images.

As soon as I received the magazine, I ripped out all the pages that had something I could use and put them in a box.  Then, when I had ten minutes, I would sit and trim images and throw those in another box. Also added to the box were interesting postage stamps, duplicate photos, labels, wrappers and other ephemera. When the box was pretty full, I would haul out the Xyron and run everything through. Being prepared is the key! 

I admit at times I fell behind and one time had to sit and do about 40 collage to catch up.  But I’m glad to have both books as very personal resources.

Start a 365 (or art-a-day) group if you think it would help your motivation.  Or just start tomorrow with what you have on hand. Have you heard the saying, “Thirty days to a new habit?”  I believe it. Let me know how it goes.

Mom’s Colander

I love this old enamel colander that my Mom was going to throw away. It’s an evocative photo for me as I can smell the musky odor of the heirloom tomatoes and feel the rough boards of the deck under my bare feet.

I have stored a summer’s worth of photos under such useful titles as 2008Aug5.  It’s slow going sorting them into categories such as art, nature, and garbage.  But I’m finding photos that would otherwise languish in obscurity and marking those that would make good screens for screenprinting.  And, as you can tell by this photo, I’m also taking time to experiment with Photoshop. 

Last haiku report:  

I reached my first goal of 500 haikus.  Did the “Making More Pots” method work?  

Yes, in that I have formed good habits (show up and work) that extend into my studio and I can pretty much determine 17 syllables without writing down a word.  

No, in that speed replaced thoughtfulness and polish.  

I won’t be reporting on the haiku count on a weekly basis anymore, but I am going to continue writing haikus.  I will be focusing on maybe one or two haikus per day (instead of the current five) and require that they be in the traditional 5-7-5 form.  I’m hoping for more polish and more beauty.

Any reports on your “Making More Pots” adventure?

Boundary Waters 33 (Becoming One – Water) 
8×10″ (Designed to fit opening of 11×14″ mat)
White cotton fabric, acrylic paint, graphite, colored pencil,
inkjet print of manipulated photo on silk organza, thread.

Remember way back in July I came back from Alaska and said I had Boundary Waters’ fever and had to start some new small pieces?  The six artworks are done, at last, and posted here.

These are my favorite pieces of the moment because, although they lean to the surreal side of things, they are so personal.  There is my sister with her crazy hat, my beloved miniature coffee press and lucky blue bandana, the loon and the eagle, our lovely Kevlar canoe and all the things we cherish about our wilderness canoe trips.

Boundary Waters 36 (Java)
8×10″ (Designed to fit opening of 11×14″ mat)
White cotton fabric, acrylic paint, graphite, colored pencil,
inkjet prints of manipulated photos on silk organza, thread.

I now accept PayPal and credit cards through PayPal.  Shipping and handling for current patrons is free and $3 otherwise. This does include my special packaging.

Woman with Two Butterflies by Susan Schrott

This is the page 1, number 1 collage for Collage Mania by Susan Schrott, textile artist.  Susan shares these details: 

I created this small piece with the intention of  inspiring confidence and a sense of openness to all that is good around us. I used my own hand dyed fabrics and two small batik pieces of fabric for the butterflies which I fused. The bottom fringe is made of glass beads and there are Swarovksi crystals on the piece to give it a sense of light and abundance. The woman stretches her arms in an act of trust and hopefulness that she will give and receive love and healing energy. 

Lovely, Susan!  Just the sort of energy we are seeking for this May 2009 fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

It’s not too early to submit YOUR jpegs for Collage Mania 2009.  

The Call for Artists is here.   

The deadline is April 1, 2009, but collages are displayed for patrons to peruse in, more or less, the order in which they are received.  I also will be featuring collages here on my blog right up to April 29, the beginning of Preview Week.

Let Karen (Karen(at)KarenStiehlOsborn.com) know you are planning to participating this year and she will add your name to the growing list – over 75 artists already!

Our goal is to raise $20,000 for the American Cancer Society in three days. Last year we raised over $13,000 with more than 200 collages, so we will obviously want to open Collage Mania on May 5 with more than 200 collages.  Of course, quality is always more important than quantity.

Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you in advance for your support of this Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Boundary Waters 10

Really, it is a dilemma.  Do I go backwards (against all natural inclination) to go forward or go forward knowing a series still in motion will be unalterably changed?

Let’s start at the beginning.  In 2007, I painted 100 yards of 60″ white cotton fabric during two weeks of my residency at the Great Expectations Creativity Center in Texas.  I had a solo show coming up and, for once in my life, had a plan as time was short.

The series would be based on my experiences in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the palette would be green (from lime to forest), blue (from sky to indigo), orange (from yellow to copper), brown (from tan to chocolate), black, and white.

I loved the fabric I painted.  I was so inspired by it that I whipped out that solo show and just kept going. I’m in the #30s for the Boundary Waters series now and feel I still have a lot to say.

But about a month ago I could see I was running out of favorite fabrics.   I wanted to keep a record of the Boundary Waters’ palette, so I made this swatch book (made, but not yet assembled):

Boundary Waters’ Swatch Book – Front of pages

Boundary Waters’ Swatch Book – Back of pages

Boundary Waters’ Swatchbook – Detail. 

I was surprised how many fabrics were already used up, without even a 3″ square remaining. 

Two weeks ago I made a very “watery” artwork with the last little bits of my favorite screenprinted blue fabrics, then I started two Double Moon artworks with the last big pieces of fabric with any blue in them at all. 

Then it struck me.  This was it.  I have a couple of yards of pink/peach/orange/red, some ghastly muddy browns, two wire baskets full of scraps, and not much else from that original 100 yards.

I have never, ever, gone back and painted fabric to coordinate with a previous fabric “run.”  The act of painting is as much the act of creation for a series for me as sewing. They both involve experimenting; thinking; tentatively, and then more boldly, following threads of narrative.

Even having a plan and a palette, I was able in the painting of the 100 yards to follow with my heart and head where my hand wanted to go.  To go backwards now would be to attempt to recreate a moment that has ceased to exist. 

Or do I go forward and approach painting new fabric as a blank canvas and hope what appears will draw the Boundary Waters series forward in a new and positive way? 

I am working on many other things, but always in the back of my mind is THE question:  Does a series end when the fabric I painted for it runs out? There is no easy answer to this dilemma, but sooner or later I will have to take paint brush in hand and resolve it.