Variations in Line, Part 4

Found Text

Continuing this series’ Collage Circle focus on LINE…

If you missed the video introduction to this topic, you can find it HERE.

This week, I took a different approach - looking at text as the “lines” in collage.

Lines of Text - or “Poetry Slices”

One of my favorite ways of assembling a collage is by adding or highlighting lines of text from vintage books and creating little poetic “word salads” to add an idea, focus, or theme to the collage.

This particular piece, “The Serious Woman” highlights the following text from a page of “Mystery of the Fire Dragon” by Carolyn Keene.

AN OMINOUS DREAM
upstairs
The woman
shook
on the
floor,
fully conscious.
contained.

I also enjoy cutting interesting phrases out of vintage books, which I keep in a little tin (labeled “poetry slices”) until it’s time for assemblage.

Adding these “slices” to a collage helps me to create a story for the collection of images, colors, and shapes that will guide my assembly.

There are many ways to add lines of text to your collage art, allowing for a myriad of creative voices within the collage process.

Take artist, Bruce Burris, for example (about whom I’ve briefly written in “An Artist’s Notes: Frequency Illusion & Confluence”). His loaded mixed media construction of everyday materials creates a stunning visual display while incorporating text that unveils a larger social justice theme. Images on his website.

Dakarai Akil, a collage artist and illustrator, layers images and text highlighting social justice issues and traveling to worlds beyond our perception. “Each piece creates space for the viewer to experience their own mind in ways that may challenge your way of viewing the world...” - and you can even reverse roles and become the artist by playing around with his collage generator! Images on his website.

With an emphasis on sharing the art of collage - making an artist of everyone who follows her, Tammy Garcia writes the blog Daisy Yellow featuring all kinds of collage methods and ideas, including a very informative post all about using found text.

What about you?

Do you have any books, magazines, or papers just waiting for an opportunity to provide some lines of text for your next collage project? I would love to see what you’re working on or have made!

To that end, as our subscribership slowly grows, I hope to feed a community (CHAT) space and public (Instagram) for you to share your collages as well. I will continue to post in these areas with faith that they will eventually become alive with your images, thoughts, and musing too. If I can improve the experience or if you need help making a contribution - feel free to let me know!

1. CollageO CHAT! Join me over in the Substack CHAT to share your collage pics, tips, trials, and successes! I’d love to see what you’re making!

2. Instagram: We have our own Instagram account! (@collagecircle). I hope you will follow and tag me with your collage pics - I’d love to share them in the stories! Bonus points for sharing something on theme!

In the meantime, if you have any other questions or suggestions about how this circle works or ways to make it better - I would love to know!

Happy Collaging,

~ Jennifer