No. 88 - Healing with scissors
Collage, claws, and crossing the border
HI FINE READERS!
Let’s start with a little realness, a little nowness, shall we? Before I get going with my then-ness and whatnot. In this post I’ll be writing about a visit to the States, and collage.
But first, the back yard:
The claws—as we call them—otherwise known as the buds appearing on the magnolia tree in the back yard. HELLO SPRING!
San Francisco
Yes, after much hand-wringing and free-floating anxiety, my husband David and I went there in March. The trip had been planned pre-fascism of course, and involved meeting up with our daughter who was flying in from Toronto to visit some old friends. After weighing the money we’d lose by cancelling the trip and the fact that we’d miss seeing our daughter, we decided to go.
My apprehension seemed to be focused on crossing the border, but that ended up being ridiculously smooth. We weren’t even asked the reason for our trip, which was a first. I guess we’re just a couple of harmless old white people now.
Once there, everything was *almost* normal. Well, completely normal apart from the moments when I remembered, and would look around and understand that the country and its people are being held hostage by a psychopath. It was hard to believe, in sunny San Francisco. It was… how do you say… a disconnect. So many people being impacted in this moment, and others merrily going about their business. Life going on—for us, at least. We had our American holiday and were unmolested.
This was our second time in San Francisco but the first with a rental car, so we saw a hell of a lot more of the city this time. Yes, the architecture the architecture the architecture, it’s true. Endlessly stunning. We got to see our daughter Chloe and three of her oldest, closest friends several times, and that was some hearty nutrition.
An enduring memory for me is the Kara Walker exhibit at SF MoMA called Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine). If you’re anywhere near, go there! It brought me to tears.
For more on this exhibit, including a seven-minute long video interview with Kara Walker, go here.
The trip also involved seeing Kim Deal perform in Santa Cruz—actually the original impetus for the trip. I pretty much love everything she does, and was not disappointed on any level whatsoever.
We weren’t sure how early to line up for good seats, and settled on close to an hour ahead of time. There were maybe ten people ahead of us, some of whom, we learned, have followed Kim Deal around the country. That’s commitment. But also, who’s got the time?
We got into a conversation with the two women behind us. When they learned we were from Canada, they apologized on behalf of their country, and joked that maybe the entire west coast of both countries could separate as one. Everything was jovial and friendly and they seemed like nice, interesting people. I felt terrible for them. For being trapped there, watching their government go down in flames.
How to wrap up this thought, this paragraph? There’s no wrapping anything up right now.
Okay, about COLLAGE
I started making collages soon after art school ended in the late 1980’s. It got more serious after my daughter was born in 1993 because unlike painting, it was something I could do at the kitchen table. Some of the collages ended up as album art for local musicians, and eventually I had a line of greeting cards that I produced and sold in a handful of small stores across Canada.
The following are two of the first collages I made after art school. It amuses me to see that they were clearly narrative from the start. Not that we can be sure what the story is.
Guess!
My collage heyday was 2010 to 2013 or so, when I got heavily into human/animal hybrids and (most often) white paint. I glued my collages directly on to gesso-ed wooden cradle boards, which made them hangable and sellable.
In 2015 I got back into painting with a vengeance, which is what I’d focused on in art school. I still make collages, but not as often as I once did.
More collage here!
I’m writing about this because I’m going to start hosting monthly collage workshops at my home.
I’m excited about it!
Everything will be provided:
Collage materials collected over years and years
Boards to collage on
Three kinds of glue, depending on what you want or need
Scissors, brushes for applying glue, you name it
Tea n’ tunes
I have a ridiculous amount of material to choose from, but people are also welcome to bring any materials from home they’d like to use.
More info here!
I eventually became quite particular about how I put my collages together and what materials I’d deign to use. I learned how to carefully apply the best glue in the smartest way, resulting in a bullet-proof, sellable product. But that’s not necessarily what I want to impart, or have people do, in these workshops.
Unless they want to.
I’ll certainly teach what I know about materials, glues, and techniques. I can talk about composition if people want that. But if people would rather make quick n’ dirty collages on cardboard with glue stick, I’ll be there for that, too. Or they could do collage in their journal or their sketchbook. If people don’t want the pressure of producing a precious piece of artwork to show their friends, YES. They shan’t.
Unless they want to.
I’m feeling more and more the need for some nervous system regulation, not only in myself but in everyone. Making any kind of artwork is calming and soothing for your nervous system. Collage in particular lends itself to fun and relaxation, which as we all know is good for our mental health.
From sifting through the images/materials you might want to use, to tearing paper or cutting it with scissors, to arranging it in whatever way amuses you or pleases you… collage is the best kind of therapy. It prevents perfectionism. It takes you out of your addled brain. It gets your hands interacting with the material world, which they were made to do. Plus you could end up making something weird and wonderful.
My big idea is to run collage workshops monthly where there can be instruction, yes—as much as you like. But I also want to encourage people to come for the therapeutic aspects. The calming. The fun. The tunes. The tea. GOOD LORD, WE MIGHT EVEN LAUGH!
❤️🔥 CLICK HERE for more info on the workshops ❤️🔥
PS—there could certainly be painting and/or journaling workshops in the future as well. Let me know if you’re interested!
If you don’t live in Victoria, BC but would still like some collage instruction, I made a Collage Class video download during the pandemic that you can purchase for $40 CAD (approximately $28 USD). It’s one hour long (well okay, 56 minutes).
Please enjoy this “conceptual” trailer I made for the download… yes I know you can’t hear me speaking!
Music by David P. Smith and Marek Tyler.
❤️🔥 CLICK HERE for more info on the Collage Class download ❤️🔥
SOME STUFF
Oliver Burkeman to the rescue once again
Hilma af Klimt at the Guggenheim Museum (a six-minute video)
Have I posted this video before? Probably. It bears repeating. WE GOT THE GUILLOTINE!
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Hilma af Klint is incredible and so underrated
Greetings from Vancouver! If I ever make it to Victoria on a Sunday afternoon ... I WILL attend. Drawn in by your travel report and the horse/human collages (I am a horse/human, that's why).