Janice McDonald / Collage Art Studio

Intimate to HUGE: scaled-up collage

After the commission was approved, the original collage pieces were scanned at high resolution by Nocerino Editions. The team there works with the scan and software to adjust the colors so they will print as closely as possible to the original. This is no easy feat because of all the different types of paper I've used and the underlying 4-color rosette dot pattern from printing processes. I appreciate their perfectionism!

This photo shows the collages in a color corrected light booth awaiting approval. The original pieces (stacked, at right) are compared to samples, printed out on canvas swatches (left) to test colors. Once color was approved, the image was printed at 300% onto canvas, then stretched and varnished.

I picked the panels up earlier this week and took them to the framer for final finishing. Below is an image of the pieces laid out on the table at Metropolitan Frame Company, all nine feet of them. Note the hand in the photo to see scale... I had to take this photo from a stepladder! The images look great and I hope the effect will amazing once it's hung.

Since this will be displayed in a public space, the three pieces are being set into one very large frame to give them even more presence and keep the three pieces from getting out of alignment with each other. 

Installation is probably a month or so away but I'll eventually have photos of the piece in its final location to add to this saga.

Collage finished and approved... hooray!

The triptych collage was recently approved by the art consultant and interior designer. At left is a view of the finished original collage. Each panel measures one foot by one foot.

Here's a link to the last photo taken while it was underway, in the kitchen — where I'd moved everything so I could walk around three sides to mull over the collage under strong light, and add the finishing touches.

Lately I've been posting more process photos to my Facebook page so if that's a good way for you to view my work, I'd love it if you'd "like" me there too. Click here to go there! I appreciate your interest.

 

 

Constructed collage landscape, in progress

Lately I've been working on a triptych commission -- a collage landscape for a resort lobby. I'm working on three panels, each 12 x 12." Assuming the collage is approved by the client this week, it will then be photographed, enlarged and reproduced onto three canvases, each 36 x 36." So the finished piece will be a 9 foot vertical expanse... really exciting to imagine! 

Here is an in-progress photo taken a week or so ago. At left are the three collage panels. (I've painted the edges black so that is why you see some black brush marks on the surface, which will be covered with paper when complete.) At right are several trays of greens, blues, and potential stone colors that I collected in advance to consider for this project.

At the time of this photo I'd just set up the table for a fresh work session... most of the time there were quite a few scraps under consideration laying all over that pristine looking kraft paper! Once the college is approved, I'll post some finished photos. 

Collage in progress, update

At left is an interim photo of the collage in progress that I began posting about here.

Below is the collage when almost finished... at this point the collage in progress will sit in the studio, as I work on others, so I can study it and consider any other possible additions.

I've already added a couple of elements but they don't significantly change the feeling of the collage -- they just refine it a bit further.

Seeing possibilities... collecting collage ingredients

I'm often asked where the bits and pieces of my collages come from... I have a habit of looking at the negative spaces, the spaces BETWEEN and AROUND the featured items in a photograph. It's often there that I see the patterns, color gradations, and subtle imagery that I find most intriguing and useable.

The large photo above shows a recent photograph from the newspaper that had ingredient potential. (Caveat: It's very dangerous not to finish the paper before I get to it, if you want to be assured of reading the complete story!)

At left is a detail of the photo where I've indicated, with green outlines, the areas that I will rip out for future use.

I was recently explaining how I gather materials during a demonstration to a local art guild. Afterwards one fellow said, "You sure see things differently..." Yep, and I took that statement as a huge compliment!