Inspired by… Rex Ray and a collage a day

Welcome to the world of Rex Ray~ Great name. Great work.

Have a watch..

After watching this video I just wanted to climb right up there beside him on the desk and have a heart to heart chat about his journey, his experiences and generally what makes him tick. I believe we all need a mentor to help guide us on our journey. I have decided I want him to be mine.

Rex…just text me!    ( because it doesn’t hurt to put it out there..)

I love everything about this video ~ his work, his attitude and how he represents himself. What struck a chord with me was his daily collage work.. Oddly, I stumbled upon this video just a few days after I had made the decision to try to create a daily collage.

Serendipitous?? ..I am taking it as a sign from above..

As you may know, I love paper. I may even have a paper problem. I have stacks of it. I have been known to secretly retrieve it from the recycling.

There are moments when I am not so proud of my artistically afflicted ways…..

I have been spending the majority of my creative time these days working on my intuitive painting skills.Very enjoyable, but I do find that I often need to step away from it every so often just to give my canvas a chance to rest, recuperate and regenerate.

Collage, especially with a limited palette, is a  breath of fresh air. I dont struggle as much with it. Right now I am sticking to homemeade papers, pen and thread… but I know I wont be able to resist adding  some paint in time.

Playing with textures and composition.  The theme for this group is “Out of the Woods”. I have incorporated a lot of my homemade woodlike paper and birch bark from my very own birch tree.

One of my goals for this year is to actually build up a body of work. Instead of flitting around from project to project, my goal is to  concentrate on working within a theme/subject. Spend some time thinking about the subject at hand and finding different ways to represent the same subject. I have been trying to work on this concept with my poppy paintings. Why not do the same with my paper projects?

A small part of my brain also thought it may be beneficial for my upcoming surface pattern design course… Well it seems that Rex also thought it would be beneficial and who am I to argue with his success.

So my friends I leave you with this..

Source: tabletonic.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Every time I question the what and why of this whole creative journey, I come back to this ~  I love all the possibility. I love the zen like feeling and the a’ha moments I have when creating. I may never reach my ultimate destination, but what entertainment it has been along the way.

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Inspired by…the art of visual dissection

I love when I stumble upon the unexpected. Something unexpected that provides immense joy and an a’ha moment or two. Those are good discoveries.

I had one of those moments when I stumbled upon this..

Designer Bélan Mena has taken the lowly moth to a new level of grandeur. She spent 5  years  photographing moths in all their glory. She then transformed all of her images into beautiful pieces of artwork. Her designs have been used to adorn every surface imaginable.

What inspired me was that the wonderful designs of nature are perfectly composed and combined in colors and forms.

What inspires me most about her work is her ability to see and transform. I love how she has visually dissected each fragment of the moth and presented it in a very new and  exciting  way. Her use of color is vibrant and very unsuspected.

Personally, I am intrigued about the possibility here. Taking a concept and  exploring it to its fullest. Observing. Taking its shape, color, texture,marks…and exploring.

There is definitely a lesson to be  learned in this type of work.One that I am very interested in practicing in my own painting and design work (to come!) I believe that every learning opportunity can be enhanced upon by just pushing the subject matter… a little further. Something I need to focus on and put into practice.

A little aside here… I can’t tell you how many poppies I painted before I actually sat down and really observed one. Who knew they had 5 petals?!

My goal ~ to spend some time taking a theme and pushing it to it’s limits. Or better said…my limits.

For more visual inspiration you must visit her website. Lots of visual eye candy !

I would love to hear if you have come across any other designers or painters who have created something similar to this. Do tell…

Always in search of more a’ha moments…..