January 20, 2010

A Collage.

I am a great fan of collages. Since I was a child, I loved to draw and paint, but I also enjoyed cutting out bits and pieces of paper, fabrics and most of all, photographs, creating my own art. Some of these are still on display in my home today, like this one on the left, summarizing a period of twenty years in my life, depicting family and friends and the best moments in my past.

The words collage originates from the French coller, meaning to glue. As quoted by the wikipedia:
"A collage may include newspaper clippings, ribbons, bits of colored or hand-made papers, portions of other artwork, photographs... glued to a piece of paper or canvas. The origins of collage can be traced back hundreds of years, but this technique made a dramatic reappearance in the early 20th century as an art form of novelty."

Today of course I enjoy creating a digital collage, in fact I find it is becoming a great hobby of mine. Many of you have expressed an interest in my collages or mosaics - which I often share here with you - and have asked me how I make these. Well, I love to sit down with my laptop on the weekends. It is a MacBook and my faithful companion. I have no idea what I would do without that great piece of technology - I rely on it every day. In any case, now during the winter, I prefer a spot by the fire and as my favorite compilations are played in the background, I plug the memory card from my camera into my computer, releasing all the images from the week onto the hard disk. Then I slip into another world for hours, as I create and compile my digital photographs using my favorite software, Adobe Photoshop. I forget time and place while I categorize all the snapshots into new images, that will become sentimental memories. I guess making these is the best part of every post, I have to admit. The collages I create do help me to convey my thoughts to all of you, while supporting my writing. Often the best ones are eventually made into prints and end up as postcards, christmas cards, calendars and eventually some as lovely additions in my photo albums.

Below a collage of collages, just a fraction of those I have shared with you here over the course of last year.
(As always, please click to enlarge.)

25 comments:

Sumandebray said...

There was a time when I did a lot of those collages.... during the college days we used to have inter college completions at national level and zonal level summits. I was fortunate enough to receive prize on 3 occasions. But unlike you I have no records. Those certificates are hanging on the wall of our department in the college. A few of my collages hangs from the walls in my friends’ houses... the rest must have gone back to the mother earth via trash cans!!!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Collages are interesting works of art to me because they capture my imagination. It is a "book" with many "chapters." I do so enjoy your pictures! Cathy

Kat_RN said...

Zuzana,
Love your collages, as well as your photos. I am also a photoshop fan. I use it for digital scrapbooking and photo restoration.
Kat

Brian Miller said...

wonderful collage! i love them, you can look at them over and over and still come away with something new.

Dan said...

Hi Zuzana
What a lovely way to spend afew hours wandering down memory lane! And of course it means your favourite memories are displayed and enjoyed, rather than sitting in files on the computer.
By the way, if you can remember where you saw the other calligraphy posts, can you let me know? I'd love to check them out.
Best wishes
Dan
-x-

G said...

Oh, how lovely! It's a great way to bring together many meaningful images. And you obviously have a great eye for layout.

Roger Gauthier said...

Very nicely done, Zuzana. I don't usually do collages, that we interestingly very often call "montages" and not "collages" in French (and that depends on regions too). I find them attractive and a good way to look at souvenirs.

I've also seen people create web collages where each picture is active and a link to a bigger image. This can be quite fun too.

Roger G. :-)

♥Mimi♥ said...

Oh, I ♥ this! I make oodles of collages all year long of my grandchildren or family events and have them printed at a local pharmacy - frame them - and then voila' - there is my memory. It's so easy and so inexpensive and brings back happy family times each time I glance over at one of them.

Claus said...

Great collage as always!! what a great idea to make a collage to sum up a period of time!, as it gathers in one space, tons of memories. You always come up with the best ideas Zuzana!
have a great day!
hugs

Margie said...

Hi Zuzana
Oh, I love collages too!
But, it's been a long time since I have done any.
Must get back to it!
Adobe Photoshop is awesome and hubby and I use it ferquently.

Great post, as always!
Love your collages!

Have a great day!
Stay warm!

Margie
xo

Hilary said...

Lovely as always, my friend. I use Photoshop too and would be lost without it despite how much easier some of the other photo editing programs are. Just think - a few more posts like this one and you can make a collage of your collage collages. ;)

Cat in the road said...

Digital collages can never replace the old fashioned tried and true method of cutting out and pasting. You can’t get that intimate effect of the overlapping photos.
-
One thing I whole heartedly agree with is that either way, “Depicts the best moments in our past.” In my office I have one wall plastered w/pics from my travels; it’s a nice way to escape when everyday life gets to be a little overwhelming.

Anonymous said...

I was wondering how you created your collages...thanks for sharing your process.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the meaning of collage. Yours has so many beautiful shots and what a nice way to hold memories of the past!
:) The Bach

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

I have always admired your collages Zuzana!
LOVE THEM.
I have never done one and would like to learn VERY SOON!

Absolutely Ladylike said...

I love your collages dear Zuzana...this one above is fantastic! You made some amazing photos and to see how your garden has been changing through the seasons is simply magical...thanks for sharing!

Hope you having a lovely week, cheers: Evi

steviewren said...

I didn't start collaging until my divorce. I found that I was unable to concentrate enough to do anything creative. It was then that I discovered cutting a pasting. I used pictures of food from old magazine and index cards to make recipe cards. Then I glue down recipes I had been saving from the newspaper. That started my love of collage.

Stacey J. Warner said...

your collages are so beautiful!

I also love your quote, "Life is an adventure to be lived..."

much love

Holly said...

I can't believe that I let myself miss so many wonderful posts. It was like catching up on favorite magazines.

Love the callages. You can cherish them forever.

I covet your adorable boots. I may have to find a similar pair. (A lot of good they will do me here, huh?:):)

If you do find a way to enter hibernation,...you'll let me in on it, right?

xoxox -Holls

Shelly's Style Shop said...

I love collages, too! I understand how you can sit in front of the computer for hours creating them. I do the same. =) I love the collages of your collages. There are a lot of great pictures.

I love reading your post! You are wonderful. xoxo, Shelly

sprinkles said...

Your collages are always so amazing! I love that picture of the pink flower down towards the bottom.

Betsy Brock said...

Very fun! I love both kinds!

Zuzana said...

Sumandebray, Cathy, Kat, Brian, Dan, BPG, Roger, Mimi, Claudia, Margie, Hilary, Scribe816, LadyCat, The Bach, Jill, Evi, Stevie, stacey, Holly, Shelly, sprinkles and Betsy, so happy to hear that you enjoyed a post about my crazy collages! I just simply love arranging photographs and images and Photoshop rules.;)

Thank you all for your lovely words and for your visit.

Xoxo
Zuzana

S. Susan Deborah said...

It should have been called 'Collage of Joy.'

Resplendent and lovely dear Zuzana.

Passion always,
Susan

Zuzana said...

Susan, thank you dear friend, your visits mean the world to me.;)
xo