Collage and Assemblage by Marcia Hero

 For years I've been accumulating odds and ends of things, rusty old grinding bits, saw blades, screws, doorknobs, keys, window locks, you name it. I also started to accumulate different papers, rice paper, khadi, mulberry, tea bag paper, artist tissue papers, to name a few. At the time, there was no plan for using these things. Then I discovered Assemblage, an art genre that allowed me the freedom of putting the disparate items together to make a 2D art piece. In fact, it's possible to combine Assemblage with Collage.

The technique known as Collage is thought to have been invented either by Picasso or by Georges Braque, who both developed a very unique Cubist style in 1912 as they boldly decided to paste bits of newspapers and sheet music onto their canvases, ushering in a new era of artistic experimentation. As it turns out, I love creating collage and the elements for collage. Assemblage is a passion also, but the finished pieces can be very heavy, so the final dimensions have to be manageable.

1. "Wings and a Prayer, Collage on Canvas, 8x10, $125

2. Steampunk Fascination, Assemblage, 32x19, $625

"Hungry Fish" by Marcia Hero

 

"Hungry Fish" by Marcia Hero

 

As an avid gardener, not only do I love to take photos of successful plantings, but of some unusual planters also. I puchased this fish shaped planter years ago, and even though it shows signs of wear and tear now, I like to drag it out of the basement every year, and plant something in it. This oil painting has been one of my favorites; it hangs in my home studio, and even though my daughter calls it the puking fish, I  prefer to think of it as the hungry one. This year it will hold Profusion Zinnias with some alyssum, and most likely will have a prominent place on the front steps of my house. 

Every year, I plant the old wheelbarrow next to my patio with Wax Begonias. They tolerate shade and a little dryness well, they bloom all summer long, and grow into a gorgeous colorful mound of eye candy.  For some reason, I haven't taken a photo, or painted the blooming feature yet, but that will follow when I blog again. ~ Marcia Hero 05/26/2024

The Joy of Abstraction

 

"Halfsies", Acrylic and Collage, 12x12, $175.00

This is a 12 x 12 acrylic painting in some of my favorite colors (truth be told, almost all colors are my favorites, even gray sometimes!) I started by painting a layer of turquoise over the whole canvas, then a second loose layer of white in some areas.  I knew that I was going to use the circle monoprint cut in half, and my color palette was derived from the monoprint colors. The look of the circle cut in half was very appealing to me, and worked well with the composition I had in mind. The green was painted next using similar shapes but different from each other. To finish up the piece, I applied black paint and collage, and the final element was some stenciling in pink.  

Sketchbook page 11/11/23

 My husband and I belong to a book series fan club called The Royal Manticoran Navy.  While we were attending a recent convention called WindyCon in Des Plaines, Ilinois, and working the FanTable for our group, I decided to work on a sketchbook page.  Here are the results.

Having Fun with Mixed Media

These days, I've been switching gears quite often between working in my multiple Art Journals, and Mixed Media paintings on canvas.  Sometimes I get so enthusiastic about an idea or concept, that I drop everything else, and practically work in a frenzy to see the resulting product. finally. finished.  Vintage papers, cardboard, fabric, and lace come together to create a grungy, deliciously intriguing little book.  

This is "6, An Art Journal"

Painting on Watercolor paper

 Last week, I had my youngest granddaughter over for the day.  We decided to invite the neighbor children over to paint on the patio with us, and being the avid Book Arts fan that I am, I rapidly created a blank book for each child to paint as they wished.  I loaded some foam plates with dabs of acrylic paint, and let them go to town. When the kids lost interest after about an hour, I cleaned up the mess, but noticed an incredible amount of paint was left on the plates.  Not one to waste art supplies, I grabbed several sheets from a watercolor paper pad and proceeded to paint each one with the leftover colors. The weather was cooperating, and the sheets of paper dried quickly enough to turn them over and paint the other sides.  Here are a few of the pages of my soon to be new journal titled "Leftover Paint".

A New Art Journal

 Back in March, I started a new art journal, with the plan to continue it during my trip to Europe with my husband, Chuck.  Well, I completed a few pages in the lounge of the ship during "down time", but didn't quite finish the pages until yesterday.  It turned out to be a Very Eclectic Journal, with some watercolors florals, some leaf prints on fabric, and several abstract collages. Here are pics of a few pages. 8x8 on 140lb watercolor paper.