Work (or Play?) on Labor day.

M. and I decided to work on art today. We took a drive out to an art supply store and picked up some stuff. I bought a set of Aquatone watercolor sticks to mess around with. I can't say they were quite what I am looking for. I can't get over my attachment to uniball pens. The precision suits my style of drawing. Any kind of pencils just seem to annoy me.

I ended up putting some collages together, using my own photographs and drawings. Collage is always a bit overwhelming because there seems to be almost endless possibility, and I am never quite sure when the right time to stop adding elements is approaching. The danger is that I'll end up with a cluttered piece. I tried Mod Podge for adhesive, on M's recommendation. That stuff is incredibly messy.

We did a nice collaboration set on themes of impermanence and memory. M. excels at creative backgrounds and abstract conveyances, while I focus on representation, content, and composition. I liked the end result, but M. is a bit hesitant to have it shown anywhere. She points out that she is not a visual artist, and so it is merely play to her. I can access that mentality of play, but I have a hard time participating if it is not purposeful. Either way, I expect the series will be shown.

I did a couple of collages on my own as well. One of them is very humorous with a rather dark undertone... which seems to me to be generally reflective of my day-to-day personality. I'm not sure how I feel about the second piece. Sometimes it's gotta percolate for a bit before I can determine if it is worthwhile. Anyway, it felt good to do this kind of work, as I have been meaning to get back to it for awhile. I have a feeling I won't put it aside for so long again.