A few years ago, I took a couple of printmaking classes. It was a lot of work, and great fun! However, there always seemed to be leftover ink (oops!), and I didn’t want to waste it. So I ran my plates through the press until the ink was used up, and saved the papers with random patterns, thinking that one day I might use them for collage.
Well, that day has arrived! I wanted to use the same still life items I already used for watercolor as the subject matter for my collage, and then compare my results. Well, I used some pears, an apple, and a couple of tangerines. Close enough.
When I did my student teaching a couple of ages ago, my main placement was in Kindergarten. We read Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” I was impressed with his artwork. My still life collage has already been influenced by that experience. Here is my literal “drawing board.” This is going to be a lot of fun!
I’m thinking I really should make them dance in a video for YouTube. I haven’t done anything like that since high school, and back then it was super 8 film…guess the technology has changed just a bit…it might be time to try out the Flip camera I have lying around here somewhere…
or the experts, and especially if you are a perfectionist. There is always something more to add, or tweak, until you have ruined what was fresh and spontaneous!
But first, I want to paint some fruit. Step 1: Arrange the fruit and draw it. I attempted to encourage the viewer’s eyes to move across the page in a figure eight. Beginning with the orange, they will move down across the pear from right to left, then to the upright apple, and then the apple on its side. To complete the figure eight , I will place the edge of the table in the lower left corner, hoping that the viewer will glance that way next, and then back to the center. We’ll see.
