Friday, February 27, 2009

February Virtual Sketch Date, Lake Louise

It's time for the February Virtual Sketch Date.  This time the source photo was a beauty shot by Debbie Later of Lake Louise at Banff.  I decided to alter the photograph by cropping it, flipping it to put the darkest slope on the right, and altering the local color.  Then I graphed out the result and copied it onto a newsprint planning sheet.

I transferred the plan onto a piece of mat board, then selected and prepared papers in the shades of blue, lavender, and violet I wanted.  I use acrylic medium as my glue, and I like to spread the medium on my paper using an old telephone book to catch the extra adhesive.  These old books are a great substitute for more expensive paper towels.  Notice the tub of water.  I put my brushes in when they are not needed so that the medium doesn't dry on them and wreck the bristles.  The right side of the image done here.

I just keep looking for colors in my envelopes of colors cut from magazine ads and catalogs, and also other papers that I tint with thinned acrylic paint.  I work from the outside toward the middle, checking back every so often to see if the balance of lights and darks is what I want.

It's almost finished in this photograph.  I had some trouble with the second slope back on the right.  The lights and darks looked too much like separate patches, not unified.  Then I decided to use tinted tissue paper over that part to pull it all together.  You can see the original version of the scene at the top left here.

This is the finished collage. My husband says I should call it Purple Mountains Majesty, but I was thinking The Hills Are Alive, since I used some sheet music.  A little bit of the right side was cropped on my scanner, but overall this is a fair representation of the finished project.  The actual image is 12 inches by 4.5 inches. I enjoy the challenge of using a source photo, then making the resulting image something uniquely mine.  Thanks to the Virtual Sketch Date folks for all the work they do to organize this challenge.

20 comments:

JoAnn said...

Sherry, this is wonderful. You have such a great eye, just to see the potential collage "hiding" in the photo.

Rose Welty said...

So very clever...love your collages, what a skill you have developed!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sherry.. I just loved what you did with the picture! And a nice explanation with snaps too. It is an awesome art!

Teri said...

Fabulous and so creative!! Lovelovelove it!

Margaret Ann said...

Wowie! That's some great work you have done here...Fascinating to follow along with the precess...Very cool indeed! :)

Anonymous said...

Love this collage! Really beautiful work - very inspiring.

MILLY said...

A really clever picture and it works so well. Love what you have achieved using coloured papers, you are very creative.

Sharon said...

This is so vibrant, Sherry and it's interesting to see the process.

laura said...

This is really beautiful, Sherry. Looking at my own version now, I think flopping the image was inspired!! It's very interesting to read about your process and the process of collage, which I would love to try myself.

SYLVIANE said...

Your collage is wonderful.
And I was so moved by your lines about your sister...I've experiment this feeling for having being too busy in my life to care.

Ramana KV said...

Beautiful Collage...
Uniquely yours as you would want it :)

mARTa said...

this is beautiful! can i come take a class from you????

Gail Bartel said...

Love your collage work...thanks for the work in progress photos and description..you do a lot of prep that I wouldn't have realized..the result is spectacular,especially maintaining the 3D perspective that often gets lost in collage.
Thanks so much for the view.

Debbie Later said...

Thanks for showing the progression. I love your collages!

carol edan said...

WOW... thanks for showing how the work progressed.... a beautiful purple melody!!
Carol

Jennifer Lawson said...

I know I already commented on your Flicker site, but I have to comment again. This is just wonderful, Sherry!

Sue Smith said...

This looks like you are having way too much fun! I appreciate your generosity in sharing your thought process as you worked through the various stages. The result is beautiful. I vote for "The Hills are Alive."

ego2005 said...

Wow!!! Really an art work and enormeous creativity!

Congratulations!

Witness said...

Very nice. I love the colors.

Nothing to See said...

Interesting take in the image. Your collage is quite pleasant. Good for you!