Seasonal Watercolor-Sewn Collage
Besides painting in a more classical style of watercolor, Betsy Blair has developed a unique method of painting and then cutting her paintings into shapes in order to create slightly 3-dimensional images which she calls watercolor-sewn collages.
I approach my watercolor-sewn collage pieces as though I am choreographing and/or sculpting bas-relief. I envision the painted and cut shapes moving musically through space. They have relationships to each other on the paper similarly to the way I would choreograph people of different ages and sizes on the stage.
Betsy uses an old Singer sewing machine to sew directly onto the watercolor paper, after which she pulls the top basting threads to the back and ties the ends of each seam with three knots.
I move the pieces around, arranging them until the whole picture settles into a simple image that holds expressive meaning for me. The original drawing is representational of what’s in front of me. The watercolors are fluid, free, and more abstract. They tend to have a life of their own. When I cut into the painting, I am trusting in the release and re-creation aspect of the creative process. The collaging part is about editing, making choices, and finding out what this piece is about. The sewing brings it all together with edges, accents, and a sense of gestural line. Each small machine stitch requires of me a mindful moment.
Her current themes include meditative still life paintings and sewn collages of flowers, fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, and other produce found at the Durham Farmer’s Market as well as flowers and leaves from her own garden.
The sewing of the collage becomes a dance between myself and the machine as I twist and curl the paper under the straight line of the needle and thread. Larger works are particularly challenging to get under the machine. I often have to stretch or contort my limbs to get the paper positioned just right to the limitations of the needle. Sometimes I ask a friend to help me handle the larger pieces, as they take at least four hands. We usually end up all mixed up and laughing.
I approach my watercolor-sewn collage pieces as though I am choreographing and/or sculpting bas-relief. I envision the painted and cut shapes moving musically through space. They have relationships to each other on the paper similarly to the way I would choreograph people of different ages and sizes on the stage.
Betsy uses an old Singer sewing machine to sew directly onto the watercolor paper, after which she pulls the top basting threads to the back and ties the ends of each seam with three knots.
I move the pieces around, arranging them until the whole picture settles into a simple image that holds expressive meaning for me. The original drawing is representational of what’s in front of me. The watercolors are fluid, free, and more abstract. They tend to have a life of their own. When I cut into the painting, I am trusting in the release and re-creation aspect of the creative process. The collaging part is about editing, making choices, and finding out what this piece is about. The sewing brings it all together with edges, accents, and a sense of gestural line. Each small machine stitch requires of me a mindful moment.
Her current themes include meditative still life paintings and sewn collages of flowers, fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, and other produce found at the Durham Farmer’s Market as well as flowers and leaves from her own garden.
The sewing of the collage becomes a dance between myself and the machine as I twist and curl the paper under the straight line of the needle and thread. Larger works are particularly challenging to get under the machine. I often have to stretch or contort my limbs to get the paper positioned just right to the limitations of the needle. Sometimes I ask a friend to help me handle the larger pieces, as they take at least four hands. We usually end up all mixed up and laughing.