Artist Statement. In 2022, I made some tentative forays into collage using cut and torn paper. Collage was a new medium for me, although I have always loved working with paper – making paper garlands, Christmas ornaments, origami boxes, etc. I am drawn to the tactile aspects of cutting and shaping paper.
I pasted my collages on the pages of a board book I found in a Little Free Library. This became my collage workbook.
My goal for my collages was playful exploration. One “rule” I set for myself was to include a piece of my watercolor work in each collage composition. Sometimes it was an image I salvaged from one of my “unsuccessful” paintings. Sometimes I used a photocopied image from one of my “successful” paintings.
Building compositions from cut paper was a departure from composing watercolor paintings, where I typically rely on line drawings to form the foundation of my painting. With collage I was forced to see images in simple shapes juxtaposed on a flat surface. Part of the challenge was to use colored papers to create depth, movement, and harmony within the compositions.
I found that the background of my collages became much more important than in my paintings, where often the background was an afterthought. With collage, I had to cover the entire board so that none of the original book showed through. So I focused on creating interesting backgrounds using the colors and textured patterns of the papers in my stash. Sometimes adding an unexpected element, like a window or door, seemed to open layers of metaphor and meaning that were not pre-planned.
After seeing the Romare Bearden collages at the Frye Art Museum in the summer of 2022, I was inspired to veer away from strict realism and allow my collages to become more expressive. Looking ahead, I am interested to see how my collage work will influence my watercolor paintings, and vice versa.
About the Artist. Since 2012, Rosemary Washington has had four exhibits of her work in watercolors at the Miller Library, including the current one. Each showed her growth into new styles and directions. One constant, however, is finding inspiration in nature and the commonplace. Her exhibit of watercolor works, Playing With Color, will be on display at the Miller Library March 1-28, 2023.
“My goal for my collages was playful exploration. One ‘rule’ I set for myself was to include a piece of my watercolor work in each collage composition.”
“Part of the challenge was to use colored papers to create depth, movement, and harmony within the compositions.”
“I found that the background of my collages became much more important than in my paintings, where often the background was an afterthought.”
“After seeing the Romare Bearden collages at the Frye Art Museum in the summer of 2022, I was inspired to veer away from strict realism and allow my collages to become more expressive.”
