(To read full post you may need to click on post title and view in your browser.)
Remember how in that last post about my "folding screen-influenced" collages, I said it was easy to find three strips that went together -- it was the fourth uniting the composition that proved elusive?
I happened to notice three strips fit perfectly on my preferred format -- 5x5-inch card blanks. Something about the square just calls to me...
So you'd think these little guys would be quick and easy to whip up, wouldn't you? But, no! Now that I was looking for combinations of three, I found lots of pairs and the third strip was the challenge! Go figure!
Just like the four strip panels, these three-panel collages were perfect for little bits of time here and there. Again, quieter palettes prevailed but I did manage brighter and/or prettier ones, like above. The black, grey and ochre combinations, though, were some of my favourites.
Also grey, black and grey-blues:
Botanical imagery appears in both the 4-panel and the 3-panel collages. But not the imagery of a summer garden. I see brambles and twigs, damp foliage and tiny wetland blossoms.
And, over time, for both the four-panel and three-panel compositions, these images coalesced into the Marsh Lands series.
Some of the collages, though, began to exhibit what I've come to think of as an "urban edge". Text and numbers, textures that could be concrete or stucco wire, and hints of graffiti.
Like this one:
Is that foamy white the splash of a city fountain? How about the text on the right-hand side -- maybe a street sign or a shop name?
Or the text in this one?
One project pushes me onto the next thing, often without any conscience direction on my part. All my work, up to now, has been mostly based in the natural world. But I'm excited by this grittier edge that's creeping in. Where it's heading, I have no idea! I'm happy to go along for the ride, though, and if the destination is anywhere interesting, I'll be sure to let you know.
Again, I'm taking a little break from blogging. This time of year is perfect for reflection and planning for the next leg of the journey. Thank you so much for following along and I look forward to connecting in the New Year. (I will still post occasionally here on Instagram.)
