Bits and pieces

Even though I often refer to my artwork as mixed media 'paintings', they're actually closer to collage. I begin by adding thread or acrylic paint to a piece of fabric. The edges of the cloth are then frayed and I put the piece aside until I've got a large enough selection to fill a canvas. Once I've decided on a final composition, I secure the individual pieces to a stretched canvas and call it a day.

The image above shows a number of my recent, unassembled works. Some have been waiting to be used for over a year...I hope they aren't developing a complex. This process is time consuming, but it allows me to toss individual pieces of cloth directly onto the scanner instead of having to rely on a digital camera, and I'm able to play around with them before committing them to a canvas. (you may recognize a few of these pieces from my monthly headers...January, February, March, April...yes, very sneaky.)