As I was sewing in my studio this weekend, I looked up behind my head and saw again this framed collage. It’s called “Old News,” and I had pulled it off my storage shelf several weeks ago when I participated in DeLand’s art studio tour.

This was one of the first completed monotype collage works I created, around 2014. I had photographed this man on a bench in downtown Deland. I loved the silhouette of his body on the bench and it inspired some imaginative storytelling.

I created the man and the bench with a hand-cut stencil from card stock. Behind the man, I have collaged strips of newspaper stories as the background for the washed tree forms.  Like a discarded newspaper, the man seems to me to be easily overlooked, or discarded.

But I wanted to show that he had an inner life and past experiences. That’s the purpose of the colored blocks below him in the composition. These varied shapes and colors are a suggestion of his inner life.

This version of “Old New” is mostly rice paper, monotype printed with acrylic paints and collaged to 140# watercolor paper. I love the natural deckle edge of a beautiful sheet of watercolor paper. I’ve float mounted the collage in a nice, simple oak frame so that deckle is part of the artwork.

I was discovering art quilts at that time and decided to use this same man-on-the-bench as the basis for a larger work. Again, the background behind him depicts strips of newspaper stories. I also added a moon behind the trees.

My interest changed from a focus just on the man to a focus on his inner life. I dedicated more space to the “below” section, and used a mix of fabrics and rice paper in putting together the section. A lot of the monotype printing techniques and relief prints in this work were experimental processes to me at the time.

The story changed a bit, too, with the addition of the little bird as a second character. I’ve kept my interest in little birds as storytelling elements. The bird offers a contrast to the man. People love little birds on city streets, stopping to look at them or to feed them crumbs. Is an old man on a bench as easily noticed? Have the old man and the bird noticed one another? Have they shared a conversation?

Seeing the smaller, framed version of this composition, and remembering the larger quilted version, has been a good experience for me this week. I enjoy seeing works that are a few years old, remembering the experience of creating them. I can see images and symbols I still enjoy using, and steps in the process that I now do differently.

Both versions of this work are available. If you’d like more information and pricing, please visit the Journeys and Stories Gallery on my website. “Old News” as a quilt is HERE. “OLD NEWS” as a framed collage is on my website HERE.

As we are all facing quieter days with less social interaction for awhile,
I hope you find it an opportunity for creativity.

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi

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