I started this collage using a symmetrical composition from Deborah Boschert’s book Art Quilt Collage. I placed an urn shape in the center and made the left and right sides the same. Using a square format and symmetrical composition makes a stable composition. It can even be boring. But in this case, I wanted a feeling of groundedness. In later layers, I’ll add some details to break up the symmetry a little to keep it interesting.

 As I was working on this, I looked out the studio window and could see the turquoise urn in the center of my perennial bed. This composition represents the hardscape of the garden waiting for spring.