Mama Collages

Whistlered wildflower

2011-05-28T15:10:00.002-05:00

Groundhog Day

2011-02-02T15:45:00.000-06:00

Post-its rain down

2011-02-01T17:02:00.000-06:00

Speckleware

2011-02-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

Snowstars co-stars

2011-02-01T16:57:00.000-06:00

Fallen fungus

2011-02-01T16:55:00.000-06:00

Spirals

2011-02-01T16:52:00.000-06:00

Milky Way Nine Patch

2011-02-01T16:51:00.000-06:00

Gray One

2011-02-01T16:47:00.000-06:00

The gift of a creek

2011-02-01T16:45:00.000-06:00

Bent pyramid

2011-02-01T16:43:00.000-06:00

Midge Collage in Red

2011-02-01T16:39:00.000-06:00

Leaf Spine Wren

2011-02-01T16:37:00.001-06:00

Viewfinder

2011-01-17T20:22:00.000-06:00

Self portrait with 8 legs and 6 eyes

2010-07-16T07:23:00.002-05:00

Gray Fox process

2010-03-22T18:47:00.008-05:00

In January I was awed to see two gray foxes near my school about 5:30 p.m.

I sketched their poses from memory, and did some research about this species. I wanted to catch the glow of the January sunset through the bare trees, and my sense of a second's communication with the fox.

Playing with images of fabrics, photos, and sketches in Photoshop is seductive. Probably not necessary, but fun!

So far the piece includes gold sari fabric, burlap, dyed and discharged fabric, netting, a scrap of a necktie, a door lock faceplate, paper, yarn, and embroidery floss, machine and hand stitching.

Dr. Seuss to the rescue

2009-11-29T16:24:00.006-06:00

Thanks to the Cat in the Hat, the wedding embroidered collage is moving forward again. It needed a better defined composition and a more personal meaning. I cut away some of the layers, and then added shapes that suggested space and movement. Looking for a vintage piece of family needlework that wasn't too precious to cut and collage, I found a tea towel with embroidered cups and sugar bowl. Cup? Fish? Books? Something elbowed my brain.

"Look at me now!" said the collage. Remember the Cat in the Hat's tricks?

"With a cup and a cake
On the top of my hat!
I can hold up TWO books!
I can hold up the fish!"

My son's bride knows he is usually holding TWO books at least.

The piece is now 23 x 16 inches. It includes a lavender plastic mesh bag that once held plastic Easter eggs.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

The Wedding Bettas

2009-11-09T20:02:00.003-06:00

I'm regretting layering so many papers, plastic, and fabric now that I'm stitching the betta fish. Boys and girls, can you say, "thimble"?

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

Won't get me to the church on time

2009-10-14T18:13:00.009-05:00

This collage is for a very special wedding couple, but I'm not going to have it ready in time for their big day on Sunday.

So far the collage is backed with tie-dyed fabric and the Dallas Morning News book review page from 10/11/09. Other fabric pieces include a sari, a gold satin sheet, and purple tulle circles. Silver giftwrap and a section of a punch-cut lavender plastic shopping bag are inside a ziplock storage bag. Paper elements include betta fish cut-outs from printed original photos, library date due card, bleach discharge print on navy card stock, and newspaper photo of a football pass reception that resembles a betta. Recent additions are beads and sequins. The work has been machine stitched for position basting, awaiting embroidery work.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

Plastic Rain Bonnet

2009-08-26T18:18:00.006-05:00

Found a Sixties plastic pleated rain hat in one of my mom's old purses. Growing up we learned never to be caught without our handy rain bonnet or a dime in our penny loafer for a payphone call.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

Apples and amaryllis

2009-07-05T17:37:00.003-05:00

This series was created as a gift for a Montessori preschool director and intended to be handled by children learning the initial sounds of letters. No piece is for sale, nor intended to be reproduced without permission.

Paper collage, 4.25 x 5.5 inches. Original digital photo, magazine illustrations, plastic bag, other papers.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

Basil bees

2009-07-05T17:34:00.003-05:00

Paper collage, 4.25 x 5.5 inches. Photocopy on vellum, plastic bag, marker, tissue, metallic giftwrap.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

[Every] Cloud has a silver lining

2009-07-05T17:23:00.002-05:00

A jazzy rainy day collage between clear plastic, 4.25 x 5.5 inches. Embossed paper, vellum, tissue, foil mylar and metallic giftwrap, rice paper, lining fabric.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

"Duh duh dragonfly"

2009-07-05T17:18:00.003-05:00

Learning initial sounds is difficult work for preschoolers. I hope they will soon learn "cuh cuh collage".

Watercolor painting and magazine photo scraps, sequins, beads, mylar, cellophane, and glitter paper. Collage 4.25 x 5.5 inches.

© 2009 Nancy L. Ruder

Elephant walking on eggshells

2009-07-05T17:14:00.001-05:00