She's never met a person (or a box) she doesn't like. She'll be in your lap the minute you sit down, trying to either head boop you or give you nosies. That's my girl!
I realized a long time ago that "blank canvas"-type projects aren't my thing. Sure, I guess you could argue that all projects start as a blank slate, and I suppose on some level that's true for everything. A pair of socks starts out as a ball of string. What I'm getting at is that while I may draw, paint, or sculpt better than your average preschooler, "better-than-your-average-preschooler" is about as good as it gets. I discovered I was always much better at taking existing elements and manipulating them into configurations I liked (see: ball of string into socks). Collage, then, is right up my alley. I got my first real taste of it reading the Griffin & Sabine series by Nick Bantok, then I went on a stint for a few years making and trading ATC's.
Now, I find myself much more drawn to vintage ephemera, like this piece of a postcard from 1910.
I find myself picking up odd scraps of paper here, there, and everywhere; from the wrapper for my chopsticks to an antique car parts catalogue to a pop-art book I grabbed for 10 cents at my local thrift store. Free magazines and newspapers are always game. The piece below is a mix of antique and contemporary ephemera, and every piece is original (meaning nothing was photocopied). I also used watercolor and crayons.
#4 (Last Night, I Dreamt You were an Olive) 8x10" collage on canvas board
As of yet, I have not placed a topcoat on this one. I'm not certain I'm finished with it yet. I see all these "collage a day" blogs/websites and I just can't get behind it; I can't just slap things on there and let them be! I started this one four months ago, but hit a dead end. Couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with it. I think I was too afraid of "ruining" my first steps, but now I'm glad I added the little surrealist touches.
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