Until a year ago, I made art in my kitchen. These days, my kitchen is back to being a kitchen and my art-making has moved to Sixstar Art Studios, 2430 Terminal Dr S Unit B, St. Petersburg, FL 33712.
Making Collage Art
I make collages on mat board and wood panels. I often use acrylic paint as well. I almost always use acrylic gel medium to seal wood panels and to adhere the material being collaged onto the panel or mat board. I finish the pieces with acrylic varnish, to further seal and protect from sun and other environmental damage. These pieces should last a very long time.
Almost always, the collages are made from photos I print on archival, acid-free paper. I use a Canon Pro-1000 art printer, with archival pigment-based ink.
Sometimes I tear the prints. Sometimes I cut them, by hand or with a large paper cutter. Sometimes the final work contains both cut and torn prints, to achieve the effects I want.
When I started making art in 2019, most of my pieces were marker drawings on watercolor paper. Oftentimes I would use torn or cut pieces of drawings to create a montage and photograph that as the final piece, or would photograph the piece or the montage as raw material to be printed and worked into a larger physical collage. Sometimes I would photograph, print, tear or cut, arrange, and photograph again several times to achieve the desired result.
The past few years, most of my work has used real-world photos (sky, buildings, plants, water) as opposed to drawings. But I am thinking of returning to some of the earlier techniques in some upcoming projects.
Companions in the Studio
Oftentimes I am alone in the studio, as all of us have different schedules and busy lives. But usually someone will be there during at least part of the time I am there.
I can’t say enough how important it’s been to have the encouragement, support and occasional artistic suggestion from these fellow artists. I get that from a number of people, but most of all from the talented people at Sixstar, who see me at work more than anyone else. I have learned so much from them. I almost feel like I have a graduate degree in art just from being in the studio environment with these talented people.
Almost always, the collages are made from photos I print on archival, acid-free paper. I use a Canon Pro-1000 art printer, with archival pigment-based ink.
Sometimes I tear the prints. Sometimes I cut them, by hand or with a large paper cutter. Sometimes the final work contains both cut and torn prints, to achieve the effects I want.
Studio as Gallery
For Art Walk and special events, I convert the studio into a gallery. I put away the long work table, which holds the paper cutter and other items (Including the laptop computer I use with the printer). The tall artist work table, on which I do the (usually messy!) assembly work, doesn’t fold; I use it for display and a brief artist’s description of my process for those who want to read more.
I try to keep the studio/gallery fresh, with a mixture of current and past work. Every month I have some new pieces and change out older ones. I make sure there is something new every month for our regular Art Walk crowd.
Most new pieces are now on wood panels, which do not need separate framing. I’m enjoying working on wood, but it’s a slower process and I am still having fun with the framed pieces on mat board as well.
Studio Pictures
The pictures you see here should give you a pretty good idea of the space and the work. But everything looks better in person; that’s the most common response from people who may have seen only seen my art online.
I love having guests and am happy to arrange a studio visit. Just send me an email or text, and let’s find a time to get together. I leave for Peru May 3, but will be back in the studio May 19. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Coming Up
Next month’s blog will feature my newest collage, Resilience, inspired by the 1985 unveiling of the first German memorial to homosexual victims of Hitler Germany. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you can see a reel that shows me making (and modifying) the piece over several weeks.
The heart of the piece is a pink triangle, which began as a symbol of persecution that homosexual concentration camp prisoners were required to wear. It evolved into a symbol of resilience for the gay community, especially during the AIDS crisis that raged at the time of the 1985 memorial. It continues to be a potent symbol for our community, and sometimes for those who would attack us.
Resilience will be part of MAZE, a beautiful and complex journey. Chad Mize curates this group show by LGBTQ artists which opens 6-9 pm on Friday June 6 at FloridaRAMA, 2606 Fairfield Ave S Building 5, St. Petersburg, FL 33712. Chad chose years and events that are important parts of our LGBTQ history, and I am honored to be part of this special Pride exhibition.
