Hi, everyone--Jessica, here. You may have noticed I'm having some technical difficulties and I have to keep logging in as Tonia, so I'm wondering if it's less confusing to identify myself at the beginning of each post instead of just at the end. Or you can just go on thinking I'm Tonia, which is fine by me! I'm a Tonia fan.
For my first foray into the use of personal imagery, I thought I’d ease myself into the challenge by using a modern photo I had taken that had personal meaning, but a sense of timeless charm on its own. I decided on a photo I snapped of an amazing 300-year-old oak tree on a visit to Boone Hall Plantation near Charleston, South Carolina, last spring. Inspired by Corey Moortgat’s use of symbolism in her work, I decided to choose vintage ephemera that represented other aspects of Southern charm: A page torn from an old book (an ode to Southern literature, a favorite of mine), a recipe card (what would a Southern collage be without down home cooking?), the stamped image of a belle-like dress and an old-fashioned bottle cap I used to add pattern and texture.
By painting over portions of the modern photo, then incorporating those same paint colors elsewhere on the piece; adding texture with a paper towel; and layering acrylic craft paints over the entire piece, I managed to include a glossy modern image among other ephemera without making it look out of place. The result is not my favorite work, to be sure, but it's not a bad for a first attempt, if I do say so myself.
So, y’all, when considering this month’s challenge, remember
that you can use modern personal images in your mixed-media and collage work
without necessarily choosing photos of people. You may find, as I did, that
it’s a gentle way to infuse personal significance into your work, and that once
you begin, the transition is far less daunting than it may first seem.
Because March’s Mixed-Media
Monthly Challenge is inspired by The Art of Personal Imagery by Corey Moortgat, we thought a great way to kick it off would be to speak with Corey herself about
the subject at hand. As Corey’s editor, I volunteered for the honor. And she
had so much to say about the challenge of incorporating personal imagery into
collage and mixed-media artwork that I decided to divide it into two parts. So without further ado
read on for Part 1 of my Chat with Corey Moortgat! (I do love an unintentional
rhyme now and again.)
Jessica: In The Art of
Personal Imagery, you share your story of how you began incorporating modern
photos into your more vintage-style collage and mixed-media artwork—a process
that you described as pushing your own boundaries as an artist. What was the
turning point in successfully taking your artwork in this new direction?
Corey: I think that I was somewhat “forced” into a turning point
by my own desire to complete a particular project. I wanted to create an art
journal about my wedding, and wasn’t really able to achieve this without using
modern ephemera like photos and memorabilia. I was in a quandary. I could
either back down because it was scary, or I could go ahead and try. Even though
it was difficult at first, through trial and error, I did what I could to make
it work. And it became easier. While working on the several pages of the journal,
I began feeling more comfortable with the new style, and by the time I was
finished, I had worked my way through my apprehension and was ready for the
next project!
Jessica: I know you have a background in art therapy. How does
that influence your work?
Corey: Art therapy is based on the idea of creating artwork to
work out personal feelings and emotions. Although we may not realize it,
personal symbols and meaning appear in everything we create. Knowing this, I
try to take advantage of this uncensored look into my subconscious by purposely
doing artwork in order to work through things, and also by examining my artwork
to see what appears.
Jessica: Motherhood is a prominent theme in your art. How has
your work changed over the past few years? How is it changing now?
Corey: As an artist, my artwork is constantly evolving. Even if I
hadn’t become a mother, I guarantee that my artwork wouldn’t look the same as
it did a couple years ago. But motherhood really did serve as a creative
impetus for me, and opened my eyes to lots of new imagery and inspiration.
Creating baby art journals for my children has become a passion for me, and has
further introduced me to the world of scrapbooking. It has also brought out new
themes in my work and helped me do a lot of self-exploration. Recently, I’ve
become interested in moving my artwork in a new direction. Although I still
intend to work on my children’s’journals, I’m also trying to actively explore
more of my own symbols in some personal artwork.
Jessica: What do you think other artists and crafters have to
gain from pushing themselves to find ways to incorporate personal images and
words into their work?
Corey: At the very least, artists can gain the satisfaction of
creating artwork that doesn’t look like everyone else’s. But they can also gain
a lot of self-insight, in addition to leaving a legacy of themselves for their
friends and family. Personal artwork has so much more meaning than something
generic, both to the artist who creates it and to the viewers who view it.
Jessica: What advice do you have for artists and crafters who
feel self-conscious about taking this approach?
I know it’s hard, but you’ve just got to try. Try beginning
slowly, just adding one new kind of element in each piece, until you feel more
comfortable. Changing directions with your artwork takes time and practice and
a lot of pieces that you may not like, but it really takes this effort in order
to figure out what works for you.
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Visit Corey’s blog for more insights and eye candy from this inspiring artist. So what do you
think? Are you feeling inspired to try this month’s challenge? We can all push
our boundaries together! Get those creative juices flowing, and stay tuned for
more Q&A with the lovely Mrs. Moortgat next week.
Here in Cincinnati, we are finally emerging from the snowy
months, at long last, to have the icy, slushy weather replaced with… rain.
Rain, the kind of damp cold that chills you absolutely to the bone, and gray,
gray skies. As excited that I am that March is National Craft Month and that we're embarking on our first Mixed-Media Monthly Challenge, I'm not that juiced about this time of year otherwise. Yesterday I found myself suffering from some (cliché, I know) rainy
day blues, and decided to treat myself to a little afternoon break of one of my
favorite activities: Etsy-surfing. I usually search around the site by the type
of art I’m looking for, and then, of course, end up getting completely
sidetracked. This time, though, I decided to search by topic. I have to admit
these sweet finds were just the thing to turn my afternoon around with some
sunny inspiration.
Umbrellas abound in blue (from Etsy seller sushipot):
And, of course, once you start thinking of songs about rain, it's hard not to appreciate this reclaimed Purple Rain ring from greenbelts:
I'd finish this post by telling you about the rainbow I spotted outside the window just as I was finishing my Etsy browsing, but you wouldn't believe me if I tried (though I have several coworkers who can corroborate my story!)
As many of you know, March is National Craft Month, so we thought it was great timing for kicking off what we would like to announce as our Mixed-Media Monthly Challenge. Each month, beginning with March, we would like to challenge you with a specific theme. This will be something that will hopefully encourage you to try new things with your art and maybe encourage you to look at something you might not have thought about in the past. For our first month, March, we're going to begin with the topic of Personal Imagery. By that, we mean incorporating your own photos into your work. This can mean portraiture or not--it's up to you. For inspiration, you might want to check out, TheArt of Personal Imagery by Corey Moortgat. Very shortly, we'll be sharing more details with you on this month's theme and what fun activities we have planned (including forum discussions, a place for you to share your monthly-challenge images and a book giveaway). This challenge will be good for me personally because I don't normally use much of the way of personal imagery in my work, but I'm ready to try!
The Crafty Ninja and I attended the Art of Food exhibit at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, KY (a very cool building that was once a Carnegie library). It was a bit of an adventure, as there wasn’t a soul around, but eventually we found a large room with some haphazard displays. And once we got into the room and turned around, we saw this (the link takes you to the gallery--we're having some system issues with putting images in blog posts--sorry!).
It’s the Mona Lisa made out of pieces of toast. Now we’re talkin’! It was made by the advanced-placement art students at St. Henry District High School in Erlanger, KY. Love the shading and detail they achieved.
While I was mesmerized by the toast, the Crafty Ninja noticed a few other people come down some nearby stairs. So we ventured up there to see if there was more to be found. And indeed there was. A birthday cake exhibit, a handmade table setting exhibit, and a meat exhibit. Well, kind of. It was the work of John Wolfer, who creates artwork that is painted in acrylic and silk-screened. And it all features meat. Check out this gallery page to see what I mean.
Another fun outing for the sake of art. Hope you had a fun weekend, too.
