Februllage, plus more collage studio updates

We made it through January; the rest of the year should be a breeze.

If you know any collage makers, you might have heard of a little thing called Februllage. It’s a simple concept: a group of artists (the fabulous Edinburgh Collage Collective and the Scandinavian Collage Museum) releases a calendar of art prompts for the month of February, single words meant to spark your creativity. You can choose to make a collage every day, or contribute only when the mood strikes. Then you post what you’ve made on social media—primarily Instagram. This is my fourth year participating, and it’s swiftly become one of my favorite traditions.

Want to play along? Here’s this year’s prompt list in English:

I usually don’t prepare much, instead letting my imagination run wild each day, following instinct and intuition for my compositions. But this year, I decided to be a bit more tactical and am taking this opportunity to generate some new work for a show of my Defaced Women series I’ll be putting up in a Portland business this May and June.

What does that intentionality look like? Well, instead of idly sifting through different magazines every day, I pulled a set of core images in black and white from a particular era (mid-1940s to mid-1960s). That’s not to say I won’t give myself grace, but to admit that perhaps in leaving the terms of creation too open-ended I end up wasting precious time. I’m a little looser on other compositional elements, and overall it’s been a refreshing change.

“one for the road,” mixed media collage, for the Februllage day 2 prompt POSTCARD

Maybe you’re playing along, or taking a class that offers time and space for studio practice. (Looking for a good one? Consider this Februllage special with the immensely talented Hope Amico.) I’d love to hear your experience, too!

As my art practice continues to evolve, I have mixed feelings about art challenges. Some view them as gimmicky, frivolous. I’m trying to see them as tools, a useful cudgel at times, a distraction at others—and for now, I’m immensely grateful for this burst of color and creativity as winter drags on. What will the next prompt unleash?

Collage around PDX

I have designs on checking out two local shows that feature collage—nothing compares to seeing art up close and personal, spending time with it in the sacred space of a gallery.

First up: Scrapbook, with Joe Rudko’s works, at PDX Contemporary. From his statement on the collages: “Each of these works follow a framework and logic built on chance, intuition, and resourcefulness. Bits of images come together to form networks of color, mind maps, and scattered memories. Though technically assembled from photographs, they draw inspiration from textiles, mosaics, painting, and Bauhaus artists like Anni and Josef Albers, László Moholy-Nagy, and Paul Klee, whose work attempted to merge mediums into one unified approach.” Intricate, mesmerizing; it’s on show for the month of February, and I look forward to leaning in on them.

Also looking interesting: Fragment, a collage group show at Brassworks Gallery, opening February 10. Several of my buddies have pieces in it—so you know I’ll be trying to show up for them!

Find my work

Right now, I’m between shows and squarely in admin-behind-the-scenes mode. But you can still find bits and pieces of my work out there! Look for the SALT Weekly’s Pleasure issue, pick up a copy of Common Ground Issue 2 from Borderline Press, or snag the inaugural issue of Wilder Roam (I provided the cover art!). Need a gift or just want a pick-me-up for yourself? Get inspired with my book on generative collage, or grab a little present for your bestie in my Etsy shop. More to come soon!