Friday, December 16, 2016

Broken Girl - the Art of Recycling


Here is the finished version of the collage I was working on in the last two posts (here and here):

Broken Girl, mixed media collage on vintage book cover
ingredients: cabinet photo, vintage book pages and torn papers, vintage ephemera, watercolor pencils, stitching


The edges are cropped because it didn't quite fit on the scanner, and it's been way too dark and cold here to take good photos. (I take them outside in open shade.)  As you may remember if you're a regular reader, the torn pieces of layered papers on the right side started out as a completely different collage. I wasn't happy with the way it was going, so I incorporated it into a very different type of collage, i.e. one where the composition is more planned out and less abstract.  This doesn't usually happen, and I certainly didn't predict this turn of events when I started taking photos for my blog. These aren't the posts I had intended to write, but I thought it might be interesting for people to see what happens when things don't go as planned.

One thing I learned some time ago in my art-making explorations is that there's nothing wrong with tearing one piece up to make another; in fact, that's how I first began playing with collage. I didn't start out to become a collage artist, but as I tried making compositions with pieces of discarded work, I became hooked on the collage process as well as its outcomes. I love taking pieces of old ephemera that would otherwise be thrown out and combining them into something new. They bring with them something of the time they are from and the people who used them, which I think adds depth and meaning to the work.


Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_art.html

"The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country


"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."
-- Scott Adams

“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
― Bob Ross




10 comments:

  1. a beautiful piece of Sharmon magic where your imagination meets real life

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  2. par étape... et voilà le résultat est magnifique.

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    1. Merci, Elfi! Je ne savais pas exactement comment cela se passerait; J'etait supris.

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    1. Thanks so much, Terry! That mans a lot coming from you; I admire your work so much.

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  4. No one does collage better than you. Great composition, Sharmon!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours; may the New Year keep you safe, healthy, and creating more art so I can continually be inspired.

    Gaby xo

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  5. Gaby, your sweet compliment means a lot to me, as I am a great admirer of your work! Happy new year to you! xo

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  6. Hi Sharmon!...hope all is well with you and yours. What a beautiful collage!
    All the best for another creative year.

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    1. Thank you, Cynnie; I'm glad you like the piece! Being creative is what keeps me sane in these crazy times. I hope you are well and that you keep creating! xo

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