The Thing About Collage

"The Visual Spectrum" - A Color Wheel Series

I work mostly with abstract or non-representational art and I particularly enjoy a collage style of design.  When I think of the word "collage" it conjures up images from the latest magazines of layers of items/stuff/ephemera that is mostly unrelated to each other all jumbled on a background of some sort.  I don't care for most of them as they look "scrapbooky" and very personal to me.  I can see that they might have meaning to the maker, but they have very little meaning to me. 

When I create art I am inspired by something like color, nature, a piece of cloth or an idea.  When I am creating the piece I think about what looks good and how much of this or that or where to put things.  I consider composition, balance, contrast, color, and focal point.  I am not only creating for myself but to hopefully successfully share my thoughts, muse and artistic skill with others.  Yes, I am making things to try to sell them, so I want other people to like them.  In order for someone to like it they need to see something in it that they can identify with or that moves them or makes them remember something.  It needs to have meaning to them as well as to me or it is not, in my mind, a successful piece. 

So when I am making a collage I want it to be interesting, have good "flow", be a balanced composition, and hopefully have beauty.  Not too much of anything or too little.  As Goldilocks said, just right.

Here are three of my series of color wheel quilts that are approximately 12"x12".  They are collages and some have beading, some have hand embroidery.  All 12 of them were very fun to create and each one is unique.  I made them cohesive by their size and black bindings but other than that I just went with whatever I was inspired to do with the fabrics I chose and the colorway I was working with.  They are essentially monochromatic pieces and yet they are still colorful.  Some of the fabrics have other colors in them that help make the piece interesting.  

"Periwinkle"

"Tangerine"

"Scarlet"

 When I see these all together it is difficult to pick my favorite.  I see things that I could have done better and I see things I really like.  Every one is interesting, full of detail, and fairly true to their corresponding color on the color wheel.  It wasn't hard to do that.  I had all the fabric in my stash.  And I enjoyed working with every one. 

Collage does not have to be messy, busy and heavy with stuff.  It can be colorful, detailed and balanced without being overdone.  Know when to stop adding more fabric, more embellishment, or more stitching.  That isn't always easy, but that is part of the process of creating art.  Overdo it and you lose what you are trying to say.  Don't do enough and it is boring.  Find the balance. 

Fiber Into Art by Heidi Open House

Next Saturday I am trying something new!  I am holding an Open House in my home---my livingroom to be exact.  I'll set up some of my display walls and hang a lot of art and see who comes to look!  Hopefully I won't sit there all day by myself, but if I do at least I will be at home!

So you know what I'll be doing over the next week---cleaning, baking and creating some last minute work!  My recent sales have been rather slow and far between so I'm hoping to kick of the holiday season with this new adventure and attract some people who haven't seen much of my work before.  

The hardest part about this for me is figuring out how to advertise this on a shoestring budget.  Thank goodness for the internet and email as I can get the word out to a lot of people that way.  I've put it on Facebook, sent it out to my newsletter email list, and will be distributing some fliers to businesses to hand out.  I submitted a public service announcement to the local paper, but that will only get published if they see fit and have room since it is free advertising.  The other paper is getting back to me about how much a little ad would cost me, so we'll see how that goes.  Here's an idea of what the flier looks like, although the images are supposed to be centered and the blog seems to be refusing to do that!  

Heidi Zielinski FIBER INTO ART by HEIDI OPEN HOUSE Saturday, November 5 - 10am-4:30pm 428 Fawn Ln, Stevensville, MT [North of Stevi off Eastside Hwy between Ambrose and 3Mile] Come visit me to see my latest artwork, as well as many older pieces on display and for sale.    Accepting Credit Cards.   406-777-7001 heidi@heidizielinski.com - www.heidizielinski.com P.S. - I bake. And I’m not above bribery. So if you are in the area please stop in and see me!  I'd love to show you what I have been up to....!!