My Collage: Early Bird

Last week I unearthed this finished collage which was long forgotten.

I made this collage in July 2006 when I had Lyme Disease very badly. Actually the day I made this collage I had started the antibiotic treatment and was feeling horrible, having what is called a Herxheimer Reaction. This is a worsening of symptoms that happens due to a large die-off of spirochete organisms. Anyway that day I felt so horrible that I declared it a ‘make art and try to feel better’ fun day.

Then I put it with some ephemera and forgot about it completely and never did anything with it.

The base inspiration was that I saw an ATC swap online requesting the artists to use the colored part of security envelopes in the ATC in some way, shape or form.

I used a 5x7 inch piece of recycled cardboard as my base. I then used some of the security envelope paper on it. The intention was to slice this into four ATCs when it was done. I call these “block collages” as I make one big collage first then later cut them into ATCs. I don’t plan out each single ATC, I try to concentrate on the collage as one large piece and try to not think about how each little ATC will look in the end. I like the surprise at the end when it gets cut up.

I used a 1977 newspaper that my grandmother had saved. I liked the color of the “foxed” paper (slang term for oxidized paper). I enjoy the different kinds of font that older newspaper used. I liked the little bird which was in an ad for early bird and for an early spring store sale.

I then had the bird theme going and added in some complimentary colored postage stamps with birds on them.

There is a Citrasolv transfer of a digitally altered photograph of my younger son on here as well.

I also used some map images from an small and old world atlas. I added some ephemera with numbers such as the calendar. I saw some text on a piece of junk mail I had saved and cut it up to spell out “Please use your gifts”. I was in a mood that day thinking that we really all should be putting our natural talents to full use.

In the end I like the color palate of mostly white, off-white, beige and black with the accent of pink and a few other random colors thrown in. The collage started off colorful wit the tea bag, Ben Franklin postage and the mountain range but as I worked with it, it became more subdued.

There were some other swaps going on at the time that required the use of a map on the ATC, and another with the use of thigns we got for junk mail. I was trying to throw a little of this and a little of that together. My plan was that if I was able to get all the ATCs finished on time I’d join up with that swap. I prefer to make the ATCs FIRST then I sign up and send them in. I hate being caught with a deadline and no time to finish it, that is when making art for fun turns into a chore and a pressure deadline.

So anyway here is the 5x7 inch block collage. I will slice it up later today, and will scan that over the weekend then hopefully can get each single ATC uploaded to share with you.

These ATCs will be swapped privately, they are not going to be used in an ATC themed swap.

Technorati Tags: collage, ephemera, artist trading card, ATC.