Embroidered Collage

I've started my most ambitiously sized collage to date, in the style of Elevation, and this is the first work in progress pic.  I began with my intent to do the piece, a 16"x20" canvas board, and a whole bunch of collage images.  I started cutting pieces up and moving them around quickly, without much conscious thought, seeing what would catch my eye.

In the vertical format, I was taken by a multiplicity of smaller images with a gate at the bottom, then, moving up, a door, windows, stairs, a portico, etc.  Basically a reference to the outside of a building.  In the horizontal format I found that the large crystal palace image really drew me in and I could make an overall appealing triangular set-up with the other two images from the collage sheet.  This is the set-up I decided to work with.  Although there is a good chance I'll go back and do the other piece also.

I picked an appropriate blueprint from those I'd bought off ebay for the background.  I added the 7 Gypsies blueprint tissue paper to strengthen the building lines going into the picture and break up the background a bit.  I glued down all the other images I wanted to use and also the small squares from a different blueprint.  As I set up the composition I included the black line drawing transparency collage images, but they're not shown here as they will be adhered later.

This 6"x8" collage on paper is my entry to Somerset Studio for their Paris themed issue.  I had originally done the central part as a practice piece for an expected multiplicity of Eiffel Tower pieces, which I find more inspiring.  But I didn't get to them, and then decided to use the images I had for my calendar anyway.  That way I get to keep them.  :)  I added the framing background over the weekend, and am pleased with the results.  It's going in the mail today and should just make the receive by deadline.

I added the page on the left to mention the elements challenge with The Fiber Alliance.  I meant to do some work with fiber on the right, but ran out of time.  So I stamped out a collage of the various images I've carved and added a couple notes, since improving my printmaking is one of this year's goals.

The Marcel Proust quote was already on the page.  I love this quote and have for a couple years.  I deliberately made the background very abstracted, so the viewer could project what they wanted to see, instead of trying for realism.

  The last page is one of my favorite monuments, although I liked the views from the inside best, seeing all that steel in nifty geometric patterns.  Now it's time to mail.

I made these for a swap over on nervousness for "altered image" atcs.  Any technique was fair game, but the original image had to be visible in some fashion.  I was decoing and picked up the image in the upper right, and cut out the dancer.  Looked at it, then glued down the rest of the image, put some starred tissue paper on top, and glued the dancer right back into the spot she'd left.  When it was dry I added touches on the dress and ground with gold leafing pen.  I was pleased enough with it that I did the other three.  All four images are from Altered Pages collage sheets from grab bags.  It's fun finding uses for images I would have never bought on my own.

These are the first two spreads in January.

The page on the left is the back of the month divider and had the full grid of days on it, which I used to make a mosaic style collage with some of my favorite papers and bits of leftover scraps.  The right page is in honor of the Daily Devotions.

This spread is in honor of my first online sale and how thrilled I felt.  I constructed it directly onto the calendar pages, using the same set of materials, then journaled about it.

I finally have enough 100% complete pages to post!

My calendar has a theme of Voyages.  On the literal level, I enjoy travel.  On the metaphorical level, I have more than once over the past couple years referred to my growth of an artist as a journey.  On the left is part of the inside cover.  It had a map on it.  I added more.  To the right, I painted over most of the page in gold, except for the word Voyages,  and added collage elements, including a thread-wraped modified compass rose.

To the left I added my own information, then glued on gold paper to frame both it and the credits to the original designer and publisher, then embellished it a little further.  To the right I put a gold glaze over the 2006 "at a glance" calendar page, then wrote my goals for the year on it, the same ones I posted here earlier in the month.

I covered the 2007 "at a glance" calendar page with a collage representing my scary goal of making my art support itself financially.  The right page is the first part of January, the heavier weight tab that is the divider beginning it.  I worked off the already present central picture of the Statue of Liberty.