Friday, October 21, 2011

"I'M NO LONGER ENTIRELY CONVINCED THAT THEY LOVE ME..."



Poor Marius is very bored and very confused about the confinement to cage rest... His cast should come off in a little more than a week... then we have to make sure he doesn't get out and get himself run over again because of stiffness in the legs... We cuddle him for a long time twice a day, he is not running off and so it is working out quite well, but while he is sometimes very calm he is also often very enervated and upset. It's hard to know whether we should tell him off when he starts attacking us... My principle is that he shouldn't be allowed to do that under any circumstances. I keep a leaflet at hand which I bash him with a bit, this is a known method of cat education as the cat shouldn't associate the hands with punishment. Poor Marius!!

Post Scriptum: After a bit of a low spot wondering why we keep making this sick joke on him, Marius has now picked up his spirits,and seems to do a lot better! Very soon his cast will come off... We are going to prepare some reflective fabric to be attached to his collar so he doesn't get run over again.

Monday, October 17, 2011

NEW WORK UNDER WAY...

"Don't you even think about putting me down!!"
The open studios are now closed... I have to say the last weekend was a bit of an anti climax and our press release (which really we shouldn't have had to make ourselves) appeared in the local paper one day before we closed... Some people have thought the PR was poor. Some people also came to us complaining that other artists and galleries that were supposed to be open weren't. That's pretty bad for us! I can understand people are upset when they have to drive far into the hills on tiny country roads...

The good news is that our work is well on its way. Martin's second drawing for the illustration project soon to be revealed didn't quite work out. I told him upfront that I didn't think it was good enough... after some initial irritation he agreed and started again. I think for that kind of project you can't expect to get it right right away - free drawing, requires so much practice. How many times I have also abandoned work in the middle, it hurts but it's sometimes necessary. So here are some shots of the work situation in my studio....



I tend to end up on the floor... especially when the work is big like this
However, what you don't see is me lying flat on my stomach trying to draw a pylon, moaning loudly in the process. My back muscles just won't take any such drawing practice. The big figure is bad enough... not to mention the clouds. The physical challenges are quite depressing but I try and find ways around the problems. It's going to be - I hope - quite a hefty collage about problems with society, featuring among other things this striking military chopter which was free on the internet... Though I'm a girl I can't help thinking it's quite cool as an object, but it's probably laden with missiles... Why doesn't it surprise me a war related picture like this is free wall paper!


Martin has started drawing:

This piece is about order and chaos as exemplified by the golden mean and the tendency of our reality towards entropy (the skull)... This is not part of his actual book project but something he has in mind and is practising on in order to get into the habit of drawing every day. You can buy it, please see his blog.

Monday, October 10, 2011

A BLAST - MY LATEST COLLAGE


"Contemplating the Nature of Triumph",
copyright Vivi-Mari Carpelan 2011

The open studio is still on, we are open this week 13th - 16th October. There has been a reasonably even stream of visitors, and where there has been interest in my stuff, I have certainly enjoyed connecting, talking about what I do but also chit chatting about life in general. Many visitors are artists themselves. It has been more worthwhile than I expected I think, and possibly a good thing that we have not been inundated with visitors. I have over 50 pieces on show, so it's really a kind of retrospective, and because it's in our home we get the benefit of hearing what people like and how they see the work. It makes me feel less invisible and more encouraged to go on creating. The things people ask the most are whether my pieces really are original rather than prints, because they seem so seamless. It's nice to hear, that people are keen to look at the technique while they try and figure out how it was done. People also often ask whether I exhibit a lot, and of course I tell them I have only lived in this country a year. It is also not easy to get galleries interested in these difficult times, they already have their best selling household artists and are not often eager to take risks. It will take time to get the art out there.

Beatrice is adamant that she should be part of my collages...

Bea has been in the studio all throughout the arts month, looking very cute
and amazingly tolerant towards the guests (even when there are several in the small space)

We also wanted to be working on our more concrete projects during this time so I have been sketching a bit for the big collage with all the men that I scanned out of one of Jim Harter's books, but I also wanted to do something turquoise and did in fact manage to complete a piece in a couple of days. Here it is - a blast! I don't seem to be able to help myself as I feel very attracted to the joyful and playful Indian imagery. I hope Indians can see that I respect their Gods though. It's good to go for lots of colour every once in a while, I think it is beneficial to one's state of mind. Perhaps I am really trying to defy the Welsh weather!

I got this big man's shirt from the RSC sale and am now using it for work!

Please read more about our open studios here and here!
Soon I have to refconfigure my computer and send it off to service... It will be hard to be without it.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

HOW TO MAKE COLLAGES

I was asked to explain what you should think of when you make collages. I will only talk about the traditional paper based collages (possibly with the odd 3D object here and there), and assume that the reader wants to make serious art work. Some of the definitions of collage that come up on the internet are "An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and colour" and "A form of art in which various materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric are arranged and stuck to a backing".

First of all, I would like to make a distinction between different kinds of collages the way I understand it. Firstly, you have collages comprised of ephemera which you find in every day life. These could be bus tickets, theatre tickets, old letters, old cheques... My collage "Ephemeral Ways" has many such documents that I collected in a derelict house in Kansas. In it you also find old photographs, old wallpaper, and a photo of a graveyard that I took in the same area. I have used acrylics and crayons on top of these.

"Ephemearal Ways", copyright 2008
You need to be aware of the copy right of pictures you might want to use. The collage above will have no issues of copy right because the photo is my own, and the rest of the material are things so old that no one will even remember they existed. There are different rules of copy right depending on the country you live in, but generally speaking you shouldn't use images until 70 years after the death of the author! You should always keep in mind that you could be sued for using someone else's property.You really need to use common sense a lot of the time. As there are photos of the past that belonged to advertising companies and it is very unlikely that anyone will remember them. 

Another type of collage uses modern magazine cuts, and seems to be the most common. Generally speaking people seem to get away with using such images, but technically speaking they do belong to someone and you could get in trouble for using them. There is a common misunderstanding that it's alright to use less than 25 % of an image... this is not true. If you do want to use someone else's photo, please make sure you disguise it well! While I personally do not want to walk down this alley to any great extent, I do sometimes take calculated risks. Since I acquired a colour laser printer I try and integrate more of my own photos into my artwork. This is a piece that I made using photos of myself, either taken by my mother or my husband (in which case they have agreed to grant me copy right). I ended up having problems working the photos by hand because the paper and laser ink is quite glossy. I need to look for better paper.

Use the excellent Finnish Fiskars sewing scissors for a neat cut!
At the top of this image you see a woman flying/lying in the sky; she is an old engraving from a book with copy right free images. Jim Harter, a friend of mine, started to collect these kind of images back in the 1970s and Dover has published a great number of collections on different themes. You will find a wealth of images that you can use freely. The only thing is that you have to like the way the look! For me personally, they represent something nostalgic and very beautiful that I enjoy incorporating into my work... I used to go to the University and copy the books for very little money. Nowadays I scan them (or use CD's that come with the newer books), then working them in a photo editing program such as Photoshop.

I have changed the hair so that it is flying in the wind
I increase contrast, play around with sizes and may even change a detail here and there. I then print them out on good quality laser paper. The problem with some papers is that they are very glossy and not so easy to deal with later if you want to add colour and other effects by hand. On the other hand the paper may be too thin and fragile, and impossible to work with as it will tear too easily. You need to think about this and try what works best for you. 

"Loose Promises", copyright 2008
Nowadays many people prefer to do digital collages, in which case all the imagery is assembled in the computer and no scissors or glues are involved! I don't personally want to do this, as I want to retain a maximum of my own personality in my collaged images as well as incorporate hand drawn elements. I want my art work to have that extra dimension of a craft done by hand. I feel that because I spend a lot of time by the computer, I should also do something with my hands. 

We now get to the final version of collages, which I call mixed media collages. These incorporate a wide variety of other elements and often involve so many different techniques that they might as well be called just "mixed media". While some of my collages have only very few hand drawn elements (the collage above only has a hand painted background, a hand drawn heart, clouds and some colour added to the copy right free images), some collages are more complex. The one below incorporates copy right free engravings, a border made out of magazine cuts, a hand drawn figure, hair made out of some photographed grass found in a magazine, hand drawn honey, hand drawn pills, an old letter, scraps and a couple of images found in a book.

"Grazing A Maze", copyright 2006
(Formerly "The Alchemy of Nutrition")
There are various decorative papers for sale that you can use freely, you can get them in hobby shops (they are mostly meant for scrap booking or for decoupage, the art of decorating objects with images). There are also images online that are free to use. I use gift wrap as well, I don't think you need to worry too much about copy right in this case.
"The Melancholy of Ambivalence", copyright 2008
This collage contains a lot of giftwrap
as well as images from sheets that were intended for decoupage.
The very basics of the technique of collaging is knowing how various media mix and how papers react to the products you want to use. For instance, magazine cuts are usually made of very thin paper that may react very badly to wet glue. You need to spread the watered down glue very thinly and be very careful when you apply it to your background. I usually spread out the glue with my fingers, but intricate or large images I hold down to a piece of paper used for this purpose only, spread glue onto the back and then spread it out with a wet brush. You also need to think about what kind of background you want to use. Only use good quality, acid free paper. There are nowadays papers meant for mixed media, for instance one made of bamboo. If you wish to colour this paper in some way, it may be a good idea to wet it thoroughly first, much as you would when working with water colours. This way it will not buckle too much. It will also ensure against further reactions to glues and other media. Remember that some papers will deteriorate with age. If you want for your collage to last, you need to be using good quality papers all around, and varnish the images afterwards.
I started off by painting he ground and the background for the clouds
with Ecoline inks. They say these inks are not very durable.
I have always used them and as long as I keep my artwork out of the sun
(as you should)
they seem to be alright.
The ABC of collaging is that you have to be very careful not to apply water based products on top of oil based products. 

I do use PVA glue a lot, but nowadays commonly used for collaging is actually Matt Gel Medium. This is normally added to acrylics to change their consistency, but doubles as a glue and a varnish. It is one of the few products that have a matt finish. It will make it look as if you haven't glued anything at all! You can also "mend" spots with PVA glue where you don't want it to show by using this on top. The good thing about this varnish is that on top of it, you can draw with crayons Just be careful when you use it as a varnish as a thick layer will make the image look milky. This actually goes for all commercial varnishes. It's always best to test a product properly before risking a finished collage! I have been using spray varnishes as a finishing touch just to make the collage more durable, but I am not always pleased with the effect it has on some surfaces. Some spirit based varnishes can ruin your paper, so be careful!

Now one of the very great problems you will encounter if you use different media is gluing pictures on top of a background that contains oil (for instance wax or oil crayon), as well as applying a water based varnish on this kind of surface. There is a great solution for this problem, and it is Shellac. This is a traditional varnish originally meant for furniture (usually in the form of French Polish). You can buy Shellac flakes in shops that sell ecological paints. It comes in a variety of shades, from dark brown to light yellow. You need to soak the flakes in methylated spirit for a while. Alternatively, you can buy it ready made. Soak the used brush in methylated spirit to clean. The brown mixture will obviously give your collage a darker tint, while the lighter one will not show so much. This is a good way of making your collage look older. Shellac sticks to almost any surface. Only make sure the surface is really dry when you apply it. It may be difficult to draw on top of it, but paints such as ordinary acrylics will stick to it. While I'm not so keen on synthetic products such as acrylic paints, I find they make life easier and for the moment I prefer it that way. You can also use acrylics as a background as PVA glue will stick to it without problem (they are both similar products). You can of course attempt to be 100 % ecological and use only traditional or hand made products. In this case you need a book about making natural paints. There are many old methods meant for interior decoration that can be used in mixed media art work. My inspiration came in fact from the art of decoupage.

Making intricate collages is as you can see not an easy affair. You have to be very focused, as small mistakes in composition when you glue down your pictures, and carelessness regarding the products you use, can ruin your efforts altogether. I make lots of mistakes as I am not always able to be focused enough. I often find myself desperately repairing them. Well, the good news is that it's not always visible to other people!

When it comes to composition, in my case it's mostly intuitive. It's a good idea to lay the images out first and think how you want to combine them. There is no easy advice to give, you just have to try it out and see what approach works best for you. Try and make the images overlap as little as possible, as this will not look very neat. The thinner the paper, the better the images will mix and look seamless. Of course, you may have a "rough" style that requires a different approach. If possible, glue the thinner papers first and the thicker ones on top. You can also tear the edges so they will blend better as the edges won't be sharp. Among the different media I use are coloured inks, watercolour crayons, and the American Prisma pens that have a fantastic consistency and finish (they are quite greasy). Luckily you can now buy them online within Europe. I like precision, so I don't use pastels a lot. I just purchased some Sennellier pastels to try though, as they looked very pleasing. In general, the Sennelier products are fabulous. Their inks are interesting as they contain some Shellac!
Acrylic paint, Sennelier inks, Prisma crayons...

The finished collage "In Search of Herself", copyright 2011.
The background is made using a secret ingredient...
The ground is made using Ecoline inks and black crayon.
The Tree and clouds are made using Prisma crayons.
The meteorites are made using Sennelier ink and white Prisma crayon.
The border is assembled of a copy right free Celtic pattern -
sadly I didn't find quite what I was looking for.
The figures are photos of myself, made sepia in Photoshop
 and also resized to create a sense of perspective.
All in all I am not 100 % happy with the result,
 as I had trouble with the paper I printed the figures on.

Perhaps I will still give it another go... sometime.


Does it all seem terribly complicated? Don't worry, start in a simple way and the learn more as you go... Don't feel overwhelmed by it all, just enjoy the process. Only remember that the copy right issues are important if you want to sell or exhibit your work in public. Otherwise just go for good quality magazines like I did in the beginning... 


Good online shops in the UK are Great Art and Art Discount.


Read more about my artistic process on my website.
A good source of inspiration are the collage groups on Flickr. Here are a few:


ALL COLLAGES
COLLAGE CRAZY
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL COLLAGES... ETC

COLLAGE VINTAGE ART
I MAKE COLLAGES
PAPER COLLAGE ONLY
SCRAPPINDIPITY
NOTPAPER (There is a BLOG in connection to this group which features interviews with collage artists - in 2008 I was featured here)


RETROCOLLAGE (a website by Eric Edhelmann)


Check out this book on contemporary collages by Robert Klanten and look for more e.g. on Amazon:



Sunday, October 2, 2011

THE OPEN STUDIOS ARE NOW OPEN!


Robin has diligently been keeping his position as studio cat in my studio throughout this weekend when we've been open to the public as part of  Powys Arts Month. So far we haven't witnessed any enormous interest but it's only the beginning as we will still be open the two following weeks from Thursday to Friday. I've been a bit ill this weekend so it's just as well... A couple asked a lot of questions about my art, it was lovely and refreshing to have a reason to talk about it all again. We do question whether maybe Powys just isn't the greatest place to show art, and when we have time we will be looking elsewhere for a public. We think that the beautiful catalogue should have been more widely distributed, across the borders.

We also need to work, it's funny how hard it can be to find the time sometimes. This is the startup of my own project: I'm working out a figure from the photos, and have also scanned and printed a huge amount of old copy right free images seen to the right that will feature in my new work.


This is how full our walls are of my work... there are 46 pieces on the walls as well lots of old work that I am selling out very cheaply. Prices vary from £ 5 - £ 700.





Postcards and a browser full of bargains...
MARTIN'S ART:
Original oil paintings in Martin's studio
Lots of prints of Martin's earlier work in our living room

The 11 dragons for Llanidloes in our (half renovated) dining area -
where guests can also have tea and cake and write name, comments
 (and e-mail address if they wish to receive our newsletter),
in our guestbook
Martin's alchemical laboratory...
Small prints for sale.
On top, the plane model that British Airways sent Martin
when he was short listed for the Great Britons.



MARTIN GIVING A DEMONSTRATION AND TALK...

On Friday he did a talk and demonstration at the Ceredigion Art Society in Aberystwyth (a big university town on the coast, not too far from us).

Martin is explaining how he makes a print of the kind of gradient, e.g. a sky, that he wants to paint,
and then matches the oil colours with it.
This is the print he used for the painting of a sky that he is using as an example.

Martin is talking about some of his art work.
To the right, the gradients that he has started to paint
as a demonstration.


In this picture,
Martin is demonstrating how you create smooth gradients
(using oil colours)
I am also available for talks, namely about the symbolism of my art and symbols in general.