Tuesday, December 31, 2013

I love collage!

I love collage!  I used to do a lot of it, mostly paper collage, then I switched to mostly digital collage, and now do a little mixed media collage.  But for 2014, I think one of my resolutions will be to get back to some paper collage.  It's a great way to blend texture, color and even lettering.  Here are a few of my paper collages from years past.  You may see more examples of various art I do on my website.

This one incorporates a Nietsche quote in black letter calligraphy.  To get the red lettering to show up on the black paper I first lettered in red to no avail.  I lettered over it with white, then again with red.  Tediously exacting, but worth it.  I could have sold it about 7 times at Art in Speed Park the year I made it, but a couple bought it and left it at my booth while they shopped so others seeing it were disappointed.  I still love it.  I hope they do too!


The Earth Speaks, The Moon Listens.  This is on of a series of layered paper collages.  They often incorporated handmade and/or hand painted papers and calligraphy.


This is Asia Blue I.  It was one of a pair in the same colors and theme.  It has calligraphy, painted papers, embroidery threads, embossing, thin sticks and a small paper-cut meant to emulate a Chinese 'chop'.



Here's one from a couple of years ago, made as a birthday card.  Papers were painted and lettered, cut to shape and glued on flat.  Details were added in colored pencil.  I used to do a lot of torn and cut paper funky bird collages, but made no photos to document them.  I want to make more! 



 This was an early one, and won a first place award in a state competition.  I called it Ya-Te-Hey.  It has a peahen feather, homemade papers, sticks, wires and embroidery floss echoing the colors in the papers.


Latin Wisdom was part of a small hanging booklet, made like a Jacob's Ladder.



2014 for me will at least partially be ' The Year of Collage' - or at least the year I revisit collage.  Of course, I will still mostly do my wedding calligraphy!


by Jan Hurst