A Life Time Study - Composition

 

So talking about composition, the two composition I found to start with is a Horizontal or a Vertical.  So many ways to use the surface area in this way.  And then slide in a vertical on top of that.  Not crossing that would be the last collage today in the images I'm sharing.  There are no recognizable images, just color, shapes, patterns size and lines. 

Still a horizontal with some angled suggestions. When playing with angle you have to give them purpose, though simple it's important for them I think to have purpose because the will direct you eyes.  It many not be anything major dramatic, but shares purpose.  The direction of a point from one of the angles gives you more to follow till you pick up on something else.  The point, is you want the viewer to be interested in what you have to say with these simple shape, color, patterns, lines, values and contrast.  Again no recognizable objects. 

Horizontal composition still, less dramatic and more restful.  The paper here a sanded magazine with value built in, creates this light and dark across the horizontal line.  It's not perfectly straight too with the organic edge that at the end in the darkest side calls for something there in the valley I felt. 

What I've found with this abstract collage formations is the mood, and emotion are conveyed in ways that only an individual artist can. What are we saying to you the viewer?  What do you hear in this piece being total to you? There is no right or wrong answers. 

The beauty in this whole process is what pieces of paper arranged with color, size and shape can make you feel with the dark and light of reality slipped in for you to view in the present moment.  Make sense?  doesn't have to.  As simple as when the artist was making choices about placement of the elements so the view can do that same. All comes down to I like this, I don't like that. 

A bit of rambling but not all piece made will be masterpieces.  And rightly so,  should they?  

This is where I go deeper with the process of making and creating.  One doesn't always have the genius to pick up a paint brush and not question a thing and makes a piece of art perfectly. That's an illusion for most of us and a disappointment in the making.  If you want to be good at what you enjoy to do you have to put the time in and make many things to really see so many choices you have and out of pure dedication a good one slips out.  Then you have to let go...because you will try to make the same thing again...a good one and you probably won't.  Sounds so depressing right?  Our illusions have to be met with honest truths.  It's hard work to continue forward and make many imperfect choices.  The choice establishes self expression, which takes time, tears and frustration.   

So what am I trying to say is I've been on this personal creative journey for many years and I'm hooked in to the two main compositions...This I see has evolved over the years.  

Staying in a limited color palette with papers I made with lots of marks I have crossed the two composition at the point of the blue flower shape. Pulling from the other elements of line, and color and textures of visual marks. When you cross them you start to notice the quads the four corners and the possibilities with them. This is a cruciform composition.  They always start with the basic, horizontal and vertical especially for this style of collage works.  

Sharing an old favorite, the gray paper are made with Citra Solve and we all know that process is up for grabs on what you received when you alter the surface of the magazines. My whole life has been about the fight to stay balanced with in the chaotic world.  Most of the time I've been blessed and have an illusion that it should be peaceful and calm all the time. It would be life is it was...growth does involved a bit of drama and some chaos or we would be growing and changing with the world...Oops got off track. See I'm so tightly tied to the extension of self expression. I have to understand that not all that want to make collage work are going to be connecting in this way.  But sharing ways that other can create some great piece of collage work is what I keep learning about. 

The bottom half of this piece has a long gray strip of paper that has wave lines. There is light and dark value with this piece too. Which provide some great interest. Learning to break up the area in interesting ways for myself to create and for the viewer to see is the problem or as I really like to look at it the situation to be solved. I've always tried to do something different.  Use the papers in different ways use the color to draw you around in different ways, Use the patterns, by repeating them in different ways.  Mix different kind of papers together to create a wow factor when the view comes up close to look at it the same way I got all excited about them as I made them.  

Warming up the collage instructor in me for the Virtual Collage Workshop I have today, tomorrow and on Saturday.  Feeling very blessed, grateful and so very excited to inspire others.