I'm taking a five week collage class with a local artist/friend.
I'm really enjoying it, and each week I come home with a work in progress.
The problem lies in the word "progress."
I struggle with where to go next to make it a finished piece.
This week we worked on a triptych using papers we made in class.
Here's where mine stands right now.
So what next?
A light wash of color to tie it all together?
Pushing back the elements with a wash of white/titan buff?
Focal point? Some kind of images?
Some interesting found objects?
All of the above?
I'm paralyzed.
Tell me, dear readers, what would you do next?
It seems to me that they are already tied together with the similar shapes and colors.
ReplyDeleteI think just matting them all together in one frame perhaps with three separate cutouts for each piece.
They are lovely and each could stand on it's own as well.
I agree with Roberta. I love the color combos/contrast just as they are. I am struggling with the same issue lately. I used to not be able to make backgrounds. Now I make tons of backgrounds and don't know what to put on them or what to do next. From my class I just learned that when you come up paralyzed it's time to stop and work on something else, otherwise you just torture yourself, or end up settling for something when you could do something better if you weren't tortured. So maybe put it aside for a bit? I love them though. They are beautiful. What is it about them that makes you feel like they aren't finished?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same as far as they all seemed tied together. Depending on the size framing them and matting them in your focal color seems perfect.
ReplyDeletei think they look wonderful, and matted individually they would be perfect, what size are they
ReplyDeleteWhat are the dimensions of each piece? I think you should mount them on some luscious maroon/red velvet with a curtain rod seam at the top, then buy a dowel, etc and hang the whole thing on your wall. But move the one on the left to the middle. Maybe even a pine green velvet - something lush for sure.
ReplyDeleteThey are very well balanced already, by the tonal range. Often you will find the focal point at a place that has the greatest contrast. In the case of these it is where a splash of colour meets the black & white stripes, in the third where the red and black meet. If you are still unsure, cut a paper mat to try around each one...it will make a difference to how you see them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jo in that they are balanced now. Maybe the decision is what look you want...if you're wanting something more subtle with a hint of all this activity, then use a wash to knock it back, etc. Maybe the pieces are TOO similar and one needs a splash of something else...a teal or a different shape - just enough to set it apart though still clearly part of the set. I like Jo's idea of making a mat to 'frame' each individually to help you focus on the strengths of each.
ReplyDeleteListen for what they tell you to do.....
ReplyDeleteLol Karen, with you on all fronts my lovely. But regarding your collages I will definitely ditto the ladies above, they are gorgeous as they are and would look stunning simply matted and mounted either singly or as an ensemble piece.
ReplyDeleteHuge hugs x
I just wait with bated breath to see what happens next ... I know you will come up with something so 'out of the box' that I would never think of it, and it will be just right! Love what you have done so far, and the idea of thw tryptich. XXX
ReplyDeletewhat I'd do ... block out the edges (so they remain white). grab a really really BIG letter stencil. Choose a word that will fit over all three pieces. Dry brush with either black if you want the word to dominate or white if you want it to be more subtle. like that. :)
ReplyDeleteI would cut them into small squares and build one big piece. a patchwork.
ReplyDeleteThey're so lovely, it'd be hard for me cover up much of them. But I'm all about found objects - if you could find 3 similar objects, preferably tall and skinny (maybe even something natural like seed pods on long stalks) to tie them all together that would be fabuous. They're so wonderful as is though that I don't think you can go too wrong..
ReplyDeleteHowdy. I'm too late to help. What's new?
ReplyDeleteI stymied myself about collaging until I allowed myself to put whatever I wanted on them, not just papers (which I love too). One thing, however, that's papery and i often forget, is tissue. Tissue holds so many surprises, with varying degrees of transparency, the way it creases and wrinkles, the fact that you can leave some sticking off the side and it's delicate and active at the same time.
You're doing GREAT, which doesn't surprise me. I love it that your palette is often much different than mine, and it makes me expand.
So do the lemon bars I had recently, but that's for another post.
I quite like them the way they are. They each are individual yet connected to each other. The only thing I might do is trade some or all of the white border with a butterscotch unless that is meant for framing. I just love all of them, and if I still was not sure, I'd let them sit for a bit and wait........... sometimes I wait for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteI think they look great as they are, and I agree with the first several commenters here. It is so hard to "call time" on collage.
ReplyDelete