Garden of delights: collage art in progress
As a keen gardener, I often find myself drawn to the vibrant beauty of gardens and flowers. There's something inherently captivating about the riot of contrasting colours, the intricate patterns, and the delicate textures that nature offers.
These examples show details of my current collage art in progress as I continue to explore this theme. This is the first time I've worked on MDF panels which is a strange sensation to an artist who has always worked on paper for 30 years! In my creative journey, I like to push past familiar routines and experiment with new methods and materials. The wood is a fantastic resiliant surface that doesn't cockle or warp. I sealed and primed it carefully to ensure it will stand the test of time.
I continue to work with a limited palette of just five colours: cyan, lemon, magenta, white and payne's grey. It's been several months now, of using just these five, and I'm really enjoying the deeper knowledge of colour mixing that comes with this limitation. The colours seem very well suited to the garden theme. By creating hand-painted collage papers with the same palette, I know that everything will pretty much go together.
I'm loving the way that the crisp shapes interact with the background colour - it's very different from painting a shape. With acrylics, I have the freedom to mix, blend, and layer colors. The collage adds another dimension. As Henri Matisse said (of his work in collage) "Cutting into color reminds me of the sculptor's direct carving." I often draw floral shapes but find that I need to radically simplify the complex forms to give the stylised look I'm after.
Creating the textured backgrounds is my favourite part of the process as it reminds me of printing etchings which used to be my main thing. I rub the colour in with my (gloved) fingers rather than using a paint brush. I have no particular plan other than a loose garden theme so I let the painting "tell" me where it wants to go. Sometimes this means putting it to one side for a couple of weeks until I can see a way forward with it.
Above, is a collection of my painted collage papers - sometimes I make these in a deliberate way. Other times, I just use up paints from my palette so they're not wasted. It's surprising how the least promising paper can be perfect in the right position.
I wanted this series to have more blues in the background as they look so elegant and are a great foil to shapes in the contrasting red/orange/pink colour range. Above, you'll see I made arches by masking out with painter's tape. This gives some structure to the composition and ties it to an idea of a formal garden without being too literal.
Along with colour, composition and shape, drawn lines are an important element that add variety and contrast. I use pen and ink for crisp lines, water-soluble crayons for soft lines and wax crayons (Neo-colour) for a broader mark. I try to be bold and confident with how I place them. Fortunately with acrylics, if it all goes wrong you can usually wipe it off before it dries!
I'm constantly exploring new ways to evoke the tactile qualities of nature. What I'm aiming at are paintings that not only delight the eyes but also engages the senses, inviting viewers to touch and experience the artwork in a more intimate way. When finished, these pieces will be sealed, varnished and framed so that they don't need to be glazed. I'm learning how to varnish them to an archival standard so that they're properly protected.
I know most of my customers and followers are primarily interested in the monotype landscapes which I've become known for. Please be patient with me whilst I explore this new medium and discover where I want to go with it. I think eventually, it will lead back to landscape or seascape; I plan to paint at the coast this summer.
It's still early stages for this piece (above) but I already like the way this archway seems to invite the viewer to explore the garden. It makes me think of some of the beautiful gardens I've had the pleasure to visit. Now the weather is improving, I hope to get out and draw in some of our lovely gardens in the North East that are open to the public.
This close up detail shows the textured surface and how this contrasts with the paper collage. I've found a number of ways of working with paint that seem really satisfying to me. They feel good and look good to me! Beyond colour, texture plays a crucial role in bringing my paintings to life. The wood makes a resiliant surface to work on and holds texture really well.
The photo, above, shows a wood panel with more muted colours. Beside it are a selection of collage papers that seem to go with it. Since taking the photograph, I've added torn pieces and can see that it now needs some darker shapes and details. Watch this space to see how it turns out!
It's really important for an artist to develop and take risks. If you allow your audience to dictate the course of your work then you are limiting your potential. At the same time, as I make a living from selling my art, there is a tension there that I have to balance. Happily, many of you have enjoyed my voyage into paint and many pieces have sold. There's now a page for them in my online shop.
If you want to see how these mixed-media paintings turn out, make sure you subscribe to my emails so you receive a notification when they are finished and offered for sale. SIgn up in the footer, pop-up or top of this page.
I never thought I had any artist talent until I took a collage class at age 80. I just found your work and love it.
I love what you said about letting people dictate what or how I should paint .
I really enjoy your posts and this is one of the best. Your explanations are incredibly helpful, and I look forward to reading further as you progress. Your work is a huge inspiration to my own art.
They are truly amazing the colours and the wild life you have incorporated into them,you are inspiring me for my next piece of work thank you so much for sharing them with me .Maggie
Love this new work!