Collages

   I looked around the park to find interesting textures, colours and materials. As it is spring the new flowers had grown, they were very eye catching so i decided to have my collages flower based. There are loads of different types of flowers that all hold different meanings, for instance a yellow rose can represent friendship/happiness. People use them to send messages. They can also hold a more personal meaning if they remind them of people and memories. This would be interesting to explore and experiment with however i was limited to flowers that were in the park. To develop this idea i would need planning to know which flowers to use.
    However i did take an interest into the darker, rougher materials i saw, like tree bark, metal fencing and rocks. The soft, natural flowers held a huge contrast compared with these darker materials so i decided to use that in my collages.
    I wanted to show how nature can grow anywhere, even in the darkest places like old ruins and this can mean the same mentally. For instance life can be really difficult but theres is something that people hold on to for joy or purpose and that something can be incredibly small.

      

    With my first collage I attempted to create my idea with the flowers growing in dark places. Using a block of wood that had been painted white on one side and black on the other. I wanted to use both sides with the light and dark representing the idea. I also got the idea to use only white flowers on the white side, and all the other colours on the black side, to show a purity or how purity is not as beautiful or unique as all the other colours and disorder on the other side that looks more intriguing in compared. However with the time i had, i only did one side and focused on my original idea.

   With the black side having disorganised white paint scraped on, with a thick white curve separating the entire canvas into two. I decided to follow this with a curve branch i had picked up. By sticking it to the top it looked as if the branch was growing down and across a ruined wall. Using two old gauzes, i scratched the white, plaster circle from the middle so they could be seen through. However keeping little sections in it so it looked like wall plaster crumbling. I then cut small holes i the gauze to poke flowers through and stick them behind the gauze. The flowers look imprisoned but are still growing out no matter what, showing how they can not be stopped by any other man made force. From the branch in the middle i stuck down some gold buttons in a dispersing pattern, they look like seeds spreading and continuing the growth and overtake of the plants. They also compare the natural nature to a man made object and clearly do not compare or even match the power the branch has when looking at the whole piece. The buttons could be artificial flowers as the purple button matches the bluebell flowers. They look rough and part of objects/treasure left in the ruins as if mankind has vanished or been wiped out.

    Using glue, i stuck down some dirt and dust plaster that came from the gauze. The glue created some interesting markings that were highlighted when the dirt stuck to it. I think this would be interesting to develop, possibly creating drawings using glue then making them appear on the page when adding a coloured powder or other substance to show the details. To finish this piece off i used the glue gun to create small strings of glue connecting the buttons and to create messy lines to continue to show the breaking down of the ruins, whilst also connecting everything together. The glue lines are subtle but effective when looking closely to detail, it shows how nature can thrive if treated well with mankind areas like cities where it is destroyed. The glue can also represent a failed, late attempt to save everything before being forced to leave the ruins as they would be too unsafe to live in. 

    This collage was quite simple when experimenting putting it together. I think i could develop this and create a series where i can use more plants and experiment the different tones of dark and white backgrounds (basing it off my original idea) i could paint the flowers look artificial to show the loss of nature touch when they can not grow real anymore.
 
    For my next collage, i had already formed this idea when looking at different materials i could use. I wanted to focus on creating some rough textures and thought the cardboard, when ripped off the top layer, was perfect to recreate a similar rough tree bark that i had seen in the park. Then i added some black paper to the bottom as it was a similar colour to the black, metal fencing. I really like the development where i've left the top layer of the cardboard as it gradually all becomes ripped off then becomes pure black. Itas as if it has been worn down over time, bringing it back to the idea of nature being able to grow anywhere but overtime everything breaks down and becomes a ruin.
   I used the only flowers i had that grew with long stems as i wanted the focus on flowers to be more thriving and bold instead of looking trapped like the first collage. It shows over time nature will still overtake and nothing can restrict it. Luckily, i had collected a few different white flowers with different lengths stems, creating interesting levels and looking more natural on the page. I only had one yellow tulip flower but i found it standing alone really helped draw people to the piece and add bright colour that was not shown anywhere else.
    On the black piece i stuck a scrap piece of fabric that i found, weaving the flower stems under and above. The blue flowers on the fabric was a nice correlating touch to the real flowers above. I also found the adding of the colour blue created an abstract version of water that the flowers were growing from. The black paper then became a border for the fabric, helping it to stand out boldly whilst creating a simple layer that equalled/reflected the layering of the cardboard half above.
   Then i found some buttons that had a bright royal blue colour that i thought was perfect to add more blue for the water, whilst also creating a border in the corner. Everything on this piece was very eye catching and stands out by itself, however also creates an image together when taken in as a whole.
    I found doing these experiments very helpful as i got to mess around with different materials and flowers which i have never really used before. The main problem with using flowers is that they die. I would need to find a method to make them stay fresh and alive for a longer period of time. However the flowers dying could be used to an advantage if they were to show how people kill nature without realising the ecological damage.