Here’s a project I did in 2001-2002 that I had forgotten about. Now, here in 2022-2023, I will take a trip down memory lane and show it to you, once each month.
Why this schedule? Because it is a calendar. For 2003.
I made three of these – one for my son, one for my parents, and one for my husband. It’s the last one that I am showing to you. They were all alike except for the covers.
I hoped this calendar could be a small record of a certain time in our family. I do not know if my son still has his version, and my parents now are dead and their things scattered and gone, but here is the one we still have at our house, a voice speaking up again from the past.
If you want to know more about this calendar, look here.
Here is the collage image I used for the month of March, 2003. It’s called “March Rainstorm” and was 11″ x 14″. It depicts the backs of a row of houses down the hill from our own house at the time, on a typical Pennsylvania March day, gray and damp.
Here is the page in the calendar. (As a note, the colors in the image above are more true to what the collage actually looked like).
Happy March!
As for the notes, you can see that spring is coming along in the world and in my thoughts!
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Claudia McGill and Her Art World 
I love the way the warm hues of the houses contrast with the steely blues and greys of the sky. That combination really captures this transitional season.
Thank you. I still think this is one of my favorite collages from my “representational” period. I love how skies look during this month and I am glad you think I caught some of that in the image.
What a remarkable image — made more so when I think that you created it with small bits of stuck-down paper (if this is what is meant by collage). I suspect you don’t measure angles and lines and, if so, I am amazed at the perfect proportions and perspective of the row of houses.
Thank you. Yes, you are right on how this image is constructed. I used papers I painted myself with acrylics. You are also right in that I didn’t measure anything but just drew it. If you are interested in the method I used to keep a collage on track, I did a post a while back about it (from when I taught a collage class and showed them how to go about making a representational collage from a photo) : https://claudiamcgillart.com/2020/04/09/lets-say-you-have-a-photo-and-you-want-to-make-a-collage-image-inspired-by-it/
Using self-painted papers is such a clever idea. No wonder the collage has such depth.
Thank you very much for the link. I will read the post with interest.
I got started on the painted papers idea when i was selling a lot of collage because I was very concerned about longevity – I used acid free sketch paper and acrylic paints, which are very lightfast in most circumstances, and then I used acrylic matte medium for my adhesive. All of these things are good for the long term look of your art. Plus I could mix up any color I wanted, or come up with different textures and so on, to suit what I wanted. I like using found papers too (with the medium it helps preserve the collage even though the papers are not acid free or the inks very permanent) but the painted papers still are my favorite material.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Very useful information
You are welcome. I have learned a lot over the past 3 decades (trial and error eventually does get you somewhere…!) I hope if you have any questions you think I might be of help with that you will let me know! Not only to save you reinventing the wheel, maybe, but also it is so much fun to discuss projects.
Thanks!
It’s lovely and meaningful – šā„ļøš
Iām glad I have this. Sure brings back the memories.