A Collage is Born

A note: I hope this isn't cheating, but I'm sharing an older post for Transformation Thursday this week, because it's a favorite both of mine and of our customers. Hope you enjoy it!


Sound track for today's post: Allman Brothers, "Eat a Peach"

Once upon a Wednesday, I was in the studio alone, Joe off at the auction. Fabulous! Not because Joe was gone, but because it was Project Day, and, being alone, there was lots of room to spread out. I'd gotten these vintage shadowboxes in a box lot at the auction several weeks ago, and when some lovely beaded flowers turned up in our neighbor Diane's booth at Allegan, a collage was born.

Remember several posts ago, I wrote about that yummy 1890s chemistry notebook? Well, I layered one sheet over a ledger page from the same era. Next came one of the few English botanicals we have left from last season, plus two scraps of the vintage wallpaper that our sweet Burlington show neighbor Judy gifted me with.

Finally, I added a couple of antique prisms and Diane's beaded flowers of loveliness. Voila! Done.

I love to make collages because the pulling together of disparate elements is exciting to me; it's a great metaphor for life. I especially like the opportunity to go three-dimensional, as it adds an almost kinetic feel to the finished work. I really enjoyed making these pieces, as they had a neo-Victorian scientific vibe going on. I love works from that period -- scientific, but very stylized at the same time. Who else likes collage? Raise your hand! Well, maybe leave a comment and tell me about what you like to make. A tip: we discovered that 3M's Formula 44 works just as well as the 77, and is less expensive. Will still use the 77 for heavier materials.

By the time I'd listened to "Sweet Melissa" for the fifth or sixth time, I'd made several other collage pieces and a second installment of our "Amy" mirrors, crusted with vintage jewelry. Plus I got a load of framing finished. And I took up the whole room, thank you very much!

By Friday evening, it was all loaded in the van, headed for Chicago. And to our happy surprise, the show turned out great! Grayslake is usually a good show for us, but a schedule change at the fairgrounds had shoved it back a week. Generally, a change like that is never a great thing for attendance, but we had sufficient traffic to meet our sales goal. Smalls continue to be strong sellers, especially glass containers, graphics and garden. Furniture also did well, particularly small tables and anything pretty.

The collages went to a happy new home. I'm missing them already! But I think I'm going to explore the Victorian science theme some more. Next week, we're off to Allegan. Think 4th of July and summer fun! Come see us. xo