Comments on: Where to start? Or should I? http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/ Art, photography, marketing, and more from Carol Logan Newbill Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:43:18 +0000 hourly 1 By: The Elephant’s Child » Blog Archive » New work coming http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-5524 The Elephant’s Child » Blog Archive » New work coming Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:55:53 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-5524 [...] Thank you very much to everyone to commented on Tuesday’s post about collage. You’ve helped me clarify my thinking on the subject and put it firmly behind me. Collage can be nice, but at this point I don’t think it’s for me. [...] [...] Thank you very much to everyone to commented on Tuesday’s post about collage. You’ve helped me clarify my thinking on the subject and put it firmly behind me. Collage can be nice, but at this point I don’t think it’s for me. [...]

]]> By: michele merges martens http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-159 michele merges martens Mon, 28 Feb 2005 04:12:38 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-159 I agree with the comments about many of the collage things looking alike. It's similar to when a quilt technique becomes popular. But having said that, I love collage and altered books, they are play and idea generators for me. Collecting magazine clippings, sorting and layering them is great fun to me. And my art quilts are basically collages in fabric and embellishments, so for me it is not different. Red Dog Scott, the moderator/owner of a yahoo group Traveler's H'art, hosts card deck projects where you create a 3x5 piece of art and a 3x5 text thing and reproduce it X number of times, she collates everyone's contributions, then mails them back. You get fifty or sixty different little pieces of art, often collaged or sketched or rubber stamped, and being original it often shows great variation. We've done a Halloween deck, a colored pencil deck, a creative stimulation deck (quote and picture) and others. THese swap type projects are becoming essential for me, because they are new and fresh. I have for the most part outgrown technique books, and want those that show a variety of art. I would for collage/altered book stuff recommend Gwen Diehn's the Decorated Page and Lynne Perella's book, I can't remember the title but it is fantastic. By working outside my usual media and experimenting, it helps me work with my fabric art. I'd love to be able to do spare, focused pieces - but it's not me. I agree with the comments about many of the collage things looking alike. It’s similar to when a quilt technique becomes popular. But having said that, I love collage and altered books, they are play and idea generators for me. Collecting magazine clippings, sorting and layering them is great fun to me. And my art quilts are basically collages in fabric and embellishments, so for me it is not different. Red Dog Scott, the moderator/owner of a yahoo group Traveler’s H’art, hosts card deck projects where you create a 3×5 piece of art and a 3×5 text thing and reproduce it X number of times, she collates everyone’s contributions, then mails them back. You get fifty or sixty different little pieces of art, often collaged or sketched or rubber stamped, and being original it often shows great variation. We’ve done a Halloween deck, a colored pencil deck, a creative stimulation deck (quote and picture) and others. THese swap type projects are becoming essential for me, because they are new and fresh. I have for the most part outgrown technique books, and want those that show a variety of art. I would for collage/altered book stuff recommend Gwen Diehn’s the Decorated Page and Lynne Perella’s book, I can’t remember the title but it is fantastic. By working outside my usual media and experimenting, it helps me work with my fabric art. I’d love to be able to do spare, focused pieces – but it’s not me.

]]> By: Diane http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Diane Sun, 27 Feb 2005 03:47:41 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-157 Boy, does your entry sound familiar! I used make books and teach artist book making, and I loved looking at the collage books....but I just couldn't do it. And then I realized that it was part of my style to not do that. And I liked looking at it (Claudine Hellmuth's stuff is at the top of my list because her collages are relatively simple) but things have started looking the same. Boy, does your entry sound familiar! I used make books and teach artist book making, and I loved looking at the collage books….but I just couldn’t do it. And then I realized that it was part of my style to not do that. And I liked looking at it (Claudine Hellmuth’s stuff is at the top of my list because her collages are relatively simple) but things have started looking the same.

]]> By: Debra Roby http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Debra Roby Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:30:23 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-156 Carol, Like you, I like the IDEA of collage. I just bought Nita Leland's book... and Rosemary Eichorn's book on fabric collage. And my goofy Thai-eating friends are all interested in altered books and such.. and, ofcourse Collage. I'm partly put off by the thought of the stuff one has to have on hand just to have the proper "look" of an item. And most of the current collages I see are just so technically similar. So, though I have the books.. and some general interest.. I think this is one fad that I will end up admiring from afar. Hmm... I wonder if I should take some of the collected ephemera and sell it on EBay? Carol,

Like you, I like the IDEA of collage. I just bought Nita Leland’s book… and Rosemary Eichorn’s book on fabric collage. And my goofy Thai-eating friends are all interested in altered books and such.. and, ofcourse Collage.

I’m partly put off by the thought of the stuff one has to have on hand just to have the proper “look” of an item. And most of the current collages I see are just so technically similar.

So, though I have the books.. and some general interest.. I think this is one fad that I will end up admiring from afar. Hmm… I wonder if I should take some of the collected ephemera and sell it on EBay?

]]> By: Deborah http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-155 Deborah Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:04:37 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-155 I too don't care for the fractured feeling I get from many collages. My first attempted was to wallpaper a small bathroom with the funny papers and yellow pages using gloss gel medium. Interesting, for about a week. This new location has had an unpainted bathroom for two years now. I plan on using torn, colored tissue paper. Folks will have to suppy their own reading materials. I too don’t care for the fractured feeling I get from many collages. My first attempted was to wallpaper a small bathroom with the funny papers and yellow pages using gloss gel medium. Interesting, for about a week. This new location has had
an unpainted bathroom for two years now. I plan on using torn, colored tissue paper. Folks will have to suppy their own reading materials.

]]> By: SueU http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-154 SueU Thu, 24 Feb 2005 14:07:59 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-154 "more time to CREATE" my typing leaves something to be desired too! “more time to CREATE” my typing leaves something to be desired too!

]]> By: SueU http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-153 SueU Thu, 24 Feb 2005 14:05:47 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-153 Carol, I love "crazy quilts", and for years I have tried to "do that" but my pieces always look contrived and controlled. Guess it comes from being a middle brain person, the orderly accountant has a problem with random. My Christmas collage postcards took more time to creast then the process warranted. Carol, I love “crazy quilts”, and for years I have tried to “do that” but my pieces always look contrived and controlled. Guess it comes from being a middle brain person, the orderly accountant has a problem with random. My Christmas collage postcards took more time to creast then the process warranted.

]]> By: rayna gillman http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-152 rayna gillman Thu, 24 Feb 2005 13:18:42 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-152 I've found my own way to do collage in my 'Snippets' -- but I agree that all this cutesy stuff with lace and ribbons all looks alike. The issue, I think, is less the process than how you integrate it into your own style. Hey, maybe it's not for you. I wish I could do simple, geometric, bright, fun pieces: all form, no content. Can't. They wouldn't be mine.(and I say this,having just finished a piece that belies this satement at first glance) So, Carol, work the process till it's yours -- or till you throw your hands up and go on with something else. You've discovered that it isn't as easy as it looks as though it SHOULD be. But nothing is. Rayna I’ve found my own way to do collage in my ‘Snippets’ — but I agree that all this cutesy stuff with lace and ribbons all looks alike. The issue, I think, is less the process than how you integrate it into your own style. Hey, maybe it’s not for you. I wish I could do simple, geometric, bright, fun pieces: all form, no content. Can’t. They wouldn’t be mine.(and I say this,having just finished a piece that belies this satement at first glance) So, Carol, work the process till it’s yours — or till you throw your
hands up and go on with something else. You’ve discovered that it isn’t as easy as it looks as though it SHOULD be. But nothing is.
Rayna

]]> By: Melody Johnson http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Melody Johnson Wed, 23 Feb 2005 13:51:41 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-151 I have all the books. I got them online before seeing them in person. I was disappointed that all the work had the same look. I was approached by a publisher to take this altered book/collage paintings thing a step further and decided that it would be a distraction from my own work and said nyet. Funny how many art-loving people are swept up in this rage. I can't bear the sameness in all of it. I agree with Julie that it is formulaic. However, if you do make something in this medium, then how do you display it? Framing? What about an altered book? I think the thing that enticed me originally was the cover of Artist's Journals and Sketchbooks, with all its paint slopped on willy nilly. Perhaps doing one page would get it out of your system. I think this phase will dead end unless someone makes it something original SOON. I have all the books. I got them online before seeing them in person. I was disappointed that all the work had the same look. I was approached by a publisher to take this altered book/collage paintings thing a step further and decided that it would be a distraction from my own work and said nyet. Funny how many art-loving people are swept up in this rage. I
can’t bear the sameness in all of it. I agree with Julie that it is formulaic.
However, if you do make something in this medium, then how do you display it? Framing? What about an altered book? I think the thing that enticed me originally was the cover of Artist’s Journals and Sketchbooks, with all its paint slopped on willy nilly. Perhaps doing one page would get it out of your system. I think this phase will dead end unless someone makes it something original SOON.

]]> By: Carol Logan Newbill http://pisces-moon.com/blog/2005/02/where-to-start-or-should-i/comment-page-1/#comment-150 Carol Logan Newbill Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:31:21 +0000 http://pisces-moon.com/blog/?p=72#comment-150 Julie, I think you nailed it! (Although if I'd just used a vintage pig, I'd have all three of your elements. [g]) Deborah, your "Grow" piece reminds me somewhat of <a href="http://postmarkdart.com/davila.html">Jane Davila's</a> work. Same feel without being fussy. Thank you for reminding me about them -- I'd seen them when you first posted but didn't make note of where they were located. Julie, I think you nailed it! (Although if I’d just used a vintage pig, I’d have all three of your elements. [g])

Deborah, your “Grow” piece reminds me somewhat of Jane Davila’s work. Same feel without being fussy. Thank you for reminding me about them — I’d seen them when you first posted but didn’t make note of where they were located.

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