This past week I led an art exercise at my local art-making group based on a blog post a made several months ago.
In my blog post, I was working on paper. I divided a big sheet up into 5” x 7’ sections with masking tape. Then, I painted and printed over the whole sheet, pretending the masking tape was not there.
The result, after the tape was removed, was individual sections that could be used as the fronts of note cards.
This week, I tried the exercise again, this time on fabric.
Above: The fabric (unbleached cotton muslin) was taped down to a working board, with a vinyl sheet behind the fabric so it would not stick to the board. I painted, printed, stenciled, and drew randomly over the whole piece of yardage, as if the taped grid were not there.
When I brought it back to my studio, I pulled off the masking tape grid. Here’s what I had:
What’s the point of the project?
If you are interested in design, it’s interesting to see what small compositions have been created by not looking at each individual section as you work. Work big. Discover what’s been created small.
(As I was working I felt like I needed more strong shapes, like the squiggly tree limb shape. In the final compositions, it’s actually the simple shapes and value changes that pull together compositions.)
If you are interested in creating small collages, this can be a good way to get some initial layers.
If you want to create note cards, you can use these just as you would paper. Add to the image with more mark-making or stitching.
I think I will actually use these pieces as the basis for a non-representational quilt. (My local arts group has an annual exhibit in January, and this year we are creating non-representational works.)
I like seeing these small sections arranged together.
I can envision rearranging them and adding new color overlays.
Even the long strip at the bottom of my board, created outside the masking tape lines, has an interesting pattern that could be incorporated.
I am almost always a planner in my work. I have an idea. I plan the palette and design elements, I create the parts.
Creating in a different way for this little project helped me to experience discovery. Oh—and it was fun!
For all of us: focus each day
on the good that needs to be done in the world.
Be part of doing it.
Thank you for reading.
I always enjoy questions and comments.
--Bobbi
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