Tag: found object art

What is Art in a Box or Assemblage?

Orange Key

Art in a Box or Assemblage

Cityscape 9" x 7", art in a box, wall paper and cement tiles
Cityscape 9″ x 7″

3D Collage

Assemblage is like a 3D collage usually with found objects. It is a 20th century art form that became more well known in the 1950s and 1960s. Art in a box is a type of assemblage.

Small Wooden Boxes

I recently found about fifteen 9″ x 7″ 23cm x 18cm wooden boxes. They were brand new, in light shades of grey and beige. A perfect setting for some assemblage. The box works as a frame. My mininalist style worked because there wasn’t room for much more. A chance to finally structure add some continuity to my displays. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/product/cityscape-found-object-art/

A Class in Assemblage

In 2018 I took a class in assemblage from local artist, Janet Silverglate. https://www.janetsilverglate.com/

Big Brown Button 8" x 10" concentric circles of brown and green on a fiber background
Big Brown Button 8″ x 10″ My piece from the class

First,she taught the class how to use a drill with wood or metal. Meanwhile,the students created a layered piece from a wide range of available materials.

Interestingly enough, Janet also came from the sewing world. Furthermore,she built on those skills while changing her materials from fabric to metal. She encouraged me to adapt my known skills as well to the different materials. Janet was incredibly generous with the materials that she had collected. However, I still had a lot to learn about the art form.

Altar at the Top 9" x 7", art in a box, gray cement tiles and brown glass tiles
Altar at the Top 9″ x 7″

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1005720871/contemporary-mixed-media-collagebeige

Choosing a Background

One of these adapted sewing design skill includes starting with an interesting background. I chose redirected wall paper that would add movement, color or texture to a piece. My usual way of working is to first select interesting materials I like. I have no idea of what project I may use them for. For example, I let the materials play with one another. They tell me if they want to be together or not. Sometimes the size and scale is not correct. Other times the colors are slightly off. At times even great materials need to be saved for a different project .

Orange Key,9" x 7" Repurposed gift box has an antique key hanging against orange background. 1/2" tiles add interest.
Orange Key,9″ x 7″ This box came to me as a gift box.

Choosing Materials

I prefer to see the materials in front of me before making a choice. There are just too many variations involved for me to choose. Color? Are the colors of the correct shade or hue? Too grey or too beige? Scale? Is the size correct for the box? Is the action on the wallpaper too big or too small for the box? A perfectly lovely item may need to be saved for a different art piece. Scale is an important element when working small. The quarter inch tiles I redirected from a interior designer fit the tiny bill. Each miniature tile has a slightly different shade of color to it. I couldn’t place them correctly without seeing them first.

Three Keys 9" x 7" Found objects like keys add interest. minimalist art in a box
Three Keys 9″ x 7″ Found objects like keys add interest.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1005714869/contemporary-mixed-media

Color

The color range of the tiles was limited. Yet a few tiles provided tiny pops of color. Luckily, the tints complimented the muted shades of the container boxes. In addition, finding a unique artful use for a redirected item is definitely a win-win for the earth.

Texture

Texture adds depth to a piece. Fiberous materials also add interest. The 3 dimensional aspect draws the viewer closer. However, that could just be my special view on fiber. Interesting, vintage items also provide texture. “Junk” laying around one’s house can be put to good use. Surprise yourself!

In Conclusion

In conclusion, artists stretch their artistic muscles by learning new skills. Combining shapes, forms, and colors are basic skills that can be developed. After that, those skills are available for and can be applied to many art genres. For example, I recently witnessed a flower arranger combine various colors,textures and sizes to create an incredible bouquet. Everyone starts somewhere. Just start!

Read more.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/recent-attempts-at-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/01/first-steps-towards-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/07/art-materials-hard-or-soft/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/08/sewing-room-minimalist-assemblage/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/videos-of-art-quilts/assemblage-video-work-in-progress/

How to Turn your Antique Sewing Objects into Art

  Sewing Room Assemblage Art

Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage
large plastic sewing kit, 15″ diameter

 Sewing Room Assemblage may just be another name for a mess of sewing room items.I inherited those sewing items that I now wanted to use in my assemblage pieces. Think of assemblage  as a three dimensional collage.  My mother and mother-in-law were part of the generation that grew up in the Great Depression. They married before World War II. Their families started after the war in the 1950s.

A Generation Expected to Sew

Like  many of their generation, sewing skills were expected. Neither my mother or mother -in-law were expert sewists. It has been   over twenty years since I acquired all of their sewing supplies. This included special pieces of furniture to store the sewing items as well as numerous threads,needles pins, measuring tapes, thimbles and gadgets. Some of the items are recognizable to the 21st century sewists and some aren’t.

Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage, wooden spools in a thread tray some empty and some still with thread
Thread Tray

A New Use for the Thread Tray

A piece of furniture especially made to store sewing items had seen better days. Yet, I kept the wooden tray for thread storage. That piece became the frame for my whimsical piece with thread and small animals that I had been saving. I lined the larger left side with a piece of fiber and added a necklace. The details of buttons lay on a coral  felted piece a friend gave me. The most unusual item is the wooden needle case in the middle of the third row. The wooden spools add charm but I couldn’t resist adding some color with some that still had thread.

Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage
Spool Wreath

Spool Wreath

I do a lot of sewing. Needless to say I had many empty wooden spools.  I generally don’t throw anything away. For several months,I kept my eye out for a way to use these spools. I finally saw a wreath on a door. It inspired me to consider making a wreath with my spools. After much thought, I decided to string  the spools on a dowel. I added red wooden beads in between. I had to experiment with the width of the dowel. The 1/4″ .5cm wide dowel was wide enough to fit the hole of the spool and strong enough to stay straight.

Other Parts of the Wreath

Other parts of the wreath used found objects like the clipon metal hanger and the fiber paper plate holder for the base. The burlap bow was reused from a gift I had received. I prefer a  minimalist assemblage style for my sewing room pieces.

Mistakes can be Good.

The shorter length rays were a mistake.  I used a 1/8″dowel that proved too  weak to hold the spools straight. The dowel broke. Instead of throwing the weak dowel out, I choose to shorten the length of the arm. I think it worked. Mistakes can add  interest although unplanned. https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2018/11/mistakes-that-i-have-not-regretted/

Sew Fun, 8" x 8" mixed media with small sewing items on a wooden grid
Sew Fun, 8″ x 8″

Sew Fun

This sewing room minimalist assemblage piece,Sew Fun includes some of the more unique sewing items. I started with a wooden grid for design interest.The heart shaped item’s original use was to store pins and large needles. The three dimensional shape has a 1/4″ space between the two hearts for that purpose. The long wooden spool on the bottom originally was covered with thread. An orange packet of needles and an orange pair of scissors adds a needed bit of color.

A Metal Bobbin

I learned to sew on my mom’s Singer sewing machine with metal bobbins. The bobbin is an essential piece holds the bottom thread.  That machine is long gone. Yet, I found  a metal bobbin with orange thread  on it. An orange color scheme was devloping. Some may recognize the small metal threader in the middle. I believe that these are still available for sale. They presumably help people thread small needles although I never mastered that skill. An orange batik ribbon for hanging completes the piece.

Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage
Red,White and Black Treasures, 8″ x 8″

Red,White and Black Treasures

The red,white and black treasures of thread were originally part of a small sewing kit my daughter bought in Germany. I lined the box with a thin piece of cork. Another long empty spool from the American Thread Company was  added. I included the paper instructions for Muriel’s Yarn Threader price 75 cents. Who doesn’t have a lot of buttons? I created  details with two levels of buttons in alternating colors. Black ceramic tiles finished the corners.

Brown European Threads 8″ x 8″

Brown European Threads

For the Brown European Threads Minimalist Assemblage, I used the bottom part of a lidded box. See the little bit of the hinge on the left. I couldn’t remove it so I just left it. I lined the box with a piece of redirected wall paper. There were several more European threads in the brown muted color range. A packet of Boye Needle Company from Chicago takes center stage. This is the type of packet that I saw many times in my youth. This time I placed the double decker buttons on  small cream colored tiles.

Art in a box green, yellow blue spools of threads with multilayered buttons on blue tiles
Blue European Threads 8″ x 6″

Blue European Threads

Another  variation of the sewing room minimalist assemblage is Blue European Threads. I used wallpaper for lining. I made double decker buttons with blue, green and yellow that match the European spools of thread.  Some matching shiny round objects to offset the spools. Blue and green buttons are placed on blue tiles to accent the corners.

Conclusion

Sewing Room Minimalist Assemblage can take many forms. So take a new look at the items that you have around your home. You don’t have any?  Search for unique items at garage sales or second hand stores.  You can give a new artful life to the common sewing items from the 20th century.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/03/beginning-steps-to-creating/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/recent-attempts-at-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/09/art-in-a-box-assemblage/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

How to Choose Between Hard or Soft Art Materials

Paddling Along, 10" x 3.5"
Art Materials: Hard or Soft, art in a box with cement tiles and green glass tiles
Green Sphere 9″ x 7″

               Art   Materials:  Hard or Soft

An acquaintance  who follows my work on Instagram recently commented on the progress of my work into hard materials. The comment stopped me in my tracks. What? It made me think. For me, moving into assemblage was something that I had been doing for a while at a very slow pace. Assemblage is a 3D collage generally of diverse found objects.Yes, fabric art quilts are soft and generaly 3D materials are hard. Yet, I hadn’t thought about it that way.

3D Found Materials

As an art quilter I had often added 3D found objects to my work. Whimsical toy soldiers, artificial flowers, pieces of jewelry are just a few examples. Seeing it from another’s view made me take a second look at what I was doing. Larger tile pieces would be too heavy to work with.As a result, I had chosen quarter inch tiles and other objects mainly due to their size and color.

Inspiration

I draw inspiration from the materials and how they play together. I gather materials without thinking about how I will use them. This process applies to  the hard or soft art materials that I work with.  My sources are redirected sample designer materials. If the small slate-like samples had not been available, I wouldn’t have searched for them. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have even known that they existed.

Materials Front and Center

In the past, I  have spent time looking for the perfect piece of fabric for a project. It was frustrating and time consuming. Moreover, the results were often disappointing. I discovered that my imagined perfect fabric didn’t always perform as perfectly as I had expected. Working with what is in front of me proved more creative, artistic and satisfying.

On the other hand, a shopping situation with distractions galore overwhelms me.  With the materials front and center, I can quickly see that the scale or color either did or didn’t work. This proves more fun anyway even allowing serendippity to happen. Materials,however, fabulous don’t always work for  every project. Save them for another  project.

Tower in City 9″ x 7″

Color! Texture! Movement!

My mantra is Color! Texture! Movement! That is what I want the viewer to take away from my art quilts. Changing to hard materials didn’t fundamentally change that for me.  I do admit it might look differently from the outside or to a viewer on a tiny screen.

The whole concept of choosing hard or soft art materials did not cross my mind. Even though some materials are obviously heavier and harder than others. I selected the background wallpaper to build action and  color into the piece. Slight variations of colors in the pieces of concrete flow.  Variations of  width of the materials add depth.

Scale

The size of the project and time involved encouraged me to widen my artistic scope. Scale followed quickly. One cannot make smaller items without being aware of scale. True confessions time- I wanted some projects with a lower price point. Even small quilts involve time consuming hand work. Yet,smaller doesn’t always mean less time involved in the creation. Depending on the materials at hand,working with a smaller scale can negatively affect the time spend on designing.

People see Things Differently

I appreciate getting insight into how others view my work. The hard and soft comment opened my mind. Some comments from people I take more seriously than others.A comment from an experienced quilt artist would catch my atttention. However, I generally ignore some  comments.  A gentleman once commented that a piece reminded him of a particular place. I listened and even googled that location.Yet, that place had  not been  my inspiration. While  I was willing to listen,  I was not too concerned.  People see things differently. They bring their own experiences to how they view a piece.

Start at the End, Sometimes

Some of my fiber artist friends are extremely  talented. One in particular would use unusual found objects to create incredibly engaging art pieces. Yet when she was finished she didn’t know how to hang or best display her large 3D work. So I decided that I would consider how to display the work before I got started.  With these assemblage pieces I attached a hook first.Then I continued designing the piece. Working backwards is new process for me.

Art Materials: Hard or Soft
Cityscape, 9″ x 7″

A Unifying Look

Early in my creative process I acquired twelve identical wooden boxes of varying pale colors. That was a good start for me. Usually I never consider how a piece will look next to another piece. This gave me a chance to unify my look. Some assemblage pieces can be hung and some can sit on a shelf or table.

So I start with a frame or wooden box. Then I add a hook to hang it on. Next,I search for wall paper that complements the box color . With luck it adds texture. Because I am new to this process, I want to know where I will end  before I permanently attaching the paper. This may change as I gain more experience. The viewer doesn’t know what the artist began with and how they might have added or subtracted from what was there.

Art Materials: Hard or Soft
What Do You See? 12″ x 7″

Metal or Wood

Assemblage artists generally  choose materials from wood and metal. Personally my preference is wood. Metal just doesn’t speak to me in the same way. In the class I took I learned how to use an electric drill to make holes in metal or other objects. I still have  my childhood skates that attached to my saddle shoes.  I would love to use them in a piece.  Several times I have tried to see what might work with the skates with no success. As much as I love them, I will save them for a later date.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, it is not about the   materials  being hard or soft. It is the color, texture and movement of the surface that inspires this artist to create something new and hopefully exciting. How will you push yourself to try something new? Do your materials inspire you to move to your next level?https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/03/beginning-steps-to-creating/

These pieces of assemblage are available at my etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

You may be interested in reading more about assemblage.

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/05/paper-as-art-material/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/02/recent-attempts-at-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/01/first-steps-towards-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/videos-of-art-quilts/art-quilt-video-2-continues/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/09/art-in-a-box-assemblage/

Scared to try Something New? Follow my Recent Attempts at Assemblage

Piece made in class ,2018

Recent Attempts at Assemblage

Recent attempts at assemblage came about from my interest in  fiber and 3D objects.  Sometimes it can be scary to try a new direction. Moving in a new direction is something that I generally do very slowly.The assemblage art form utilizes found objects that appeal to my deep sensibility for using redirected or upcycled materials. I had been adding 3D found objects to my art quilts since the beginning of my art career. The time came for me to further my skills by taking a class on assemblage. If I can try something new, so can you.

Under the Beautiful Redwoods-2018

Back in the Fall of 2018, I participated in an assemblage class taught by local artist, Janet Silverglate. The day long class met at her house outside under the beautiful redwoods of Felton, California. She introduced us to many new materials and skills. She was generous with both of them. Practicing with an electric drill was a new experience for me. The class learned the importance of working backwards on each piece. Figuring out how to hang or display the piece was one of the first necessary decisions to be made.

The Piece I made in Class

This is the piece that I made. I contributed the fiber background and the metal rim. Janet graciously offered the other  parts including the green paper, and large button on the top. She also helped with the process of adjoining all pieces together that I was having trouble accomplishing. While I am pleased with the finished product, I recognize  that I had a lot of help.

Brown and green circles on fiber background
Piece made in class,2018

I thoroughly enjoyed the day completing my first assemblage piece. As with many beginners, I was in awe of the teacher’s skill and proficiency. She had a large room full of materials that she had gathered. I could relate to that process. I also gather materials without considering their future use.  However, due to a lack of extra space,I  wanted to restrict myself to the materials that I already had. I couldn’t imagine gathering materials for assemblage projects as well as a wide variety of materials for art quilts. Luckily, my inheritance supplied me with a variety of interesting items I could use.

Several Recent Attempts at Assemblage

I took  a long while before I felt the creative juices flowing to try something on my own. Maybe the shelter in place helped in that regard. My thoughts were also that a successful piece begins with an interesting framework or support system. I  was waiting to find a worthy object.

My husband supplied me with a wooden drawer from a small piece of furniture of his mother’s. The drawer was from some sort  of a sewing unit. It had a wooden tray that originally was used to store thread and small items. I turned the tray on its side.

Making Decisions

My inheritance included many sewing items. I found the idea of covering the edges with fabric measuring tape appealing. First, I added screw in hooks to the top for hanging. Then  I glued the fabric measuring tape to the sides.  Here are some of my other first choices.  I moved the buttons around. Eliminating some of the sewing items creates a more general audience appeal.

Trying out ideas with lots of sewing items,spools yarn, small plastic animals for fun
Trying out ideas with lots of sewing items
Highlighting the measuring tape glued on the side.
Highlighting the measuring tape glued on the side.

Trying Different Things

Numerous attempts were  made before settling on this final arrangement.  I had many empty wooden spools that I wanted to use. Yet, previously I had noticed the lack of color in other people’s empty spool projects.   I preferred the addition of some thread color. Luckily, my mother and mother-in-law had left me many sizes and choices of colors. Whimsical animals add fun as well as color!

Wooden Spool Assemblage,2020, spools some empty and some still with thread
Wooden Spool Assemblage,2020

Another Recent Attempts at Assemblage-A Wooden Spool Wreath

For a long time I looked  for inspiration on what I could do with my empty  wooden spools. I did have a lot of them. Finally I saw a unique wreath that inspired me to try to make a wreath using them. I happily found red beads to alternate for a holiday look. The framework is a fiber paper plate holder. It is turned upside down so that it will lay flat against the wall. I  found a metal clip with a circular ring that I had. It attaches like a clothes pin. How easy was that!

Recent Attempts at Assemblage,Wooden Spool Wreath,2020 burlap bow
Wooden Spool Wreath,2020

How to String the Spools

I bought several sizes of  small width dowels to see which size would fit best. I chose the smallest one possible, less than 1/4″ wide to string the spoons and beads on. At first I tried to have all lengths equal. But I broke a dowel so I had to make do. I think that the different lengths are actually an improvement. Mistakes can be good. The tiniest dab of glue  holds each bead and spool in place on the dowel. I repurposed a burlap bow I had received on a recent gift. How serendipitious was that! The finished product hangs in my studio window.

Black Lives Still Matter

Recent Attempts at Assemblage,Black Lives Matter Decoration,2020 red,white and blue ribbons
Black Lives Matter Decoration,2020

What would 2020 be without a sincere homage to Black Lives Matter! I made several similar pieces using patriotic red,white and blue ribbons. On the white part of the ribbons, I wrote A Violation Should Not Be A Death Sentence and Black Lives Matter. It has been obvious to  me for years now that black people were shot and killed rather than just arrested or ticketed for a violation. Now another  variation piece has Equal Rights For All written on the ribbons.

Recent Attempts at Assemblage,Indigenous Inspirations, 2020 a fiber pape plate hold with red beads and feathers
Indigenous Inspirations, 2020

In conclusion, this year of Shelter in Place gave me the time to set aside any fears that I may have had about trying something new. Recent attempts at asssemblage helped me develop my new portfolio. Thanks for letting me share them with you.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

Check out Janet’s work.
https://www.janetsilverglate.com/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/01/first-steps-towards-assemblage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/art-quilt-galleries/assemblage-3d-collage/

https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2021/03/beginning-steps-to-creating/

Ready to Try Something New? First Steps Towards Assemblage

Aboriginal black and white assemblage 18 " x 14"

First Steps Towards Assemblage

First steps towards assemblage occurred before I was even aware that I was moving in that direction. Assemblage is a newer art form of putting different items together in a new and unusual way. That is to say that with a new focus on recycling and redirecting art takes on new forms.

In addition, it can take on many different forms including metal, paper and fiber. Materials are often found objects. Furthermore,they can either being used as found or taken apart to highlight intricate usually unseen pieces.

First Steps -Ready to try Something New?

Aboriginal b/w assemblage,First Steps Towards Assemblage
Aboriginal,black and white assemblage 18 ” x 14″    2013

In 2013, I completed my first  3D collage piece. For example,some black and white objects called to me. At first, a figure I had made using decorative details   were arranged  on a redirected piece of fiber. Above all if we consider aboriginal to mean the first, maybe the title is prophetic.

Mexican Inspired Fiber Assemblage

Later in 2018, more redirected fiber directed me to make some Mexican inspired fiber assemblage pieces. Here is my Fun with Fiber series.The sizes are generally smaller than 15″ wide. First of all one must consider how to hang the piece before  continuing with the design process.Moreover,you may recognize small decorative details, fabrics and found objects in these pieces.

Native Sunset With Cats, sold
First Steps Towards Assemblage
Bracelet of Beaded Friends
Fun with Fiber,First Steps Towards Assemblage
Fun with Fiber 5
Memories of the Hunt
Worry Dolls

These pieces are smaller and come together faster than an art quilt. They allow me to create these small works of art quicker. They fill a niche for those interested in my art yet with less funds.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/663557452/fabric-with-toothshaped-beadsfiber-art

In Conclusion

Assemblage or 3D collages can be made with many redirected materials. Find a new use instead of tossing it.https://annbaldwinmayartquilts.com/2019/11/mexican-inspired-fabric-collages/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annbmayartquilts/

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