2022 02 More And More I Have Come To Admire Resilience

I recently took a Jeanne Oliver class with artist Stephanie Lee called Textural Minimalism. The pieces that I created in that class were used as the base structures for this piece. Here is my audition of six of the pieces I made.

As I worked on this piece, I began to realize that I could use influences from other classes that I have taken. For instance, the very idea of creating an abstract like this was birthed for me by taking classes with Crystal Marie. I will be the first to admit that thinking abstractly when creating a collage is not a strength of mine but I want to get better. 

I needed a base for the textured pieces so I choose a textured wallpaper, a textured paper and some rusted cotton I made in a workshop with Sarah Rehmer at Shake Rag Alley (she is teaching this again in 2022). 

This is what the audition looks like with the base in place. 

As I began to paint, I began to utilize the lessons I learned with Laura Lein-Svencer who also teaches at Shake Rag Alley. 

It should be no surprise that the incorporating objects into a work is the results of my mentorship with Michael deMeng (who, it should almost go without saying...is also teaching at Shake Rag Alley this year). 

Thus we have, More and More I Have Come To Admire Resilience. 

The title for this piece comes from Jane Hirshfield's poem Optimism. It is 16" H X 20" W X 1" D. The piece consists of a cradled board, 16" x 20" x 1", oven thermometer, typewriter type, two clock dials, foam core, rusted cotton, cardboard and collage papers.