The last prompt response to Acey’s collage Month* is big, perhaps 15 inches tall. I may not glue it down.
Stepping stones was the prompt. “Imagine our challenge experience has been a literal path with a stepping stone for each person.” I haven’t attempted to represent others here, but rather the sense of collective opening and movement.
The big rock arch formation giving passage to the sea represents one opening, the shell and bay window represent two more. The computer is a rather literal nod to how we connect, while the shoe stands in as metaphor for continuing on… stepping on more stones on more paths winding out ahead of us.
The melon’s bounteous seeds represent the fertility of the imagination, particularly when held in a collective vessel, here, the rind. I wanted to bring wings back in, so the cranes took pride of place.
I might not have been drawn to that shoe, but for what Grace said about how much she appreciated the gender-fluid quality of many of my images. The shoe itself mixes things up, but then, too, the laces touch the very female image of the melon, suggesting relationship.
It’s a sunny day here. Kids play with exuberance at the neighboring elementary school. Finn relaxes in the sun. It’s clean-the-bathrooms day, so I’ll do that and I want to make a meatloaf later. But otherwise, it’s back to SC 1738, with occasional peeks at how the Iowa caucuses are going.
*
Go to sparklinglotusink.com for more info on the collage challenge.
this is a perfect, Perfect example of why i so so much loved and deeply appreciated the month.
The array of interpretations of the same words…just so great. And yes. i do very much
look at your easy sense with the masculine and feminine energies…archetypal energy…
and here, use of the word gender which gives more presence… I am so prone to SHE.
SHE everything. And it’s not how it is.
I have loved being in your company for the challenge. You are a master of collage and
yet you worked along and found new and joyful things. Says something about you, and
Collage as a very Giving medium and Acey’s gift to open doors. Big Love…..
There is something very potent about trying to imagine what it’s like to come of age for my two sons. That informs a lot of the images that seem to want to be included. Thank you for your kind words. Collage is so natural to me, it seems like eating. Or vacuuming. One of the best things about this month was sharing the process as a group, being pushed technique wise, and subject matter wise, too. I have a lot to learn!
Your production level alone insures you gave your right brain some ‘room to run’ while resting your left side’s heavy output schedule before it turned to fatigue. Also feel strongly the amount of high quality visual self-exploration you did will trickle down into the texture and depth of your writing. Editing, too, really.
and speaking of male archetypes and imagery – I am so used to seeing/noticing the classic Rock Star raised arms pose – with or without Ozzy Osbourne hand signals – that it was absolutely refreshing to re-frame all of that with beautifully expressive bird wings. Am going to try it sometime. Think it will be a terrific match for some unsuspecting surfer dud. And I do have an enveloped crammed with imagery of girls and women balancing themselves or spinning.
Once I’m done with my month’s paint-oriented learning project I’m sure I’ll be investigating where an articulated boy and girl meet bird narrative could lead me collage-wise. I even have an oversized/empty sketchbook to work into. Thank you for that as well as being such a bright, inclusive, and ever so imaginative light. All the time.
Already, the process of this shared month is finding its way into my writing. Just yesterday I wrote about that sapling you found with its bark curling off to one side. That might be not really here or there, but I think otherwise. I have been inspired by your pacing and prompt choices — all of which suggested to me a real understanding of how art can move energy. Also inspired by your love of the vegetal world, something that came not long after reading “the Overstory.” I do have some specialty papers downstairs and look forward to approaching some pages with them in hand — thank you for that inspiration as well. I think my hooded characters and skateboarding dudes and flying raptors were meant to mix up what it means to have a nationality, too. Maybe even, a species designation.
And, thank you for those last couple of sentences!