Paper Play
I have been consciously slowing down and relishing this quieter time of the year. I closed my online shop early this year to gain some rest and to focus on stress-free personal projects. The madness of the postal service last Christmas is one I wish to avoid this year. My mind needs a rest, and my creative passions need to be addressed!
When working for yourself, especially as an illustrator, it can be difficult to find the time to devote to other creative projects - projects that are made for my own self, and not for a client. However it is my goal to refocus and find the time. I had drawn a very rough thumbnail sketch of an idea for a paper collage image. I wanted to paint random bits of paper with thick layers of acryla gouache, crayon and polychromo pencils. From these pieces of paper, I would build an image which was not to be perfect, but to be real and therefore imperfect. I can get quite stifled by my need to create a perfect image. I’ll re-draw faces several times, or try varying colour palettes until I’m somewhat happy with my choice. I wanted to work on a project that was free and random; one which celebrated the imperfect.
My paper cutting skills are quite good. When I was in 4th class, I was given the job of cutting out complex shapes in art class for the teacher to use, as he said I was the best student at using the scissors! As I was visiting my sisters studio, I didn’t have all the tools I needed, so instead of a craft knife, I used embroidery scissors. Not ideal as it’s difficult to navigate more complex shapes, but I embraced the imperfect cuttings instead. I’m used to using acrylics and watercolours, however acryla gouache is quite new to me. I still need to watch some more tutorials and experiment, but I am intrigued by this medium even though I most likely made plenty of mistakes using it. These mistakes are learning in action. That’s how we understand and grow as an artist.
I created paper versions of my favourite Carrigaline cup, and vintage ruler which belonged to my Grandad. The girl in the image is loosely based on myself, as she hides behind her art materials, safely tucked away on a desk ready to paint and create! Creating the clovers and daisies was my favourite part of the process and one which I found really expressive.
Here’s the final image which is now framed and hanging in my studio! I love her bashful expression - one which was achieved on first go, as I refrained from drawing a proper preliminary sketch. I’m happy with how it turned out, and my playful experiment with paper. It’s a technique that I’d like to explore further and see how I develop. I’m thinking maybe a landscape would be a lovely next step in my newfound playful medium!
Take care, Rachel x