"Layered" Series of Watercolor Collage
Among my most successful series have been collages that combine imagery from unrelated cultures. Some explore political topics, others look at religious traditions. Some are non-representational and are created more as an exploration of color and texture. In others I combine non-related imagery such as Turkish meanders with images of Mayan gods and present them in the manner of Illuminated Manuscripts. Each work is different but all utilize paper and watercolor as their primary materials.
Each collage utilizes a different combination of materials – some hand made and some found objects. In some of the works I achieve the appearance of parchment by hand sewing tea stained paper. Others utilize more vibrant colors and images from magazine or newspaper clippings to tell a specific story. Some make political statements, while others simply explore multi-cultural aspects of the same topic.
Pieces from this series have been included in numerous exhibitions throughout the country and were featured in a one artist exhibition at Illinois Central College in fall 2009.