Planning layers of paint and stitching on paper copies

My fabric collages have structure, but they need more layers of meaning. I plan to add details and adjust colors with stamping, painting, and stitching. I’ve made several color copies of each one so I can try out different options. My first design is usually the most obvious, so a second or third design may be more interesting.

I’m also thinking about titles that hint at my intention in creating the piece. It’s a challenge to balance stating my intention with leaving room for the viewer’s interpretation.

As I work in my studio, I like to listen to podcasts about making art. In this episode of The Messy Studio with Rebecca Crowell, she talks about this challenge…

“As an abstract artist, you have to be willing to just put it out there, do your best to create meaning within it for yourself, and trust that people will somehow pick up on the fact that there is intention behind this work. There is meaning; there is structure. And how they receive that is going to be individualized to the person.”

If you’d like to hear more of the podcast, Abstraction and Your Inner Child, click here.