Monday, May 23, 2011

Collage Collection


 I started making collages in the spring of 2009.  I wish I could say that my inspiration to do so originated from a sheer creative burst of energy but that wasn't the case.  I started collaging because I had a dilemma: I was collecting & I was simply out of room. period.  My 4 years of saving 3 subscriptions to my favorite home decor magazines was up.  They had filled every nook of my corner space, they took over my bedside bookshelf & had over run (in/under & atop) my bedside table.  Something had to give.       

As I sifted through each stack, reviewing every magazine, I realized that the bulk of the book wasn't what I was interested in or wanted.  What inspired me was printed on, at most, 10 pages, the rest were advertisements.  I could work with 10 pages per copy, better yet I could save up to 10 pages per book!  So I emptied 2 ringed binders, opened a box of clear sleeves & began my tear sheets.  Some of the time I didn't even keep the whole page, I just tore out the smaller image & slipped it in the sleeve.  That was when I saw the collages take form, the clutter disappear, the space open up & my new creative adventure set in motion.

I sort each tear sheet by color, and as I create a collage color is what dictates the mood, color is the energy of each piece.  Since home decor magazines were what I collected all my collages have that as the theme: the dream home, the cabin home, the cottage home, the downtown home, the garden home, the farm home, the craftsman home, the town home. your home. my home.  Lighting set the spirit: bright & cheerful or deep & dark.  Personal objects set the soul: antiques, artwork, books, photos, collections, plants, persians or rag rugs, quilts or duvets...or none of the above!  Which ever is your style it tells your story.

I love my home here in the city of New York yet I often dream of what my true space would look like (if I had a studio or a cabin of my own) and because of my arts&crafts~meets~western spirit I know it would evoke a wilder, creative..."compendium of curiosity" style!

I am woodsy & warm.  I am a field of wildflowers.  I am mountains & pines.  I am open to the desert hills & as fluid as the sea.  I like texture & contrast, curves & organic shapes. I prefer pottery over crystal, white walls over dark colors.  I toss exotic handwoven pillows & throws over leather club chairs, and tuck adirondack twig tables in lonely corners.  I am rustic chic, not uptown chi`chi...yet sometimes i like it all!  That's the beauty of these dream homes in these collages, you can share in the fantasy & enjoy each one & have it all!


Green Watering Cans


Green Pillows


Espresso


Ode to The Noisy Plume


Cabinet L'Orange


Bicycle

Saturday, May 7, 2011