For this collage I really tried to experiment with negative space. I focused all of my work into the right bottom corner, and though I added some splatters to the top left corner to add a little balance, I think I did alright in my first real attempt to leave a large portion of the canvas blank.
I love when I find some in my mass of supplies that I forgot about and that turns out to be perfect for the project I’m working on. Years ago I purchased 4 different colors of metallic leafing for my scrapbook projects. I used it once, then put it away and didn’t think about it until this week. I used it here for the first time in years, and I’m so pleased with the red, orange and purple metallic colors that stand out on my horizontal bars.
I drew the rectangles with a charcoal pencil, then I used paper clay to fill them to give my piece some dimension and texture. Putting the leafing over the clay was fairly time consuming, but I think it gives it just the right touch.
Hi,
Before commenting I went back and looked at a couple of your other posts. I love what I saw! Although, I’ve been making art a lot longer than you I can SO relate to you as far as putting it online and figuring out all the different social media sites. You’re way ahead of me on that! I’ve haven’t even made my blog finished enough to go public with it yet!
Also, this negative space thing – I, too, don’t leave a lot of negative space. I hope you don’t mind my being honest with you about this. If you do then just delete my comment, ok?
I’m only saying this because of my own experience in trying to leave “enough” negative space. Whenever I have tried that the end result looks like I was trying to leave negative space. Not like it occurred naturally. It looked and felt forced. And no wonder, because that’s what I was focusing on the entire time I was working on the piece! This piece you made is fine. The components are great and they work well together. However, when I looked at your other work, those pieces are a WOW!!! You are really talented! I wish I had made a point to memorize the names of some of them but the one with the purple and the compass image, the red and black collage and the piece with quilling and pearls- all fantastic!
So, I think (I taught art to kids for years and told them this same thing) it’s much more important to allow the creativity to flow from within, listen to your intuition. That way you’ll know where to put what and when you’re done with a piece.
Compared to your other work this piece doesn’t have your “style” although it’s a nice collage. Your other work has what I call, your signature energy print. Maybe you (and I) aren’t supposed to necessarily make art with a lot of negative space. Maybe that’s not our style. If a piece happens that way then let it happen organically. Now, that’s not to say it isn’t good to try different techniques and all, just as you did here. I just mean don’t let an end result (or someone else’s idea of how something should be) direct your process. I hope you take this is the spirit in which I mean it. It’s just that I went through the same thing on a few “rules” or styles and particularly this thing about negative space. When I gave up worrying about that my pieces were more pleasing to me and much more my style.
Whatever the “rule” is, if it doesn’t intuitively feel right to me then it isn’t right for me. Create from within and your work will always be authentic. I hope you keep pursuing art because you are really good!!
Thank you Shauna! I really appreciate your comments, especially since I am so new and still trying to figure things out. Sometimes I feel behind because I’m self taught- I’ve only taken one art class, not counting the ones in high school, so it’s hard to think of myself as a full-fledged artist. I think I do have a tendency to worry about things a little too much- but I do love to experiment. :) Thank you for your encouragement. I’d love to check out your blog when you get it up!!