Blog Post March 2019 by Wendy Dobing


Posted on March 01, 2019 at 07.16AM


 Drawing with paper

Every now and again I try to push myself with a design challenge. This month I decided to look at collage, or, as I like to think of it, drawing / designing with paper. This is all very experimental so there is no set procedure to my madness. Basically I created lots of textures in different colours. This bit was a lot of fun and very addictive, not to mention messy. It was really nice to feel like I could enjoy the colours and the brushes as I played with them. It was almost meditative - perhaps it is a mindfulness activity?

As the sheets dry they always look very different to how you finished painting them - I really love this unexpected bonus. I created a small library of textures ready to cut into shapes. I didn't sketch these out, I simply drew with my scissors to create a collection of shapes that are then collaged into a fun image. This is the hard bit and it really makes you look at things in an abstract way. Looking at how a cheeseplant's big bendy leaves have curvey holes, pansies have 5 petals and a really particular colouring.

After starting with organic I decided to look at geometric with a bit of the iconic London skyline. I've nervously put these images on social media - it's the best way to get feedback...(gulp!). The main thing is, it's a learning curve (I'm just making it up as I go along!) and it's also fun. I'll keep going - going beyond the comfort zone is good for the soul!

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