Dream House

I can't believe it is already February! My book manuscript is due at the end of March, and I'm feeling behind, as usual. Right now I am working on foam core pieces, some for the book and some for teaching projects. I love this material as a collage support and building material, and first was inspired to use it by Carol Owen's book, Crafting Personal Shrines. I am so excited that she will be contributing a few pieces to my current book! Here are a few foam core "Dream Houses" that I've been working on. It seems like a fun format, offering lots of opportunity for content as well as embellishment. These may need a little work yet. From left to right: "Butterfly House", "Bird House", and "Home".

collage dresses

The week before last in my Monday night collage class I had the students make a series of collages depicting one object. The students seemed absorbed in their work, and pretty self sufficient, so I started my own series. Since I've been working with figures lately, I thought I'd try some collage dresses. Just this afternoon I took them out and did a little machine stitching. Here they are!

Collage Dolls

Here are a few of the dolls I made last week. I had loads of fun playing with all kinds of materials, ones that I've been using in other projects for my book. Tyvek, Angelina, fabrics, papers, paper clay, and so forth. Thank you Pamela Hastings for your encouragement!

Collage Self-Portrait

I have done collage self-portraits, but not in a while, and I'd like to get back to them. I may do this as a project for my Monday night class, though I'll see if it appeals to the students. We're on a roll with foam core collage and painting next week. Self portraits can be intimidating, but they are really fun to do in a group. I would love to hear from readers who do self-portraits and hear your thoughts on the subject! The three self-portraits pictured here all come from one photograph. It could feel like cheating to start with a photograph, but I'm not going to go there. It seemed like a good place to start. The bottom image I simply printed out in black and white, and painted over it in bright oil pastels. Also a good way to start. We'll see where this goes!

Ink About It workshop

I had so much FUN last weekend teaching a collage workshop at Ink About It in Westford, MA. It was a great group of people, several of whom had taken my workshop there last summer, all full of creative energy and talent. THANK YOU to everybody who attended and to Linda and Lori, the owners, for hosting me. Besides the Saturday workshop on "Painting with Paper", I taught a Friday evening seminar on writing a book proposal. That was my first time teaching this topic, but I've talked about it a LOT to anyone who asks.

All week I've been working on making paper and mixed media dolls. What a RIOT! Inspired by Autumn Hathaway's Spirit Dolls, and Pamela Hastings' paper and mixed media dolls, it did not take long to get on a roll. Will post some pictures next week.

Fabric Collage

Just yesterday I was browsing blogs and found a little tutorial on fabric scrap collages. Not that I've never done this before, but somehow at that moment, a simple, straightforward project was just what I needed. I used a floral upholstery-weight fabric for the background, some tea towel fabric, my own hand-painted paper, and a few other snippets of this and that. After making the basic collage (fusing each piece down with fusible web) I stitched around the tea cup and saucer and painted the background and tablecloth. The little tea tag hangs off the collage. The reverse side says "Smile". Right now I'm about to make some collage samples for a workshop I'm giving on Saturday at Ink About It, called Painting with Paper. Tomorrow evening I'm giving an evening workshop on how to write a book proposal. Both workshops filled up quickly!

Fused Fabric Patchwork

I made this small piece of patchwork (16" square, approximately) with pieces of fusion fabric. Fusion fabric is made by layering fabric, papers, threads, and fibers on a base fabric using fusible web, such as Mistyfuse. It is inspired by Indian patchwork made with discarded ceremonial garments and saris, with all kinds of embroidery, beading, and shisha mirrors. I left mine un-embellished, as the fabrics themselves are so rich. I'm making it into a pillow cover.

Zeke and his Puffins

OK, I haven't posted anything in a few months, so I'll try to do better in 2010. I am working on a new book, which is taking all of my time. More about that later. Also, I am teaching a six week collage class at the Long Trail School in Dorset, VT, starting this coming Monday, the 11th. It is six consecutive Mondays from 6 - 8 pm. Ink About It, in Westford, MA, is hosting a one-evening workshop (by me) on How to Write a Book Proposal. This is for people interested in writing books about art, collage, mixed media, or any how-to topic. That is on Friday, January 15. On the 16th I am doing a collage workshop there called "Painting with Paper" from 10 - 4. That one is full.

Now for Zeke and his Puffins. This is a painting I made for my Sweetie for Christmas, based on our dog, Zeke, and his puffin toy. I haven't done a painting - as opposed to a collage or mixed media piece - for about a million years! So it was a challenge, and WAY fun. Of course I had to use some collage material, but the dog himself, and the puffins are pretty much just painted. I framed it in foam core, covered with rice paper and painted.

Fabric-Paper

I have been making some sheets of fabric-paper for projects in a new book I am working on. This one I particularly liked. I made it by using a red swirl design fabric as the base, and layering joss paper and tissue paper over that. The green paisley/floral element is a printed tissue paper. I added a few areas of metallic acrylic paints to give it sparkle. I can't wait to make something with it! I would love to hear from any of you who have experimented with fabric-paper.

COLLAGE WORKSHOP IN VERMONT!

Hi All,

I have been asked by so many of you if I offer workshops in my own studio in Rupert, so here I go! I am offering:
Scribble Collage, a weekend of painting, drawing, splattering, smearing, sponging, stamping, stenciling, and generally making a mess as well as an array of fabulous papers, for using in...... you guessed it...COLLAGE!!!
Official Description:
If you think you are “not artistic” or “can’t draw”, try drawing and painting with the intention of tearing up the results for collage! It is definitely in the category of dance-like-nobody-is-watching, and it’s a great way to engage your creative spirit. In this weekend workshop we create our own collage materials by making “paint playgrounds” and scribble drawings using acrylic, watercolor, crayons, pastel, oil pastel, charcoal, and other materials. We experiment with a variety of approaches to collage using these paintings-drawings as our foundation.

Date: October 23 - 25
Friday: Check in any time after 4
Dinner 6:30, opening session 8:00 - 9:30
Saturday: Workshop session 9 - 5 with an hour break for lunch (lunch is included)
Sunday: Workshop session 9 - 4 with a lunch break (included)

Accommodations are at a guest house two miles down the road from my studio, next door to a general store. Each person has a private room, and there are shared baths and full kitchen facilities.

Cost is $495, which includes tuition, accommodations for Friday and Saturday nights, dinner on Friday, and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. I will stock the guest kitchen with staples for breakfast (bread, milk, eggs, coffee, etc.) and provide a list of restaurants and other dinner options for Saturday night.

If you think you might be interested (without necessarily committing) please let me know asap. I will send out a registration form upon request. Space is LIMITED due to the size of my studio and capacity of the guest house, so sign up early!

Book Event

On Thursday, August 27 at 7:00 pm, I will be presenting my book, Collage Journeys, at the Northshire Book Store in Manchester, Vermont. This is a joint event with Judy Lake of Lake's Lampshades, who will be presenting her newly released book, The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life. Here is what Northshire has to say:

Join us for an evening celebrating two noted local artists, as Judy Lake presents The Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life and Jane Davies presents Collage Journeys. Judy Lake has been making lampshades for more than 20 years, and turning out distinctive handmade lampshades from her Pawlet, Vermont shop for more than 11 years. In The Lampshade Lady’s Guide to Lighting Up Your Life, Lake shows how to create lampshades that show off your personality. You’ll learn how easy it is to make unique lampshades using materials as varied as old cloth children’s books to antique postcards. Known for her bold use of color, Jane Davies designs tableware, fabric, paper goods, stationery and other products for prestigious manufacturers. In Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artwork, the artist, designer and teacher shows how to take collage to the next level. The book presents a series of innovative workshop assignments, each designed to relate the technique and format of a collage to its subject, with stunning finished pieces to offer inspiration. She is also the author of A Glaze of Color and Collage with Color, and lives in Rupert, Vermont.

Edwina's Exhibition!

Edwina Kinch, a collage artist and (I am flattered to say) reader of Collage Journeys, is having an exhibition of her gorgeous figurative collages. Here is what she writes:

I thought I would let you know that I am having my first major exhibition of my artworks (20 exhibits) in my home town of Bromsgrove, England. The Exhibition is being held at The Artrix Arts Centre running from 5th August to 12th September 2009. If you have any friends, relatives or acquaintances coming to England during this period do encourage them to come and visit the exhibition. Remember, Bromsgrove is not very far from Stratford on Avon (a popular tourist stop!) The exhibition is open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.

So if any of you are in England this summer near Bromsgrove, CHECK IT OUT!