PROTOTYPEs-BRAINSTORMING WITH A GOOD IDea

Here is a new collage, A Patchwork Planet X, by Jean Waters, a member of San Diego Watercolor Society.  I like the printed-paper used in the collage and the boldness of the piece. (Most of the designs are her own! Very nice!) I like the thin line between object and abstraction.

I also like the possibilities I can see in it.

Here are some of the things that can be done next using the idea from a good piece of work: First, continue the theme. With this collage, maybe do the four seasons.  Because the image, which I see as a tree, is so abstract, doing it in 3 other seasons could be visually interesting.

The background could be done in black and white and the image red.  The red could be changed to the compliment and done in green: the sky green, the tree black and white.  It could be flipped right to left so the images face each other. It could be copied in black and white and glazed with color.  Or covered with combed gel and textured, then glazed with color.

I sometimes think of this type of work as prototypes. The hard part is coming up with a good idea; when there is a good one, don’t let it go until there are a lot of ideas!

Something else I really like in this work is the “chop” pattern.  This is also Jean's own design.  It would make a great starting point for a series of drawings.   Do a drawing each day for a month, moving further and further from the original. Then cut the best ones out as prints again.  Or blow them up and make paintings out of them.  I wish I had created that design, its a beauty.

 My problem is I don't do another piece, but work and over work the original.  Once I get a good piece, I need to stop and start another!  Or sometimes just work out an idea in a sketchbook.

Thanks to Jean for letting me use her collage as a starting point!