Unfurl your wings
unfurl your wings
a collage series
Hello my artsy friend,
Today I’m excited to share some new artworks with you! Way back in 2016, when I created my first online class, Layers of Light, I included a quick “two-minute minis” warm-up exercise. It is still one of my students’ favorite little lessons!
I loved the way those little collages turned out, they had something so spontaneous and bold about them, because when you give yourself such limited time, you can’t overthink or overwork things, which is the whole point!
And at the same time, there was always a beautiful unity from one little square to the next. This is because, in this exercise, we start by setting our own rules, like a certain shape or material we “have” to use in every single piece.
I kept them for years in the studio, in their unfinished state. Sometimes I pinned one or two to my inspiration board, until last summer, as I was getting ready for a live show, I suddenly got the impulse to take them out and turn them into something more!
I spread them on the table, and started rummaging through my collage basket for any little scraps that could complement them. As it often happens, a small paper butterfly landed on the table. There was already a butterfly series in another lesson of Layers of Light and this theme has kept showing up in my art ever since, and it just felt right.
So I decided to go ahead and print out a whole sheet of my favorite vintage butterflies! Actually, I printed out several sheets because I wanted to try different scales. There were butterflies all over the place, and pretty quickly, one landed on each little square…
From there, it was time to find more collage elements to complement the pieces. At first, I worked on only one of them, adding and removing different bits of paper. Then once I was happy with it, I repeated the steps on the eight others.
letting the story emerge
One of my photos of winter branches landed on the table (also a recurring theme in my art) and once again it just felt right: no need to overthink or analyze what butterflies and bare branches could be doing together! Clearly there was a sort of story trying to emerge, and my only job was to welcome it in the moment, and give it form.
Actually, watching the story of a painting or a series come to life is one of my favorite parts of the process. It always feels so magical! Most of the time, it’s often at the very end, when I’m deciding on a title, that the meaning becomes more apparent to me. When I allow myself to go quiet, pause and simply look, feel and listen, the art has always so much to tell me. Often it’s just a whisper, but a deep and meaningful one.
When I look at these small artworks, I see light and dark, movement and stillness, the feminine and masculine, strength and fragility, the cold of winter and a promise of spring…
They tell about courage and hope, about daring to open our wings and rise, while also embracing our layered, wild and imperfect selves.
Some of the artworks in this series are still available. If one of them speaks to your heart, let me know: just send me a message with the piece’s number (below) and your shipping country so I can give you a quote.
layers of light
Layers of Light was the first course I ever created. Maybe my English was a bit slower at the time, and I didn’t have all the tech and know-how I have now, but it doesn’t matter because it came straight from my soul. I guess that’s why it’s still a huge favorite among my students!
This journey is all about kindling your creative spark, finding your own unique light and letting it shine through your art. Lately, I’m coming back full circle to this first love, revisiting some of its themes and techniques (hello encaustic!), and if you’d like to join me on this adventure, just click below:
I hope today’s art has inspired you! And remember: not everything you create has to be “finished” straight away. You might create something imperfect, unfinished but beautiful, intriguing and inspiring: a doodle, the start of a collage, a color combination… don’t throw it away! Maybe some day it will spark something new, something that makes your heart sing.
So take a look at your stash, look for that hidden treasure and tell me in a comment what you found! Have a creative and inspired day,
Layers of Light will take you on a luminous journey of discovery. You will be gently guided to awaken your spark and find your unique creative voice, while exploring plenty of exciting mixed media painting techniques!