perfect day

Today was my collage class... I was so excited I forgot to close my car door... not forgot to lock... forgot to close ...and left my car in the parking lot until noon with the front door standing open. But, oooo, I had every reason to be excited. This was a great class where I felt like someone had unlocked something playful and creative inside me. I guess someone had since I prayed for this, this morning.

The class began with Nancy demonstrating how she lays out color using rice paper. She then gave each of us a packet of papers and we tried to follow her lead, layering and tearing and then applying flecks of gold leaf.

After the rice paper addition had dried, we moved on to adding oil pastels, wax for resist and watercolor crayons. When this was done we moved from light to dark, warm to cool colors until we had covered the majority of our paper with color. Since pink and purple are not two of my favorite colors, but they were the two colors I was given in my packet, I toned the colors down with yellows, oranges and cobalt blues.

Nancy then showed us how to use India ink on a string to add depth- see how it completely changes how the collage looks. We did another in gold, or for me, copper enamel. We were by this time working on two or three collages, allowing one to dry as we moved on to work on another.

Last Nancy showed us how to use gesso to block out parts of the picture, finding image or shape in the negative space... we then went over the gesso with watercolor, more collage material, more lines and crayon. Layering and changing, turning the paper continually, watching for what might form.

By the end of the class I had seven different collages, none of which are done. They are all unique, though three of them have a strong "pebbled" appearance like you would see in the bottom of a stream bed.

This one still has a long way to go, but I think I will like it better when it is done. There is something soothing about the repetition of color and shape. I like that it does not have the black lines, though I will probably have to add some dark places to bring drama to the piece. I will play with it, and the others tomorrow when the light is good.

This was a wonderful class. My fears were unfounded. The class was small, just five of us and the instructor. We all had very different styles and everyone came up with unique solutions using the same methods.

Because we worked on more than one collage, switching from one to another the entire day, we never got the feeling of being stuck, because solutions to problems would surface as we worked on a next piece.

I liked the process driven part of this exercise. I liked the idea that you can go back and alter and alter again and again, changing your work, completely gessoing over if need be. I liked the freedom, the spontaneity, and the contemplative aspects of this process. I feel like I am ready to take it to another level now. I feel more confident.

That is probably the best part. Before today I honestly did not know if I had want I needed to do anything more than teach art. Today I know I do.