Scraps

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When I work, I never throw away the scraps of painted or specialty paper. I have boxes of trimmings and the detritus of my efforts while making paper sculpture and collage.
IMG_0753I am the paper garbage collector and hoarder. I have large inventories of cut paper feathers, leaves, flowers, pots&pans, weavings and various shapes, some painted and some unpainted. I cut and paint way more than I need for projects and I select and assemble from these inventories.
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The Andrew Charles Gallery asked if I might have something that would fit the theme of their next show, which was, “False Faces.” In the past I had done two series of paper sculpture/collage images called, “Faces From the Past” and “Painted Faces,” both based on my friendship with Ben Black Elk, who had a fabulous, lined, and wrinkled face.
Ben Black Elk for Website

I said that I could get one done for the show, but I produced four finished faces and pieces and parts for several more. I clawed my way, picked&sorted, cut&snipped, pushed&pulled, fitted&fiddled, and foundmyway through boxes of visual trash, some 20 years old.IMG_0743

There were so many options that it took longer to assemble the faces than I thought it would. The fantastic, visual scraps covered every table in my studio and eventually were all over the floor. I was on a high and in a rush because Robert Reitz had to have a month to fit me into his framing schedule and build the shadow boxes.
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This was pure, unplanned, graphic fun. I finally produced four, dynamic, lick and stick, collage/paper sculptures, and I’m going to continue to produce a few more fantasy faces, that I’ll spring on you in the future.

There is a closing party at the Andrew Charles Gallery on Thurs., Nov., 6th from 5 to 8pm…

Thanks for visiting me.

leo f. monahan

P.S. The Weaverville Art Safari is this weekend. Come by and see some sketches I’ve been working on. They’re 9×12, unframed, $75.

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Also, the next level two Unexpected Image class is Sat. Nov. 8th from 11:30am to 5:00pm… This is a continuation of collage composition, focusing on making masks to go along with the “False Faces” theme at the Andrew Charles Gallery. Call 828.989.0111 to register. There are four spaces left.

7 thoughts on “Scraps”

  1. FABULOUS! As usual. You are the greatest! You have made me want to do more paper sculpture. (And why was it not taught at Chouinard?)

    • Carlos…great to hear from you again…Bob Winquist, who taught design and color at Chouinard, taught paper sculpture for a few years after he returned from WW2…
      By the time I arrived at Chouinard, after the Korean war, he had stopped for some reason…However, whatever basics I knew about the art, I learned from him by seeing things that he did with paper…He was an interior designer and also did a lot of graphics and dimensional work for films…I’m having a good time in my dotage, doing paper work and experimenting more and more with collage…leo

  2. Talk about makin it look so easy. Love all your posts & thanks for being a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). Great photos. Such a talented and humble superstar in the visual arts world. No wonder students love you. Keep on, man.

    • Lars…as I’ve reached the age known as “OLD”, Kind words mean more and more…thanks ….leo

  3. \Glad to have found your studio today on the art safari. Probably will come back for one of the skteches tomorrow. You were a great discovery.

  4. How did I miss THIS PS? Leo original for $75??? someone I know would love this. Is there any way to get one still?

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