Collages

Completed 16 x 24 canvas

close up of the layers

Jake. Could care less what I do, as long as it involves petting him

Yesterday was a transition from a mild winter day, to "oh, shit. It's cold out there!" We stayed home. If I feel I have to wear more than two layers of clothes on my legs, it is NOT a dog park day. After cleaning the house, (when you own two dogs, cleaning is your major occupation) I played at finishing up this collage.

I have always been intrigued by collages. When we were kids, I would cut up fan magazines like 16 and Teen Beat, take the Beatle photos and paste them to a large poster board. These would hang on my bedroom wall until I was bored, and would make another. I don't remember what happened to these, probably were trashed, but I had quite a few. The part that fascinated me was piecing together different shapes and tones to create a whole that was pleasing to the eye. Those were all black and white, but of course with several shades.

Fast forward many years, and Pinterest allows us to glimpse art from everywhere. Once again, collages drew me in, but mainly the ones by Erin Ashley. Google her. I love her work, and it has been the inspiration for the last two larger canvases I've completed. Armed with the information I learned in the Donna Downey online class, 10 x 10, I am winding my way through the maze of layering colors and shapes. I make mistakes, but instead of becoming frustrated and throwing the canvas aside, I am gaining a great deal of patience with myself to fix it. This, trust me, is a first.

There are two more large canvases waiting for me that I started yesterday. I am going to try and work on both together. Challenges are excellent for the brain. Have a great day.
Linda