Art Journaling & Mixed Media Art
by Aisling D'Art
When I saw the magazine photo of the woman walking away, and she was in a fairly empty landscape, I was impressed. The photo spoke to me about the role of women… and gender issues, in general. The image suggested the sometimes-solitude of labels and compartmentalization, whether it’s by appearance, gender, age, race, accent, or…
Sometimes, plans go awry. This collage… Well, it was intended as an 8″ x 10″ work, so the support I started with was 8.5″ x 11″. But, as I kept working, it grew. The collage elements include images leftover from a piece I worked on, yesterday. The woman at the top of the art is…
As I was creating this collage, the word “resilient” seemed to leap off the page. It’s definitely the theme for this, though I won’t pretend I understand the significance of everything in this mixed media piece. (I work intuitively. If a collage element seems to make visual sense, I use it.) At the moment, we’re…
A dog in a bow tie, in swimming pool? That’s where this collage began. I photographed this collage as I finished it, early this morning (low light). The deep teal colors in the photo aren’t as vivid in the real piece. Mostly, I absolutely LOVE how my collages are moving in a “fine art” direction,…
What does this torn-paper collage mean…? I have no idea. My creative process is intuitive. (And yes, this photo is blurry. I took the picture, hand-held and in low-light conditions. For now, it’s “good enough,” at least until I decide whether to do more with this piece. Then I’ll scan or re-photograph it.) Here’s how…
This collage started with a puppy’s cute face. Then, because my humor is quirky, I realized the puppy’s face would fit perfectly on an Hermes ad from a British fashion magazine. With a few added details, this torn-paper collage – the only one I created this past weekend – seemed complete. Sometimes, the simplest collages…
This morning’s collage is a deliberate enigma. Also, I’ve decided that – after yesterday’s efforts – it may be best to leave the meaning of the collage to the observer. After all, that was my initial plan for this series. So, is he thinking of her (and perhaps the rustle of her blue dress), or…
Today’s collage is – like yesterday’s – not quite finished. But, for now, it’s going to sit. I want to look at it for a while, and see what else it says to me. See if anything is missing or needs… something. That’s a challenge for me, because this isn’t my usual design style. November…
“Teal Magic” was the name of the first series of art/assemblage dolls I made, back in 2000. That’s when I met other dollmakers online and joined swaps. That’s my doll, at right. The art doll ingredients The body was a simple wooden block, painted with copper-colored paint. I photocopied a corset and hand colored it,…
What kinds of stories can art tell? And can you be part of that process? I believe most artists want their work to be interactive… emotionally, anyway. My collages used to be about me. The art was mine. The stories were mine, too. Now, with this new collage – the first in about a decade…