Laying out the pieces.

Will it be this one?
Or this one?
Or this one?

Or that one?

Laying out the pieces of a new collage can take me quite a while, even with only 3 main pieces to work into a background! For me this 'laying out' the pieces part is a process to be done slowly and thoughtfully and preferably without interruptions. It's my first chance to see the idea that's been in my head and to start to bond with it. It's the school holidays...I am not doing so good on the 'without interruptions' part so I asked the kids for their opinions too and after that they were quite content to let me and my papers be for a little while at least:)

This collage will be the 3rd in my ICE series "Chain Reaction" and I was playing with the concept of 'connections' again (collage 2 if you missed it) and interaction. Our interactions with each other and nature set in place a chain reaction. I've chosen an embossed leaf, the word tree and of course...my nest print here to represent a cycle of dependency and life. The tree needs the leaf to feed it, the leaf needs the tree to grow it...which in turn provides the leaf the means to do what the tree needs.

The nest needs both the leaf and tree but in turn the tree needs the bird (who needs the nest) to eat the seeds and disperse them elsewhere so that the cycle of natural regeneration can continue. No one part of that cycle is more important than another because with out each other they don't exist. Unfortunately, us humans, sometimes see fit to interfere with that cycle and cause a chain reaction of a different kind yet we have an equal opportunity to purposefully make choices that set in place a postive chain reaction.. and like the leaf and the tree it will also sustain us and our future generations. That's my take on it anyway!

This collage is now well under way so watch this space! If your creating a blog action day post and missed my invitation to play please go here for the details!

Change of plans..

The mounted collage and a close up. Leaf ink prints, laser copied nest photo, recycled sewing paper, recycled magazine image, found expired library issue slip, coffee dye. Title: Patterns.

Instead of doing lino-cuts I made a last minute decision to enter a collage into next weeks Art Exhibition at the Learning Connexion Campus. By last minute I mean last minute! I created 2 collages Wednesday night and got them dry, I mounted them Thursday to go on the overnight courier for Fridays deadline. Mounting a collage is a new experience for me! It was a first and I can't say I enjoyed it too much! lol. Everything has to so precise and it goes against my hap-hazard nature! I got there though and it was quite cool flipping the collage over and seeing it framed. I've never seen one of my collages framed so it was kind of a 'wow' moment.

Collage two: Leaf ink print, my handmade paper,thread, recycled sewing pattern paper, recycled envelope (the blue paper) coffee dye. Title: Parting gift.

I didn't frame this one and I am yet to decide what to do with it. I may offer it for sale on Trade Me or I may keep it and put it towards my entries for next years exchange. I doesn't matter for now. It's my first collage using my own paper so maybe I will even keep it!

Hoping to surf tonight so see you soon!