Life Is An Adventure!

"Jodie & Millie's Real Life Adventure" COLLAGE

Life is an adventure. No matter how well we plan, there will always be some twists and turns to keep the journey interesting.

Travelling mirrors life: Passports delayed or lost. Flight missed and rescheduled. Directions that lead you well off your chosen path. Problems with hotel reservations. Or sometimes the stars align and your trip magically falls into place perfectly.

Despite the ups and downs of travelling, one guarantee is that you will return home with a plethora of paper...from tickets, to maps, to receipts...and everything in-between.

To a collage artist this is a supreme bonus and one of the reasons I adore travelling. You never know when that torn receipt or discarded napkin might just be "the" finishing touch you needed to complete a piece.

And so it is with this collage. The work was inspired by an inscribed photo from my collection. The two women are Jodie and Millie. They are standing outdoors and Jodie is carrying a journal. Where did they come from? Where are they going? The Muse inspires me by waxing lyrical...directing my imagination.

The substrate is a 6" x 6" deep edge canvas. I wove strips of different types of paper to create the feeling of travelling through a journey of discovery. The paper includes art and handmade papers, ticket stubs, dyed watercolour paper using the "Bleeding Art Tissue" technique, road maps, hotel receipts, postcards, stamps...and of course the photo of Jodie and Millie.

My Muse, Jodie and Millie were in the drivers seat and I was along for the ride. It was great fun seeing the work take shape. Like any trip, I started with my ephemera neatly placed on my work table, only to end with bits here and there. The work was a nice exercise in  just letting go and enjoying the journey.

If you let her, your Muse will guide you through your own Real Life Adventure!