Back to collaging

Tango 1

original collage 5 x 5"

Passion series #4

The collage above is the first one after getting back to our home in the Caribbean last week.

We had a great time in the Netherlands, with plenty of winter, like many of you have. I managed to only slip down one time and that fall did fortunately cause nothing worse than a somewhat painful wrist, it is over already by now.

I did not make plans or choose a word for this new year. Last year I chose a word for the first time and I must say it has been a good one, it was USE as you may remember and can read about here and here.

But good as it is, I have realized that in fact it was a useless thing to do, since I already have this word in my 'system' for a long time! O.k. maybe this time I have been realizing it more than on average, but being the practical and simple person that I am, I don't like to throw away stuff that is still in good condition and prefer to use it. Yet it helped to prevent me from buying too much, which is not that difficult here on the island LOL. But we do have the attractions via the internet here; I think I can say that I just bought several books via the web, most of them pre-USED of course.

Back to my collage...

I am at a time of introspection, of consulting my inner 'Regina' if you can say so. Have been wondering why I return to making collages instead of working with fabrics, as they are equally favorite with me. One thing I know is that making collages gives me quick results.

However, these are not meant to be great art, though I mostly like what comes out of it. Do you have that too, that you mostly like what you make??

As for the meaning of my collages I can only say that I start with a inner image of let's say a certain colour combination and I want to make a collage using those colours. Then out comes the box with all my papers and the searching begins. But while I am looking for specific pictures/colours, I often get distracted by what comes 'along' and chances are that this ends up in my collage, a pretty intuitive kind of working this is.
About a year ago I participated in Shelley Klammer's online course of making quick spontaneous collages. You can read more about her here.

One thing we had to do was work very quickly, not think too much and than after some time try to let the collage speak to you. Though it sounded pretty vague to me at first, I have to admit that it worked for me...

So I resume this way of trying to understand my work with the collage above:

It's main subject is about dancing the tango, but there is also a smaller image of a ballet company of the city of Arnhem. Now I am not a dancer myself, I simply lack the grace and the courage to express myself in this way, but I adore people who have this passion; furthermore it shows a western boot. Well, that could simply be because I love the west (of the USA), I love good country music, I love the romance of these past eras. The text in German I have probably chosen (remember, I try to understand my work!) because I know that language and in a certain period of my life I had to use it everyday. And finally the stamped golden swirls and the yellow pink flower parts: they add colour to the collage and support the topic in my opinion.

There it is: the collage as it speaks to me today...

Thanks for visiting!

Regina