Collage

‘Collages are essentially an extension of drawing; so to be really good at collage, like Picasso, you have to understand and master drawing..’ David Hockney

I have often used collage in its many forms in my Artworks but over recent years it has become my preferred medium for more considered works in colour. Each collage, generally made in situ, takes several visits at similar times of the day. They are made from torn rather than cut magazines, as the edges are important, often folded, overlaid, teased, and torn away to complete the picture. The chosen colours and diverse imagery are my palette. Photographic imagery will rarely represent the same subject, often creating a kind of visual pun. Look closely and you will find jewellery as highlights in water and fireworks in lit windows. You will also find Artists paintings reworked, such as Claude Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’ transformed into skyscrapers.

During lockdown my collages began to include those made in the studio from recollection, sketches, and occasionally photographs taken on my walks. I began making smaller work as gifts for friends and family but soon found these collage sketches became an essential diary of my lived experience and its small pleasures, so treasured in isolation.