Beneath the Surface: A Collage Series

Earlier in the summer, I was sitting and enjoying the blooms around my yard. Everyday I noticed the pink, yellow, white, and violet blooms popping up in my gardens. I admired the dandelions and clovers under my feet. Then, it occurred to me, I can see these beautiful botanicals every day above ground but, I can’t see what is going on beneath the surface.

The seed of an idea takes hold

Theoretically, I know it takes water, sun, fertilizer, and pollination to grow a thriving garden. I began exploring ideas: How complex are the root systems? How do they receive nourishment? Do plants communicate? Are roots as tall as the flowers? etc, etc.

The process unfolds

I wanted to translate this idea of ‘Beneath the Surface’ in a two-dimensional format using collage – my new obsession. The idea of using scissors, glue and paint to create a limited series of works on paper excited me.

I decided early on that the ‘below’ elements were going to be without color, but with strong energetic marks, contrasting the brighter colors of the flowers. Serendipity entered the process one night as I was drawing on large sheets of paper with charcoal. I just started playing with adding water and paint over the charcoal marks with a looseness that was fun and energetic. Aha, there it was! I knew I discovered my answer for the beneath the surface ‘roots’. And, then shortly after that, I decided on hand-painted papers for the flowers which I had plenty of. Once I started gluing the pieces down, the intuitive process took over and each piece began to flow out of me like it was there the whole time. I love when that happens, don’t you?!