Collage, Sheep, My Familiars

Orange Sheep

Last week, Jon and I watched Into Her Own  a film about sculptor Ursula Von Rydingsvard.  I was familiar with her sculpture but didn’t really know much about her or her work.

Her drive and ambition are inspiring.  Her monumental sculptures, which I had not seen before are somehow massive and elegant at the same time.  Her process is daunting.   She seems a straight forward, no-nonsense, and inclusive person.  I admire her very much.

One of the things that struck me was that she has used the same materials for years.  She works with 4″x4″ cedar and seems to be able to get it to do anything she wants.

It made me think of being focused and even limiting myself in my own work.  I do that naturally with my fiber art.  But working on the collages these past weeks has opened me up to so many possibilities.  Sometimes too many.  So I decided that for now, I would limit my subject matter to the imagery from my shadow photos.  That is: my shadow, the sheep, and dogs.

Today I practiced by working in my Freedom Book using predominately the sheep image in each collage.

I’m pretty happy with “Orange Sheep” (above) and think it’s done.

Yellow Sheep with Umbrella and Sun

I think I may add something to Yellow Sheep (above) but I’m not sure yet, so I left it for today.

And I just began working on Blue Sheep (below).

I’ve used sheep in my work before, but there’s something about the combination of collage and the lines and shapes of the sheep that intrigues me.  As as I mentioned in my post about my piece “Integrated Self”  I’m beginning to see the importance of the sheep in my life not just for their wool, but as guides in my personal growth both practically and emotionally.

So why not in my art too.

Traditionally a familiar is an animal that assists a witch in her magic.  Thinking of my sheep as familiars feels right to me.

There seems to be something magical in the collage process which the sheep have emerged from.

Blue Sheep

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Full Moon Fiber Art