Overhead view of a tray of ripped strips, each one jockeying for position 🙂
So here's how the studio looks when I'm in the midst of finishing a new series of collages -- this work is for my "ThroughLines" show in September.It may appear hectic, but there's lots of study and contemplation to figure out what paper element goes where. I commit to placing one piece and let the composition evolve from there -- it's not all figured out in advance. So I have to stay somewhat centered, in the midst of the mayhem, to accomplish my goal of making these collages powerful and relevant.My working artist statement about this series: The “ThroughLines" series of collages are visual riffs on the unexpected landscapes of our minds as we address concerns like bandwidth and overwhelm, alongside mindfulness and purpose. Each piece represents a moment in time, full of multi-layered and competing thoughts, hopes, fears, dreams, and memories -- all moving forward and influencing each other — glimpses of the complex world of the self.In case you're worried about this new look, I haven't given up on ripping paper... that artistic gesture is far too cathartic! To get this stripe-y effect, I'm ripping against a metal straightedge to crop images in a uniform manner. I have several shoeboxes full of these strips, ready to use as appropriate. Here's a tray of some of my "ingredients" / palette, below.