CappuccinoandArtJournal

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Saturday, February 28, 2015

Cut, Paste & Cringe

There is always a lot of cutting, tearing, pasting going on around my studio, but I have always wanted to take a collage class.....

I just love to pick stuff up and make collages....
The day after Lunar New Year I was walking with a friend in Chinatown (hello Adrienne) and stopping every few feet to pick up the firecracker wrappers all over the sidewalks.
How could I possibly resist?
I went back a few days later to find more to play with but they were all gone.


I've been having fun making collaged postcards and note cards with the wrappers...something I try to do every new year.

I went to Scrap that same day and found 15 or 16 of these "starts" -- collaged postcards with dictionary pages and sheet music and gesso....

They just called out to me and I had to bring them home and work on them to make collages. A collaboration with an unknown artist. How mysterious and fun.
I can't wait to see what I do with them.

Then, on Wednesday night, I packed up my scraps and apron and headed on over to my first collage class at Fort Mason here in SF. A beautiful location right on the SF Bay and SF City College has an art campus over there....

I make collages every day but they are all pretty small. Most of them are like the pile above, 4x6 inch postcards to mail out. I have made some 8x10 collages as well. My goal is partly to learn to work in a larger format. 

The class was challenging, for sure.  The instructor has each class member stand on a table  while we had one minute to cut out their forms with a scissors....like the Matisse cut-outs. I can tell you mine certainly looked nothing like Matisse's cut-outs.
After that we were supposed to make collages with them......
challenging, for sure, since this is nothing like the way I usually work.
But, really, that is the point of taking a class - to learn something new.

My finished collage......I have no idea why all that pink is on there since I don't even like pink...in fact, I don't like the collage either. I think I will cut it up into postcards. Maybe it will work that way...

The third part of the class was a critique session -- each person (16 or 17 of us) hung our collages on the wall one at a time and had to say something about what we were thinking about what we were making it. (Me? I was thinking how anxious I was). Then one person from class would critique the work and then the instructor would give a critique. All in three minutes. Just like art school.

I think getting out of your comfort level is a good thing. Even if it isn't fun at the time. If you are always doing things you are good at then you really aren't challenging  yourself.
I read somewhere many adults never want to put themselves in a challenging or uncomfortable position in public.
I don't really think that is a good thing.
I'm going back for four more weeks and I'm going to do it again.


(My French classes were pretty nerve-wracking too).

Even if I did have to go home an have some tea and cookies to calm my nerves. Ok, I may have had a little glass of wine too.
Wish me luck and we'll see how it goes. I hope I get better at making collages and learn some new things. And I hope I get better at being brave when facing an uncomfortable challenge.

This is a learning experience an I am not trying to make a masterpiece in class.
Just trying to learn more about collage.

Any of you challenging yourselves with something too?
Do tell.

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL
(and do something creative every day)

34 comments:

  1. Well, you rock! Sounds like this trip to SCRAP was fruitful. Love your collage! xo

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    1. Well, aren't you nice, Connie.......You like it????? That makes me feel a bit better....thanks.

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  2. Love that you make art with discarded firecracker wrappers.

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    1. Every year, FinnBadger......I love the way those wrappers look.....but I hate it when they are throwing those loud firecrackers all around the streets....I have to grab my wrappers and get out fast!

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  3. Actually, I like your collage, I like pink and blue. If I had an art studio, I would put it up there for inspiration! What are you going to do with your larger collages?

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    1. Thanks, TomoyoHime.....I went to a couple of collage shows and saw very large scale collages and just loved the size/power of them. I'd like to try making them large - but you're right -- where would I put them? I love making the small ones too.I think changing scale can be difficult. I had a lot of trouble making ATC's at first because they are so small.

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  4. I'm liking that collage! I don't think it should be chopped. Instead, use it as a "masterpage" and play some photocopy games with it. You could produce some interesting stuff: make some straightforward copies, but then play. Iron magazine pages, dress pattern papers, dictionary sheets, sheet music etc to the shiny side of freezer paper (cut to 8.5 x 11) and copy the collage onto them; then carefully peel the FP. If you do cut the collage, try ironing one piece to freezer paper and copy onto IT. As you might guess, freezer paper rules around here!!!!

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    1. WOW! Now that is an interesting idea -- and I have never tried using freezer paper, Sharon. Now I just have to try to remember where the heck my iron is....

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  5. public critique is scary! I am certainly one of those adults that avoids public discomfort. but I agree with you that it's good for us and helps us learn and grow. hat's off to you!

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    1. Well, Karen...I generally try to avoid it too but since I signed up for five weeks of it i guess I am trying to embrace it!

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  6. I love your firecracker cards, and the idea of starting with someone else's collage backgrounds. Totally cool!

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    1. Thanks, Dawn -- I was so delighted to find those "starts" I wonder who donated them to SCRAP? I think they are cool just by themselves...but I will do something to them....

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  7. I like your collage, Pamela, the layering is great with the opaque pieces you added. Learning new things is galvanising, you're so lucky! (and a smart cookie, well done for challenging yourself). The only thing I wouldn't like about the course is the critique part. If I'm asked to talk about my stuff and why I made something this way and not the other way I always think, well, because it HAD to be that way, that's the only way and it's the way it came out at the moment I made it. It's just a compulsion, can one critique a compulsion? That part would stress me out big time. I could probably never have gone through art school :-))
    How is the French class going?

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    1. Mare W -- after four years of art school you'd think I'd be used to it, wouldn't you? But it is hard/ But actually pretty worthwhile in the person doing the critique is any good. Ahhhhhhh....the French class....that has already happened...I to a bunch of sessions and I am pathetic in French as ever.....and now I am going to try sleeping with French books under my pillow and see if I can absorb the language that way......

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    2. I say it's worth trying :-))

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  8. I had a very similar reaction and was close to leaving mid-way because I was also really tired and it was so hot in the class. I'm still not happy with the piece I created, but the process was good to try the unfamiliar.

    I like her learning by doing teaching style and the positive peer critique approach. Everyone in the class seemed really talented and supportive of their classmates. I look forward to returning Wednesday.

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    1. junkthief...I look forward to seeing you there. I wish it wasn't so hot but this time we know what to expect. The folks in the class did seem talented and supportive which is great. And learning by doing is good. See you Wednesday!

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  9. I do like pink and I do like your collage. Yes, critique sucks, wine is the perfect solution, but I don't worry much about critique anymore. There is always someone who will love what you do and always someone who wont. Just enjoy it. xox

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    1. Glad you like it, Corrine -- but I still think I am going to cut it up! And mail it.
      I don't mind critique so much but when I am not happy with what I make I mind....if I make something I love I don't care what anyone says either....

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  10. Love your firecracker collages! And what a great find those started cards were. I'm not sure I could do a class with critiques in person, especially if I had to give them to others. But, I'm sure you will learn a lot. BTW, I like your pink collage!

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    1. I now, cjsrq, I am getting a real kick out of those starts -- I would love to know who made them and why they gave them away....I think they are really cool....and they gave me an idea of something to do with the firecracker wrappers too....

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  11. Love the idea of collaborating with a mysterious and unknown artist!

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  12. Good for you getting out of your comfort zone with the structured collage class. I really like how yours turned out! And I would so totally be picking up the firecracker 'trash' from the street, too!

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    1. Thanks, B. Lee -- I am off to class again tonight for round two. Wish em luck. It would be fun to roam around Chinatown with you and pick up firecracker papers.....

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  13. I just wrote a post about moving outside of my comfort zone...it's tough but I LOVE doing it! Good for you trying this collage class; I can imagine how anxiety-inducing it must be. The time constraints, the public critique...wow! I know you say that you don't like your collage, but I really do. I can't wait so see the rest of what you create!!

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    1. Andria -- yes, I read your post and it was interesting too. I think it is good to move out of our comfort zones even if it is hard. I had another class last night and I was less nerve-wracked!

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    2. You'll be a pro by the end of it! :-)

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  14. Your life in SF....so fascinating! I love that we get to move about with you and see your days as an artist....and as an adult who continutes to learn! I took up fiddle 10 years ago, and am still plugging along with it...and Greek and Latin...self taught. I love it and hope to be able to enroll in some classes some day!

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    1. Thank you so much. Pam -- very nice of you to say. And self-taught Greek and Latin? Yikes! Impressive.

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  15. Just digging out from my trip (and, yes, I do recognize that card and the fabulous firecrackers wrappers; I will never look at garbage on the ground in the same way!). I like your collage, but am still stuck on: "has each class member stand on a table." You had to stand ON the table? Why? Do tell! Looking forward to hearing more about the class, and, if you're willing, seeing some of the results.

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    1. Adrienne -- working on a second collage class post now -- and yes, everyone stood on the table -- except for me! Ok, I am a party-pooper but I just couldn't bring myself to do that. You were supposed to strike a pose and everyone in class had one minute to cut out the forms, Matisse style. Good luck with that! OK, you know how tourists supposedly look UP? Well, I look DOWN for treasures on the ground (as you know).

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  16. I'm so behind on replying to blog posts. Love hearing about the class and it's neat that it's putting you someplace uncomfortable. That means you're learning something new!

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