“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ~ Pablo Picasso
When I closed down my design business years ago, I had a box of blank Rolodex cards in a storage cabinet. As most artists are packrats, I thought , “hmm, maybe I can do something with these”. So they sat for years and then I started trying out watercolour wash combinations on them. Kept in a notebook, these make great colour studies for future works.
I ran across them today and saw that they could be ‘matched up’ to create a kind of segmented landscape work. Here, a skyscape and a foreground.
Wheredo you find inspiration for art or written works?
“A drawing is simply a line going for a walk.” ~ Paul Klee
The chronic arthritis in my arms and hands can complicate the making of art. On days when it is particularly problematic, I often draw on my iPad Pro in apps such as Procreate, Adobe Fresco and other dedicated painting apps. Lately, however, I have been enjoying the simplicity of the Apple Notes app drawing tools as a vehicle for creativity. I generally use the Apple Pencil for navigating around the tablet to cause less stress on my hands. If the sleeping iPad screen is awakened with an Apple Pencil, it will open Apple Notes with a drawing page open with the tools available (I also open a Quick Note by using a gesture from the bottom right into the centre. See more info here). In this drawing I primarily used the watercolour and ink pen brushes. Give it a try and post a link to your drawing in the comments.
“Every great artist has a closet full of bad paintings” ~David Young
As the saying implies, every seasoned artist has a closet-full of also-ran works, partially-finished paintings (I have a TON of these) and various sketches, splatters, colour studies, etc. to draw on for inspiration. Years ago I signed up for a creative play course at a local art school. At that time I was operating a busy design and advertising studio and had been pounding it hard for months, even years, deciding I needed to have some fun to recapture my spontaneous creativity. During that time I started making collages out of some of the painted works I made in class. Ripping them up, adding to them with fresh paint marks and splashes—even some snippets from my creative writing journals—resulting in a couple of my all-time favourite pieces (will post them another time).
Now, some 20 years later, with arthritis plaguing my hands and arms, back problems and one ‘iffy’ foot, large works are a challenge. Historically, I worked on many pieces at a time, propping them up in my studio so I could ponder them as I walked by, making a mark here or there. At times scrubbing out an entire area. Now, I only do one or two larger pieces at the same time, with the rest of my time spent on smaller works to satisfy the necessity to create something—anything.
A couple years ago I started a daily drawing/painting habit that satisfied the creative urge. Last winter, till this day, I have parlayed that into collage work. I generally do not use magazine or other printed materials (tho I won’t rule out anything in future) but rather use my own failed (in my estimation) or damaged paintings as fodder to make something new. The ULTIMATE RECYCLING activity for creating ART. See more Art Recycling ideas here. I like the ecological aspects of repurposing material that may add to the landfill for new creative art.
Pictured here are two pieces that are on my college table at present. They are still at the placing element design stage. Gluing only happens when I’m happy with an area. I walk by and shift or add a piece of paper, a dried leaf, a piece of thin fabric or paint a brushstroke here and there till my mind yells “STOP” and I call it finished. These two have been hanging about since Spring and I’m just getting back to working on them. Each started with paint on paper, discarded works, pieces of larger works. The theme is nature clothed in its many landscape and seascape outfits.
Famous artists who worked in collage include: Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Höck, et al. Link.
Post a comment.
Do YOU enjoy working in collage? What are your challenges or pre-conceived notions about collage as an art form?
Today’s Daily Painting builds on a vintage pencil drawing updated with digital watercolour. Everything old is new again. Original drawing from the mid-80s. Maggie, Ryas Runabout Ryas. I’m liking the combination of working digitally with analogue paint and paper images.
Trisha’s Daily Painting 