Some Women Could Walk On Water

 

 

Collage is said to be easy.  It is not.  At least, for me it is not.  I have gone back to the beginnings and will spend some time trying to come up with satisfying collage pages I my art journal. 

First of all, you need collage Fodder.  I have gone to our local VV Boutique (Value Village) to start collecting magazines.  I love Vogue, Artist Magazines, National Geographic, and Plant and flower magazines.  As I began clipping and sorting images I found that were interesting, I sought out a converse shoe Box to put my clippings in, and then discovered that I could spend all my time clipping and not getting any pages done.  I got a smaller box for smaller pieces that I found and I began. 

For gluing, at first, I used Mod Podge, then Matte gel, and realized any liquid glue made ripples, so I switched to using a simple glue stick.  As well, I used dollar store scissors and realized that tearing worked best.  But, sometimes you do need to fussy cut.  I bought some manicure scissors, and I used an exacto knife and a self healing board that is 8 x 11 1/2”. 

I think just the collecting set me up in to a collaging frame of mind.  I began to see images that interested me.  I began to see a sorting of colors.  I did clip some words.  As I made a few feeble atempts, I realized, yes, the collage had to tell a story.  It could not be just a ‘slap dash’ page. 

I did not start out with a theme in mind.  It came as I worked.  I started out with “fodder”. 

 

I choose color combination to begin with.  I did the sky type background and then added the background paper that looked like water.  I choose fruit as the sun and then it simply happened.  I fussy cut the woman out of a page  and sudfdeny, there was my theme.  It told a story as ancient as could be.  It insinuates a religious ideology and my thoughts about how women are barely spoken of and have undeveloped characters in some religions.  It speaks to my belief in women and the many stories of import about women’s strength and detrmination and what heros they can be.

©Carol Desjarlais 6.24.22