Collage and Composition with Lyn Belisle

AB3s System of Composition

Wed, June 21, 2017

As part of the 11th Annual International Encaustic Conference, I enrolled in Lyn Belisle’s one-day workshop at Truro Center Castle Hill for the Arts. Prior to the workshop, Lyn provided a materials list.  I came with enough stuff to spend a week!  Lyn presented her “AB3” approach to composition. It is ALIGNMENT, BREATHING ROOM, and THREES. Photographers think about “rule of thirds” all the time, but it was interesting to see a collage artist use the same principle of subject placement. Eye movement and allowing space between elements were two things to keep in mind as we worked on “timed” collages. Adding asemic writing (having no specific semantic content), using white tempera paint to partially veil elements, and stamping grunge textures, we created two collages before lunch. In the afternoon, working on a third collage, Lyn demonstrated the application of encaustic medium, walnut oil, book foil and gold leaf. Rather than use magazine clippings or copyright free images, I used my own photos of a mannequin transfer printed on tengucho paper. The thin transparent paper can be glued on either side, making ALIGNMENT of elements easier.