Collage As A Fine Art

Class: Creative Collage 

Starts on 2/26/19, 4 Weeks, 12-2:30 PM

Art Instructor: Sue Marrazzo, ISAP, NCS

Signature Artist of The National Collage Society

Place: The Art Center School and Galleries

www.theartcenterschoolandgalleries.com

Photos: Students' Collage Works

Instagram: www.facebook.com/SueMarrazzoArt

FB: www.facebook.com/SueMarrazzoArt

COLLAGE ART CLASS

I will be teaching a NEW Art Class: Creative Collage

Art Instructor: Sue Marrazzo, ISAP, NCS

Place: The Art Center School and Galleries

Sign-Ups Online: www.theartcenterschoolandgalleries.com

Starts on 5/1/18, 4 Weeks

The photos below show past students' works.

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SueMarrazzoArt

and Instagram @SueMarrazzoArt

Blog: www.suemarrazzo.blogspot.com

Now Showing At The Art Center School and Galleries

"Poetry on Earth"

A mixed media painting

by Sue Marrazzo, ISAP, NCS

www.facebook.com/SueMarrazzoArt

www.suemarrazzo.blogspot.com

Available at The Art Center School and Galleries

www.theartcenterschoolandgalleries.com

WE RISE TOGETHER. Conventional/Digital Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

“You will rise by lifting others.” - Robert G. Ingersoll

When times are bleak we seize the smallest glimmer of hope wherever we encounter it. I find myself in the midst of such times. For me, turning to my Art is a way of trying to make sense of what is clearly chaos.

I started my journey in Art as a printmaker. The mechanics of cutting a woodblock or prepping a stone always fills me with the comforting feeling of whispered anticipation. Working with the Speedball Lino Cutter and Speedycarve block was like visiting an old, sympathetic friend. And the timing couldn’t be better.

I drew simple butterfly shapes on to the Speedyblock as I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to carve. I must say, it was like pushing a warm knife through butter. Now that I am familiar with the block, I am looking forward to using it again on more finely detailed work. I inked up with both a conventional stamp pad and acrylic paint to print the image. Both were successful, but I preferred the acrylic paint finish. When dried, I coloured the butterflies using Twinkling H20 watercolours. I love their shimmer and rich hue…keeping true colour even when dry.

I adore the variety and durability of the Artistcellar stencils. Adding to my Strathmore Journal, I grabbed the Halftone Dots and Seafoam stencils. I wanted to create a feeling of randomness. I allowed the stencils to drop to the paper without positioning them. My selection of acrylics was as accidental.

When all of the elements were complete, I scanned and began the final composition.

It is impossible to ignore the events surrounding us. The implications are global. But through it all, my spirit is renewed.  Each time I see a new group of concerned individuals lifting their voices in unison, I know we are seizing the essence of what makes us truly American. Like soaring butterflies, our differences are celebrated. And we will only rise when we support and lift each other.

Sisterhood of the Muse

EXHIBIT: Oyster Mill Playhouse - Shelby Pizzarro

Did you Hear about Hugo and Kim?

If you'd like to know more about their story, visit The Oyster Mill Playhouse in Camp Hill, PA. The company's production of Bye Bye Birdie will run November 4th through November 20th.

I am also thrilled to announce my work is to be exhibited in the Lobby during show hours. It's an extra treat for me as "Bye Bye Birdie" is a one of my favourite musicals.

So if you are in the Central PA area and would like to experience great entertainment...and get all the scoop about Hugo and Kim...visit the Oyster Mill Playhouse. By the way, I hear they're goin' steady, steady for good. Oh, yeah!!!

 

Sisterhood of the Muse

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'. Shelby Pizzarro. Collage

For those of you who live near the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, Georgia you are in for a treat!

The Center is hosting this year's National Collage Society 19th Annual Postcard Show. Comprised of small works, the exhibit features art no larger or smaller than 4" x 6" in size. The theme for the show is: "Expansive Art can be Found in a Small Format."

The opening reception is Thursday, April 14th at 5:30 pm. The exhibit runs through Saturday, June 4th, 2016.

My entry this year is "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'". Using a weaving technique, I brought together art paper, hand-made paper, an ad from a trade magazine and husks...which I acquired from a local cornfield.

As with all NCS exhibits, the show promises to be a visual smörgåsbord with something to delight everyone's palate.

To view the exhibition opening, gallery photos and more please visit the Quinlan Visual Arts Center online.

The show certainly supports the axiom "Good things come in small packages"!

Sisterhood of the Muse

Simply Be...

I saw my first crocus a few days ago.  The thin green striped shoots pushing through the earth was a joyful sight. Although we had a relatively benign winter, seeing the crocus renewed my trust in the natural energy of the seasons. It is wonderful to just simply be.

Inspired by the Artistcellar Pocket Stencils I chose to work with the Crown stencil from the Chakras series. The Crown Chakra is the center of consciousness and spiritual awakening. It is the place where we connect not only with our deepest self, but with our higher power and are able to appreciate the bigger picture of life. When our Crown chakra is open we are filled with trust, faith and devotion. Inspiration has a place to ripen. We are mindful.

Like most collage artists, I have an envelope of bits and pieces…torn paper, postcards, tissue paper and the like. Working intuitively, I pulled out whatever came to hand and started gluing the papers to my illustration board substrate using matte medium. I worked quickly and allowed the shape and colour of the papers to find their own space on the board.

Once dried, I sponged on a selection of metallic acrylic paints. I chose several shades of violet acrylic for the Crown stencil, the colour related to this chakra.

I love the Pocket Stencils series. The size is perfect and I always find just what I need to enhance my work. Creating this collage was no exception. There it was, the word “trust”. It is the embodiment of the chakra. Using Lapis Blue Dina Wakely Acrylics, I sponged the word on a piece of gold tissue paper. As with all Artistcellar products, clean-up is quick leaving the stencil in pristine condition, allowing me to focus on creating new work.

Faith and trust frees our spirit. We move in harmony with the wisdom of the universe.  Once we find our mindful, quiet space inspiration is unrestricted.  And we can simply be.

---------------------------------

Materials Used:

Assorted papers: newsprint, Russian passport, Tissue, Magazine paper, Wax infused paper, Citra Solv paper, postcard, tea stained wax infused paper, coffee stained paper, library card

Artistcellar Stencils: Pocket Stencils – CHAKRAS – Crown; TRUST  & SEEK stencil

Hand cut Stencils

Liquitex: Matte Medium

Deco Art Metallic Acrylics: Splendid Gold, Berry

Plaid Metallic Acrylics: Amethyst, Plumb, Blue Topaz, Champagne, Aquamarine

Dina Wakely Acrylics: Lapis Blue

Daler Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic: Moon Violet, Waterfall Green, Galactic Blue, Velvet Violet

Sisterhood of the Muse

Dream. Digital Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

Dreams - Digital Collage

Against all odds, have you ever followed a Dream? Have you, like the girl in the image, allowed yourself to drift into the night? Did you find a special place to rest and rejuvenate your creativity?


I am a new member of the Gecko Galz Design Team. Each month I will be issued a challenge. On the second day of the month, I will post my image using Gecko Galz products. And what's more, Gecko Galz have kindly allowed a Free Digi Stamp to accompany my post.

Please visit my Blog on February second. The topic, in the month of Romance, will be Hearts & Kisses.

This image is my Gecko Galz Avatar. The dreaming girl is from the Gecko Golden Splendour Collection. Part of the background is from their High Society Paper Pack. The Moon and clouds are from my own collection.

Will you follow your dreams and let creativity take you to your own place among the stars?

Sisterhood of the Muse

HAPPY NEW YEAR! from Shelby Pizzarro

As the year comes rapidly to a close, I look ahead with joyful anticipation. It is comforting to wistfully look back on 2015. But the dream of an unbounded new year stirs my soul and elevates my imagination. Oh the curiosities to be discovered! All I need to do is take that first step!

Rather than making resolutions, I chose a mantra for 2016. It is WANDERLUST.

Wanderlust. Noun. A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.

I am captivated by the mellifluous flow of the word. Each syllable rolls on to the next in flawless synchronization. Wanderlust. I visualize vast panoramas of exquisite beauty. Wanderlust. I visualize dreaming beneath the open sky with old friends and new, all eager to share tales of their great adventures. But above all, I hear the voice of my spirit yearning to experience the ecstasy of wandering…of exploring my inner reality and rediscovering the essence of the story of my soul.

I thank you for visiting my Blog and traveling with me. While wishing you all you wish for yourselves in the New Year, I hope you will take that first step and join me in 2016. Allow yourself the luxury to be consumed by the ecstasy of wandering.

Sisterhood of the Muse

LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Collage

Hard to believe the year is drawing to a close. Although a cliché, it does seem like only yesterday that I was hanging up a new calendar and wondering what the year would bring. From the astonishing to the zany, 2015 didn't disappoint.

And this year I was part of an incredibly creative group of women in a Journal exchange round-robin. Each person chose a theme. The interpretation was totally your own. I'd like to share my contribution to the monochromatic "Faces" journal.

While wondering which direction to take, I looked through a few magazines I had on my work table. And that's when my Muse directed me to a headline that seemed perfect: LIFE, NOTHING MORE. Everything fell into place when I found a photo of a group of people celebrating the end of World War II. Their faces held the hope of a new tomorrow. They were celebrating Life. In that moment. They were fully present. Mindful.

We hurry through our days...with Life happening around us. And as I tear each month off the calendar I wonder...where did the time go? Did I have a hand in creating my life? And did I make time for what really matters?

The substrate for the spread is heavy watercolour paper. I rubber stamped the background with a variety of stamps I had at hand.  I tore the vintage War photo into strips, and layered it between an article printed in the Art section of our local newspaper. The headline: "LIFE, NOTHING MORE" is also from a locally published magazine. My face doodle on a scrap of tracing paper and printed tissue paper completed the work.  

As the Holiday Season and the year draws to a close, this is the perfect time to stop. To be mindful. To create your Life. Nothing more.

Sisterhood of the Muse

The Adventures of Madeline. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

The Adventures of Madeline

"In an old house in Paris
That was covered in vines
Lived twelve little girls in two straight lines."

Do these opening lines hold as much affection for you as they do for me? Whenever I hear author and artist Ludwig Bemelmans' rhymes, I gladly enter his evocative world of Madeline.

I recently took part in a Tag Swap. "Share Your Favourite Book" was the theme.  I am a Bibliophile...with a capital B...and I'm not afraid to admit it! So this should have been a pretty easy decision. But which book to choose??!! Each title on my list was filled with special memories and meanings.

As my list of possible contenders grew, my eye kept coming back to one title...Madeline.

Madeline, the little girl who Bemelmans lovingly crafted his stories around, was self-sufficient, ingenious, and was fearless enough to travel into a part of the world I hoped I would someday discover on my own.

But more than the enchanting story lines, the exotic locations, and the character of Madeline herself, the series is a reminder of a cherished childhood. My Mom and I would make our daily trip to the Brooklyn Public Library and rush home to read the books together. And as we turned each page it was her constant reassurance that, with a little hard work, I could accomplish anything I wanted to in life. Like Madeline, I too could be self-sufficient, ingenious, and most of all, fearless.

The substrate for my Tag is illustration board. The background is a combination of various coloured Distress Inks. I scratched into the board to give it texture and applied rubber stamped swirls. Over the background is a selection of vintage images, Washi tape, handmade paper, a Bonne Maman label, and of course Ludwig Bemelmans' lovely illustration and text. I finished the Tag with stencilled acrylic paint.

But wherever my childhood dreams encouraged me to wander, Ludwig Bemelmans' words still ring true for me...

"The best part of a voyage

By plane,

By ship,

Or train

Is when the trip is over and you are

Home Again."

What is the best part of your Life Voyage? May you always find that delicious place you call Home.

Sisterhood of the Muse

Exhibit: Oyster Mill Playhouse, Camp Hill. Shelby Pizzarro

The Four Sisters - Collage

Did you ever wonder what sisters get up to when they visit with each other?

Many years ago I purchased a lot of old photos on Ebay. In the group was the photo of the four women. On the back in pencil was scribbled "We sisters have fun!" It was such a lovely photo and sentiment I couldn't resist incorporating it into a collage. But how?

 Again my Muse guided me to an assortment of experimental papers. I've been trying new techniques with wax and inks. And there it was. In a page torn from a book was this passage: "the four sisters knitting away in the twilight". Perfect, especially for a very enthusiastic amateur knitter like myself.

  

I primed two canvases for the diptych with acrylic paint and inks. The papers I used all seemed to just fall into place...CitraSolv, tissue, pattern, art, handmade, and even Braille paper went into the mix. Next was the photo...I wanted the sisters to be in the thick of things...surrounded with warmth and the fun of knitting. I completed the collage with a vintage knitting pattern and stenciled acrylic paint.

  

The Sisterhood. It can encompass close friends or family. It's the place where we feel safe and at ease with the people we knit into our lives.

  

The work will be one of twenty-eight pieces on display as part of my solo show at the Oyster Mill Playhouse in Camp Hill, PA. The exhibit will run from September 25th to October 11th, 2015 during the performance run of  the play "Next To Normal". I hope if you are in the area you will take in the show and view the exhibit.

 

Sisterhood of the Muse

WHAT WE CENSOR. Shelby Pizzarro. Collage

WHAT WE CENSOR, WHAT WE DON'T

With numerous magazine spread out before me, I searched the pages fruitlessly for the sentiment expressed in the words of Edgar Allan Poe: “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”

I have searched through quite a few vintage magazines lately. Seventy-seven years have yellowed the pages, but the ads have a message that today still ring out loud and clear. As women so much of our worth is tied to our appearance. The ads confirm this, marketing one product or another to make us thinner, younger, beautiful, and ultimately happier. And over seven decades, nothing has changed.

While I have no qualms with anyone trying to look their best, where does the obsession for unattainable perfection become just that...an obsession...splitting us into fragments of ourselves.

As artists, we are visual beings. Do you find yourself contemplating the message sent in these types of ads? Do they influence your work, or your life? Is the search for beauty and perfection tempered with self censorship?

The substrate for my collage is a stretched canvas. It is covered in metallic gold acrylic paint. I built the collage from a fashion photo from the 1950's, vintage magazine ads, excerpts from a 1938 diary, and handmade paper.

What do you censor...even to yourself?

Sisterhood of the Muse

A Fall 2015 Class By Sue Marrazzo

It is time to schedule for the NEW Creative Collage Class for Fall 2015. 

I have all new lessons planned. 

Here are the specifics:

Class: #2020 Creative Collage

Day: Wednesdays

Dates: September 9, 2015 - October 14, 2015 (6 weeks)

Time: 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Location: The Art Center School and Galleries

18 Artcraft Dr.

Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

To register online: www.theartcenterschoolandgalleries.com

or Call: 717-697-2072

CAMEO

A collage by Artist and Art Instructor:

Sue Marrazzo, ISAP, NCS

Sue's Blog: www.suemarrazzo.blogspot.com

HUGO'S XYZ. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

HUGO'S XYZ

I love returning to Art History. It is a comforting place...like a warm sweater on a cold night...nurturing, enveloping, familiar. And every time I return I discover something new and inspiring.

The National Collage Society hosts a Postcard Exhibit annually. April 2, 2015 to May 12, 2015 marks the 18th Annual Exhibit. The entries, all 4" x 6" postcard size, are on show at the Tucson Jewish Community Center Art Gallery in Tuscon, Arizona.

Lately I have read a lot of Art History books and articles. They have influenced my thinking while awake and asleep. And oh the dreams! One night I found myself at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich, listening to Hugo Ball reciting a Sound Poem. Like most dreams, images juxtaposed themselves without thought of cohesion...just random images shooting through the kaleidoscope of my nocturnal mind.

I felt my Muse was encouraging me to return to the world of the Sound Poem. And so began my entry for the show.

The substrate for the collage is a canvas board. The photo of Hugo in his shaman's hat and Cubist costume took center stage. I paid homage to his poem by incorporating the title KARAWANE. I added metallic acrylic paint sponged on to canvas. It was finished by with a Swiss postage stamp, and a Dada inspired pointing finger and the word Cacodylic.

The Society chose sixteen winners from the entries. I am delighted and honoured to be among them. You can view the collage work chosen here.

Musings by day and night shape our world as artists. How do your dreams influence your Art?

Sisterhood of the Muse

STRONG WOMEN. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

Strong Women - Collage

On March 8th every year we celebrate International Women's Day. With this event in mind, the March Tag Swap I joined was a celebration of women...in all our glory!

"Make it Happen" is the 2015 theme, encouraging effective action for the advancement and recognition women in all walks of life. I am delighted to see that purple is the official colour used in commemoration of the Women's Suffrage Movement, for which I have a deep appreciation.

In my life, the strongest women I know are the ones who elevate other women to be the best they can be.  They are the supportive, nurturing souls who are there to catch you when you fall and lift you up to even greater heights in celebration of your victories. I am sure you have them in your life as well.

As I started working on the Tag I came across a photo of two women seated together. I wondered...could they have been as enamoured of the Suffragettes as I am?

The substrate I used for the Tag is illustration board. The background is Citra-Solv paper from a magazine article about women. I added the vintage photo, a doily, a blossoming flower, wax infused paper, text clipped from a magazine, and finished off with sponged and stencilled metallic acrylic paint in various colours. The Tag is now on its way to a new home in California.

As artists, we can "make it happen"...not only through our work, but by being that strong woman we adore having in our lives. So, my question is...Are you "that" woman?

JOURNEY. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro.

JOURNEY - Carpe Diem

I recently joined a group of very talented women in a circle round-robin Journal exchange.

Each of us assigned a theme to a Journal and sent it to a person on our list. By the end of the year, our Journal should return to us packed to the brim with the thoughts and art of the women taking part.

The first Journal to arrive to me was from Australia. The theme was "Journey". It thrilled me to open the box and see all the beautiful papers and art. But where to begin!

Looking through my folders I spotted the portrait of a young girl holding a seashell to her ear. What could she be hearing? And how often have we all mimicked her during our youth? What a romantic notion...our future whispering to us from the curved surfaces of a shell. Are we listening to the Ocean..or more?

Our Journey, I feel, is best experienced when we are still and mindful of this moment. Working on the Journal allowed me the time to enjoy the stillness, to pluck the ripeness of the day, to be fully aware.

The substrate for the page is heavy white paper. I covered the background with Distress Ink, fluid and metallic acrylics. In addition to the Victorian girl with the seashell, I added maps, wax infused paper, and telephone book paper. Stenciling completed the page. The pocket on the front is the perfect place for the supplied tag I decorated. I continued the collage on the back of the piece as well.

I hope when the Journal box comes home again its owner will be pleased. I loved working on the page knowing that the Journey continues with each and every moment.

Is your stillness enfolding you?  Are you able to hear the gentle whispers of your future?

Sisterhood of the Muse

OPEN AT ONCE. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

Open At Once. Collage

There is something about a handwritten letter that warms the heart. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike emails and texts. They have their place as an efficient, and quick, means to communicate. But letters...sigh...they speak in an enchanted language all their own. The choice of paper, the envelope, the stamp and any other embellishment the writer wishes to affix says just as much about them as the words they choose to add to paper.

Today is "National Send A Handwritten Letter Day". Celebrated on January 17th it is the birthday our first Postmaster General of the United States, Benjamin Franklin.

Again...synchronicity at play...I am a Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team member. Our current challenge is Postcards and Letters. What could be a more perfect way to celebrate Handwritten Letter Day!

I recently entered into a paper swap and received a huge envelope full of beautiful postcards, paper and ephemera of all sorts from Germany. In the package was a brochure from the Sir Hubert von Herkomer's, Herkomer Museum in Landsberg am Lech in Bavaria. The tower of the Mutterturm was incredible and very romantic. I knew I wanted to add this image to the tag I was working on.

But which Lunagirl image to choose? I loved them all, but finally settled on a woman pensively holding a letter in her hand. What could she be contemplating? Was there a story unfolding as I gathered up my art supplies? I let my Muse guide me.

The old saying, "No news is good news" kept coming back to me. Inspired by Handwritten Letter Day, I thought..isn't a letter the best news of all...a little bit of magic in your hand?

The substrate for the tag is illustration board. I covered the background with Distress Ink, fluid and metallic acrylics. In addition to the lovely Lunagirl image, I added the Muttertrum, fabric, Junk Mail, wax infused and art paper, telephone book paper and other ephemera from my collection. I rubber stamped the saying on to a vintage envelope from the 1920's. Stenciling completed the tag. In honour of today...off went the tag for a "magical" tag swap.

I hope you are all enjoying "National Send A Handwritten Letter Day" as much as I am. You still have a few hours left. Why not touch someones heart in your magical way by saying "hello" with a letter?

Sisterhood of the Muse

SPICE OF LIFE. Collage. Shelby Pizzarro

SPICE OF LIFE - Collage - PAY IT FORWARD

Some time ago I signed up to participate in the "Pay It Forward" exchange. The idea is to produce a small work of art and exchange it with another participant.

As I was looking through my box of ephemera, I found a line of type I had cut out of a book. It listed spices..cinnamon, pepper, sesame, anise... In the same envelope was a reproduction of  a painting of a woman. Languorously reclining amid a bed of roses, she wistfully smiled. As the year drew to a close, I could imagine being her presence surrounded by the heady scent of roses and the piquant quality of spices in the air from her Holiday cooking.

And it made me think...what is the Spice of Life? Is it variety as the popular saying suggests? Or is it something deeper, more personal and divine? Is it what makes each one of us unique and brings passion to everything we do? Is "spice" just another name for the magical quality we strive for in our work as artists?

The substrate for the postcard is illustration board. I covered both sides of the card with gesso. I sponged the background with a selection of metallic acrylic paint. The woman, the line of type, a wax infused doily, tea bag paper, painted gauze, art and vintage papers complete the card. And off it went to its destination in Washington State.

As the New Year begins we all have a chance to build a new recipe for ourselves. What will spice up your life in 2015?

Sisterhood of the Muse

Fall 2013 Collage Students' ART By Art Instuctor Sue Marrazzo

I am currently teaching a Fall ART Class called Creative Collage at the Art Center School and Galleries in Mechanicsburg, PA. We create ART using found papers, art papers, found objects, images, and more. It is a design driven class, but it's very creative too! The students are doing some fine collage work...and of course, I had to share it with the DPP Community. 

Please, Take a Look....