Acey’s recent invitation to think about a design concept has me thinking about complementary colors.
Looking for the orange to partner with the blue, the red for the green. Otherwise, at the midpoint in Acey’s collage month* I am mostly focusing on adhering collages into my sketchbook.
Not loving it. Double stick tape is unforgiving and for some reason the glue stick isn’t effective enough to counter the curl of the bound pages.
I am used to color copying oversized collages. The result is shiny, smooth, elegant, and if I shrink the scale, crisp. I’ve tried color printing here at home with mixed results.
I’m feeling constrained about making more paper when I have so much and also don’t want to shell out the dough.
So I think this is going to be a time when I start experimenting with wet finishes. Gesso, shiny and matt. Watercolor. Because I’ve been making a thorough digital record, I feel free to ruin the paper — which is good because I probably will.
I’m open to pulling the book apart in the end and applying stitch. Already, I’m doing so here and there.
After listening to the podcast mentioned on Grace’s blog yesterday, I’m thinking about regenerative design. I’m not yet sure what the term even means, but much has been stirred up.
(Future Primitive podcast with Daniel Christian Wahl).
For instance, I’m sitting with Wahl’s idea that it would be better to start connecting permaculture and sustainability leaders, shamans, and forward thinkers to young people on the climate crisis front than to merely have the young warriors communicate panic in service of change. That’s so much more hopeful than refilling the death knell.
*
For info on this collage project see Acey’s blog sparklinglotusink
For more SoulCollage cards of mine, go to Flickr on sidebar and open the SoulCollage album. Or, track the ‘SoulCollage’ and ‘collage’ tags here on the blog
oh how frustrating to have things buckling and feeling like your colors are not exactly as you’d like. Yet, such strong imagery as always. As you may have noticed in my instagram post, and as I develop my first larger collage for artsistsforsocialjustice2020, I am using guache, watercolor, ink, clear gesso and also experimenting with a masking latex. I even have a small piece of plexiglass :/ This is way more medium mixing than i am experienced with. However, it is really fun. To heck with glue sticks and double stick tape – unless you are a photo imaging techno master like yourself. Sometimes restrictions are good (color content or tech) but… not to the point of frustration, for sure. look for my email? I’m venturing forth and I can’t wait to see what you do with those lovely brushes, those colors and your incredible mindbending creative skills!!!! xo
I am watching your progress on Instagram with interest. Of course you come at this as a painter, which means you have different tools and experiences at your fingertips. What is your base? It looks like canvas board?
Heavy water color paper.
Okay. Good to know.
YES paste. Get it. Use it (with a brush) and Love it. I manage okay with the glue stick- just have to have strong paper or cardboard under while I run the stick over the entire back surface of the images. And Have to use my fingers so image doesn’t tear. Holding the paper. It’s messy. There is also spray adhesive. But it doesn’t give you much leeway for repositioning. And it’s bad for air quality. there also was a glue from Allene’s (Joann’s fabric stores) that I remember as being quite easy to just smear over the surface and then press down to remove air bubbles. Gold bottle with white lettering. White acrylic stuff. And now I am going to go look for my jar of Yes!!!
Have Aileen in basement. Can give it a try. Thanks for the tips!
Acey put me on to this and I agree: a big thumbs up to YES paste … I apply it with an old credit card. Washes up great, too.
Good to know! I don’t usually worry about flattened paper. In fact some of my SoulCollage cards are composed on the color copier and not actually glued at all! I covered a page with Matt medium today and it’s okay but not great. I will probably rip out and run some Machine stitching over.
lovely, playing with paper and colours !
Thanks, Els.
Aceys site doesn’t come in for me with your link. But never mind. I’m leaving and won’t have internet for a week or more. My juices are low in any case. Love looking and reading yours.
I hope you have a wonderful time up here in Massachusetts! I’ll expect lots of pictures when you return. I’ll double check the link in the meantime.
And, unlike you…my type pad sites have not signed me in somehow, so it appears my comment evaporates when I hit post. Days later, if I return, my comments appear on Judes but Grace and others still have to look for me in Spam. Takes the joy out of commenting and makes conversation impossible.
I have to resign in to type pad
Daily almost. But the password auto fills so it isn’t too bad.
I use bookbinders archival cellulose paste and dry the work under a weight (ie a telephone book) standing on it first for 30 seconds to nip down any air bubbles
@MoCrow Bookbinders archival cellulose paste 🙂 I’ve been looking at that at our art store and wondering but afraid to try it. Dee shall I fedex you a little pot of it?
You are too sweet Maggie. I actually have some down in the basement.
cool. I’ll try it on my next project. I’m curious if will would work with parchment, real sheepskin parchment. Perhaps rabbit skin glue for parchment? which makes me want to turn vegan.
I have some!!
Your figure reminds of handmaid’s tale. Then again that’s where my mind goes lately. In any case this is an amazing monthlong venture. I’m in awe.
Ha — so female? Sick and disheartening, isn’t it, how emblematic mood of our time they’ve become?