"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary
may speak."  Han Hoffman



    

     

I spend a lot of time creating small collages.
While collage is my go-to way of expressing myself, in the work you see here I was interested in making collages that were simple vs. those with more complex layering.

It was interesting to see how pieces with simple shapes and lines used the space of the page. There is a certain dynamic that occurs with limited color and the way shapes and lines engage the space.  
These pieces do have some paint but often it is minimal and used to
enhance or extend the already pale surfaces.

In the lower two collages I experimented with ways to use paint on the background or a combination of paint and collaged paper before adding other focal elements.  In some pieces the paint was applied with a brayer leaving a mark different from that of a brush or palette knife.

Mark making became increasingly important as did the mark making tools:
sticks, skewers, brushes, crayons, pens, pencils.
I found myself collaging through-out the processes; I often found that I worked back and forth between collage, paint, mark making, and more collage and paint.

I ultimately wanted a surface that looked spontaneous and effortless.
The work was often neither spontaneous or effortless.
It reminded me of my work in quilt-making where I moved from creating pieces that were made with the rules of traditional quilt making (quarter inch seam allowances, a specifinumber of hand quilting stitches per inch, clean and  neat) to raw edged pieces with a loose and free look.
It all takes time.
It takes a different mind set and a certain willingness to just "go for it!"
Easier said than done.
I am still working toward that truly spontaneous way of working.

To see more work with a spontaneous feel click here.

Until next time, keep mixing it up!
Clare


www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams

EXHIBITS

"Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit
Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024   Beachwood Community Center.  Beachwood OH

"NewNow 2024"  Sept.12-Oct. 17, 2024   Tri C East Gallery
Highland Hills OH  Reception Sept. 12, 2024   6-7:30 PM

"Tikkanen Painting Prize". Ashtabula Arts Center. October 5-31, 2024.
Public Reception Oct. 5, 2024.  6-9 PM

"Timeline: A Retrospective"  Oct. 22, 2024-Feb. 7, 2025
Peg's Gallery   Hudson OH

"Stark County Artists Exhibit"  Nov. 2, 2024 - Jan. 15, 2025  
Massillon Museum   Massillon OH       

                                             Clare Murray Adam   Kimono
                                                           Jim Dine    
                             
                                                 Clare Murray Adams 
 

I have long been a fan of Jim Dine's work. While most of us are familiar with his heart paintings it is his bathrobe paintings and tool drawings that I find most inspirational.  A number of years ago I attended a lecture he gave about his work.  I remember him saying something like "I need something to hang my hat on."  For me, this meant working with representational imagery and explains his long-time use of tools, birds, hearts, and clothing that developed into his recognizable visual vocabulary.  His choice of simple concrete images is both autobiographical and open to individual interpretation. Dine's work spans several art movements and styles including Pop Art, Happenings, Conceptual Art, Performance Art. He is a Painter, Printmaker, Sculptor, and a Poet. While art critics often put his work in the Pop Art arena, he considers it to be more closely aligned with Robert Rauschenberg's and Jasper John's work that questions the power of iconic symbols rather than just celebrating these object/ideas. For those of you who know my work and the use of dress imagery are sure to see how and why I consider Jim Dine to be one of my Muses. You can read more about Jim Dine and see more images of his work here.

In my recent series  "Interiors" I see how my interests in clothing still come through. The shapes in these pieces were intuitive and appeared as abstract kimono or t-shirt kind of forms. They are a mix of paint on paper and fabric with elements of stitching. The stitching is the mark that I have a romance with most often. They are the marks that inform my work and are part of my visual vocabulary.                                                            " Interiors no. 1"                  You can see all four of the "Interiors" mixed media pieces                    by scrolling here.                                                 Until next time, keep mixing it up!                                                                -Clare                                                EXHIBITS "The Hoyt Regional Juried Art Competition".  Hoyt Art Center.   May 21-July 25, 2024.  1124 East Leasure Ave. New Castle PA "Picnic". Pinwheel Gallery    June 1 - July 26, 2024 2019 Broadview Road. Cleveland OH "Northeastern Ohio Textile Artists (NOTA) Innagural Art Exhibit Sept. 12-Nov. 16, 2024   Beachwood Community Center.  Beachwood OH "Climate Change". Coburn Art Gallery. Ashland University.  Ashland OH Aug 29-Sept. 28, 2024.  Reception August 29, 2024.   4:30-6:30 PM                                       WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Join me for a six-week class in Mixed Media Collage at Valley Art Center!    September 17- October15, 2024. Six Tuesdays from 10 AM-12:30 PM Registration opens August 14th.                                      MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!  If you know someone who might like to read the Newsletter please forward it to them and they can get on my list by clicking this link:                                           Get the Newsletter!