Janice McDonald / Collage Art Studio

Lively abstract inspiration in a cemetery

A couple of weeks ago, while visiting New Orleans, I noticed really interesting found abstract imagery all over the city. To top it off, I spent several hours exploring St. Louis Cemetery #1. (Overall photos and information about cemetery conservation efforts are here.)

The worn monuments and surfaces of the cemetery were really amazing and inspiring -- an intriguing visual treat, on hallowed ground, in the midst of an architectural/historical treasure! Here are a few of my favorite photos, all details/patterns. This imagery may not ever make its way into my work, but I am fascinated by composing with the camera when I discover patterns/surfaces that truly constitute found art. 

The cemetery is interesting on so many levels and well worth a visit next time you are in New Orleans... assuming you can tear yourself away from the jazz, food (beignets!) and drink. 

Incoming: playing with daily discoveries

Several times a day I find oddball bits and pieces* that I want to play with... and these elements most often don't relate to the larger collages in process. So, I've been experimenting with some free form collage compositions on lined banana paper, which has been coated front and back with acrylic medium, to add heft and some durability. The banana paper has a wonderful random speckled texture, and the brown ruled lines are in opposition to that... there's something quite delightful about working on it.

Here's a detail from one in progress that includes a questionable bit of positive thinking. What struck me as unusual about it was the passivity of the comment. It seems there is a lot of encouragement in print, much of it the "shelf-help" variety -- which sounds good at first, but is entirely too trite for my taste.

*Doodles, packaging fragments, snippets of text, stamps, junk mail, to-do lists, leftover scraps, fruit labels, receipts, handwritten notes, the photos you always meant to throw away... you get the drift, anything goes!  

Anthropomorphism 1

Ever have the feeling that some-body/thing is watching you?! I was driving behind this vehicle the other day (no clue what it does) and just had to snap a quick photo at a stoplight. What a "face!" 

I see images like this, looking back at me, pretty regularly, which is why my Foundling Series of collages began. Perhaps I need to start a collection of these photos for comic relief. I bet you all see them too... :)

anthropomorphism |ˌanθrəpəˈmôrˌfizəm| noun

the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

Santa Fe road trip novelties

Random photos from a road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico a couple of weekends ago. It was very inspiring to visit the galleries along Canyon Road. A few details jumped out at me -- not sure what they mean, but these oddities along the way were surprising and visually intriguing. It's fun to encounter something mysterious now and then!