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November 11, 2009
Finished (For Now)
Yesterday I forsook writing yet again (Note to self: you won't actually finish the book if you never work on it) to do art instead, and I got to the next stopping point in this project.
Just as a refresher, here's where we started:
Stage One - Drying
And here's where we left off:
Stage Four - Spatters
In between that last photograph and now, I managed to ruin the piece a second time, resurrect it a second time and , well, "finish" it.
Collage - Finished
Can I just say right here that with this piece I had a number of "Oh. Shit." moments. Moments where I thought I was doing something cool that turned out to be not nearly as cool as I thought they'd be. Moments that then somehow shifted into, "Oh. Maybe that's okay after all." And then became, "Actually, I like that. Now it just needs this." And then suddenly, it felt done.
Which is when I cut it into pieces.
Pieces
Understand that that had been the plan all along. I made this thing with the intention to cut it into pieces when it was "finished" so that I could then work on individual collages for each of the characters. They all share a common background (if only I knew what that was), but they contain their own stories. Eventually, I'll have a bunch of pieces that do the same thing as the stories in the novel, only visually.
I am also fascinated by this process, by the way. By how even though they were a coherent whole, the individual pieces have their own character. You can tell they're related, but even without my making any changes or adjustments to them at all, they seem very individual and complete. I want to continue to play with that because I feel like there's something to it that I need to explore.
I may already have found a new project in which to do just that. Remember the S-I-L Project? I just got my assignment for the next exchange. To create a purse from something not a purse. I was thinking about playing with fused plastic (I experimented yesterday, discovered my iron is a great deal more powerful that I thought), and I may still go with that, but once the above collage had dried and I'd cut it into pieces, I kept being drawn to them. In fact, I can't keep my hands off them. I just want to shuffle them and hold them and peer at them all day long. They're just so beautiful to me.
Now all I can think of is a shoulder bag put together much like the American Express Gold Card dress, only using the pieces of one of my mixed media collages. The strap would be made of something else, and it would have a sturdy fabric lining, but the exterior of the bag would be painted and collaged and held together with grommets and string or plastic ties or jump rings or something. It's so exciting to me, I want to get started on it tomorrow.
Well, today, actually, but I really should get some writing done. Plus, I've got a stack of help wanteds that I really need to address. I mean, I've got to get a job sometime.
Posted by sally at November 11, 2009 09:23 AM
Comments
LOL I JUST sent you a link to another blogger working with fused plastic, thinking it might interest you. I might have known you were waaay ahead of me on that.
I love the way your collage turned out. I was dismayed when you said you had cut it up, but once I saw the pieces I knew it was a great decision. I like each little part even better than the whole.
Posted by: Vicki at November 11, 2009 07:09 PM
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