I cannot deny the seduction of a beautiful image. It always stops me in my tracks when I think of how a flat, two dimensional image has this much power over my imagination.
{Archer – Jessica Rae Gordon}
What a gorgeous and strong woman this is! Shades of a Greek mythological version of Wonderwoman, this collage is so very feminine. Layers of textured and delicately coloured paper are cut and carefully placed. Her flowing robes are subtly alluring, her pose has the grace of a Caryatid, and her arrows put one in mind of the Amazons.
{Helsinki – Stephanie Levy}
Finland seems to possess a special mystery for me. Why it does is also a mystery…perhaps because its proximity to Russia lends it an extra-special exoticness? I do love the Scandinavian aesthetic – with its clean lines and lots of pale wood, it always seems fresh. I like how this kitchen seems so casual and friendly, with a treasured teapot collection on display in the open cupboards. The hand drawn lines and the bright clear colours in this mixed media collage contribute to its sense of sociability.
{Sea Dreamer – Ben Conservato}
Perhaps he’s Humpty’s doppelganger, but this creature is a world unto himself, filled with strange dark thoughts of the sea and voyages to far away places. His head is a mossy mountain and his belly is a place for fish to wallow about in. And look at those eyes – he is not a creature you would dare to cross. But if you tell him a joke? Perhaps he’ll laugh and swallow the ocean.
{The Garden – Rural Pearl}
The delightful sense of profusion in this papercut created by the many and varied plants filling the space is not overwhelming because the darker elements of the flower heads tend to run in a curved line, echoing the curve of the fern on the left. This draws our eyes around and through the piece until we reach the bird – and then discover what it is looking at. A key? And so we ponder.
{Blooming – Be Mary Henry}
Here is my personal favourite from this completely wonderful group of illustrations. She is a stunner. Elegant and wild, with terrific colours (especially that rich sage green and red), the image works because of the contrast of open stillness in the face balanced against the seeming chaos of flowers. Several diagonal lines created by stalks echo and extend the very strong line created by the left cheek, which also help to calm the chaos. Closed eyes, face gently against a large rose, she dreams of peace.
Again, I hope you have enjoyed my picks! I’m looking forward to sharing some more goodies with you soon. Cheers! Julie x
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Julie Gibbons is tractorgirl, a maker of homewares and accessories, and a lover of colour, texture and pattern. She completed her PhD Fine Arts in 2001, majoring in Silversmithing. Now she blogs about contemporary craft, surface design, food and books at tractorgirl. |