Saturday, April 18, 2009

Colour Challenge and Collage

I have played more with art this past week than in all of the past year!

Leah Piken Kolidas’s Colour Art challenge at Creative Every Day has finally been the push for me to create, rather than just read about or look at, art.

I have loved visiting so many different art blogs through Creative Every Day and “12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women” book club. But, I was not creating.


I even joined an online art class – Media Collage backgrounds at Creative Workshops to spark my creativity.








This week I have hopefully turned the corner. Thanks Leah!

My project for the April 13-19 challenge is a colour collage. Leah suggested using colour we normally do not use. After creating the Full Pink Moon Dreamboard, shades and tints of pink seemed to jump out of magazines. I had such fun yesterday creating my “pink” palette collage.



Collage has always been one of my favourite forms of art. I use collage a lot when teaching children. Children seem to love the freedom of collage, as do I.

One of the best descriptions of collage came from a former student, age 8: “I love collage. You get to glue a whole bunch of stuff together.”

I love the uncertainty when you start a collage, the variety of “stuff” you can use, the fun of just playing.

When my own children were young we spent many summers in Haliburton, Ontario taking courses at the School of Fine arts there. It was a great way to combine a week’s holiday at the cottage with the excitement of creating, with each of us keeping busy each day with something we loved to do.

I tried many different techniques and classes – from basket weaving to silk screening, from watercolour to design. My favourite though, was the watercolour media collage course. Here is a sampling of some of my creations from this course.


8 comments:

Kathryn Costa said...

What a great way to spend a holiday staying at a cottage and filling days with art classes. Pretty in Pink is what I call your pinky collage. Leah is a great inspiration. I enjoyed the MMB online class at the Creative Workshop Ning class. Nancy Lefko is so organized!

Tamarak said...

Hi!!!

I know Haliburton...I used to live in Orillia before moving to Ottawa...and as a kid I went to camp in the Haluburton Highlands!

Beautiful area...but I have, as yet, to take any classes at the Haliburton School of Fine Arts...I have a friend who takes at least 1 every summer though...

Glad to hear you are having fun creating more!

Beverley Baird said...

Thanks Kathryn and Tamara. You have both inspired me - by your thoughts and your art.
Thanks for your support.

I loved Haliburton! I even taught 2 summers there - courses for kids. I could do that full-time!

Tamarak said...

A funny thing...a couple days after I was looking at your blog and thinking about Haliburton...a girlfriend that I was going to go on a Wild Women Expeditions art retreat with said...why don't we take a class at the Haliburton School of Art instead...so that is likely what I will be doing in July!

The world is a funny place sometimes...

I have only ever heard good things about it!

Sharon P Pope said...

I enjoyed your post and art. I especially like the pink collage. :)

Beverley Baird said...

Thanks Sharon. I love collage - making this reminded me I have to do more!

I'm sure you'll love Haliburton Tamara. The school has so many different courses each week. Every Thurs. they have what they call "Walkabout" - where all the clases display what was created that week. You can see so many wonderful creative works of art.

Tabitha the KnittingJourneyman said...

Your work is so beautiful. Terrific collage too. Thank you for sharing.

Leah said...

Ooo, what beautiful pieces!! I'm so glad you were able to get over the hump and get creating again. Color has that magic about it, it's so fun to get inspired by it.