MIXED MEDIA

Collage

From my childhood and teenage years, I have retained a love of gathering and gluing on pictures, patterns and texts to create meaningful images. I’ve come a long way since these early activities, but still find exciting and deeply satisfying the handling and application of many and varied collage materials. I especially love the colour, pattern and texture of both hand-made and store-bought papers. Whenever possible, I use what is acid-free and archival.

For me, collage allows me to express my ideas abstractly. When collaging, I focus first on composition and design elements, but it’s often the collage materials themselves that inspire how the image will evolve.

Through the entire process, I try to remain relaxed and loose, sensing what the painting needs at any given moment. It’s my dance or dialogue with the emerging image. One of the hardest things is sensing when to stop and resisting the temptation to get everything perfect. It’s good to leave the viewer with enough mystery so that he/she can interpret an image in his/her own way.

LARGER WORKS

SMALLER WORKS

I had so much fun creating these small works on either canvas or paper.  I like to tear or cut paper to create interesting shapes.  I enjoy the contrast of pairing together torn and cut edges or placing angular, circular or organic shapes in the same composition.  Once papers and materials have been glued down, I sometimes draw or paint in additional details.  I also enjoy creating quirky and humorous titles for each piece.  These small images may inspire larger works in the future.

Most small works have been single or double matted with warm white, archival matts, a foam core backing and protected in a clear plastic envelope.  Some works have been framed under glass; the frames are contemporary, black wood or composite material.