Try Collage for Design Ideas

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop run by collage artist Christine Echtner.

Her artwork combines acrylic paint and collage techniques to tell stories about her characters. Character development is something I've been thinking a lot about this year so I was interested to learn more about her process.

Collage is a great vehicle to create ideas. Printed text, discarded books, ads from magazines all provide material with which to play. Ideas can be generated quickly, some discarded, others layered or painted over. For someone who works in the deliberate and time intensive field of tapestry weaving, this is a freeing experience.

The process is simple to do at home, but the advantage of the workshop is the ideas multiply as you see the work others are doing. Possibilities for future weavings abound.

Find some friends and give it a try.

P.S. The portrait in my Pensamientos series continues to grow. Next, the face.

Ladies in the Garden

Haven't seen anyone out in the garden lately, but then again I had thought the official Yard Season was over.

Yet coming back from a walk with Porkchop, on a rather mild and sunny Sunday, I turned the corner and there she was.

I suppose it was the balmy 50 degrees that prompted this lady to head out to the garden. She holds the fall season to the calendar and not this week's forecast in WI. The north winds will be blowing.

Even the plein air painter seems to have given up, although he left his easel behind. I'm never sure what to do with things like this. Should I try to return it? Will he be back for it?

Her sweater looks comfy, but she'll be wanting more by Wednesday. At any rate she should move, the creeping charley is gaining ground. Nothing seems to stop that stuff.

Hunker down. I'm going to go look for mittens.

P.S. My last blog talked about a piece I was trying to design for my Pensamientos series. I've been working and so far, so good.