During graduate work on my MFA at the University of North Texas (UNT) I made etchings and lithographs. One of the etchings is titled Nightwatch 18×23.5”, 1975. It was inspired by Rembrandt’s famous painting “The Night Watch.” I printed an edition, interpreting the stark light and dark contrasts of the painting in a non-literal black, white and gray composition. What I did not sell I stored in a flat file all these years. Until now!

The past is present is an ongoing theme in a lot of my work. I reuse and recycle parts of other (earlier) prints and photographs, as well as ephemera, to create new collages on paintings and paper.

I used three of the Nightwatch etchings as the base layer for three new collages.

#60 Nightwatch, etching, 23.5×18″ 1975

Each of the three collages consists of a monotype printed over the etching (turned horizontally), inked and printed stencil shapes and acrylic stamped circles. I added other cut out shapes and shapes drawn with pencils. If you look closely, you may see parts of Nightwatch peeking through.

Here are the collages each showing the etching with monotype layer and the finished collage with all the additions. All are different, but equal. There Is No Hierarchy.

#1449 a. What Are You Waiting For?

#1449 What Are You Waiting For?
monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 2026

#1450 a. Now, Then

#1450 Now, Then monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 2026

#1451 a. Not The Whole Story

#1451 Not The Whole Story monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 202

David du Chemin, an excellent photographer and teacher wrote:  “The path towards mastery is a long journey, but a thrilling one if you don’t tie your hopes too tightly to specific outcomes and give yourself permission you need to be a perpetual student. And time. You need time. … real time that we carve out for ourselves to do the things we need to do, to focus, to get into flow.”

YES!

When I begin a new collage, or a work in any other medium, I often think of it as part of a series or group. I like to make connections or relationships among several pieces, anywhere from two to six.

This set of two has references to some work in the past, many, many years ago. It’s a “remember when” moment.

I began each monotype/collage by printing a monotype from a deeply etched piece of sintra (plastic). I have used these “plates” before in other mixed media collages.

#1445 Together/Apart

#1446 No Secrets Here

I added acrylic letters, numbers and circles.

#1445 Together/Apart

#1446 No Secrets Here

Now, for the added puzzle pieces, the collage part. First, I made a free hand drawing of several large puzzles. Then, I traced it to be able to lay it on a previously printed monotype of different shapes and colors (to be cut out.)

Puzzle Tracing 1

Puzzle tracing 2

#1445 Together/Apart

Talk about turning my head inside out! I cut out the puzzle shapes and positioned them on the monotype so that it was obvious, hopefully, that there was an initial connection (shared edges). Hence, the title “Together/Apart.” Do you think the negative spaces (gaps) remember the connection after being separated?

#1445 Together/Apart

The same sequence occurs with the monotype/collage “No Secrets Here.”

#1446 No Secrets Here

#1446 No Secrets Here

#1446 No Secrets Here

Now for the Back to the Future part. 1970’s! I made soft sculpture consisting of painted acrylic canvas, plastic and satin, which I sewed and stuffed with polyester.
Boy, did my sewing machine get a workout! The puzzle shapes commanded a lot of wall space.

#86 Modular Rhythm 2, soft sculpture (acrylic on canvas, plastic, satin), 1976

#86 Detail

#87 One Corner-Two Walls, soft sculpture (acrylic on canvas, plastic, satin), 8x13ft, 1976

At about the same time I made drawings with cloud shapes that were puzzle-like.

#92 Summer 76-2, graphite, chalk, 22×28, 1976

#94 Summer 76-4, graphite, chalk, 22×28, 1976

Fast forward to 2025 mixed media collages. New iterations, different media. More to come. Stay tuned.

“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned.” Peter Pan

This group of collages is, like many of my collages, layered. The collages begin with a monotype print of inked mesh fabric and string. The printed string is a layer on top of a “ghost” print of string. The ghost, if you can spot it, is the lighter impression. You’ll see it if you look hard.

Here are the mesh pieces and string, inked and placed on the plexiglass sheet ready for the paper. It’s plate and paper covered by the felts and rolled through the press.

On the press bed.

These are the printed mesh and string monotypes ready for the collage additions.

The collage elements are the next and final layer. One thing always leads to another so after I made #1438 with sun prints, circles and circular shapes I decided to move beyond the confines of the picture plane. The rectangles of sun prints push the edge and slide upwards, downwards and sideways to the edge and off.

The finished collages look like this.

#1438 Edgy-Back and Forth

#1438 Edgy-Back and Forth

#1439 Edgy-To and Fro

#1439 Edgy-To and Fro

#1440 Edgy-This and This and This

#1440 Edgy-This and This and This

#1441 Edgy-This/That

#1441 Edgy-This/That

#1442 Edgy-Good Vibes

#1442 Edgy-GoodVibes

Now, it’s up to you.

Can you look without asking questions?

Can you see without having answers?

My newest collages combine black monotypes with colorful cut out circles, half circles and parts of circles. There are also some triangles and irregular shapes as well as shapes cut out of sun prints. The “plates” used for the black background are a type of plastic called Sintra. This type of plastic can be deeply incised with wire and heavy string. The lines stay white when I roll the black ink over the plate. The lines twist and twirl over the surface. There are two plates that butt up against each other in different ways in each collage.

#1428 Moving Right Along monotype, embossing, collage, 22×30 2024

#1429 Here’s The Thing monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2024

#1430 Now and Then monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2024

#1431 Balancing Act monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2024

The colors on a black background really pop! The circular shapes echo the curvilinear white lines. They dance! They twirl! They swing! Throw in some triangles for counterpoint.

See what I mean?

I revisited some earlier prints that I knew had black backgrounds. As far back as 1976 I made a drawing with torn paper shapes (colored chalk) on a black chalk background.

#96 Summer 76-6, graphite, chalk, 22×28, 1976

Jumping ahead to 1992 and 1993 when I began printing in earnest, I made groups of monotypes with textured shapes on black. The shapes were simple and colorful. There were also lines, scratched into the surface, like lines in the new collages. Here they are.

#431 Untitled, monotype, 30×22, 1992

#489 Black Blue 1, monotype, 18×14.75, 1993

#499 Black Red 6, monotype, 18×14.75, 1993

#515 Black Orange 4, monotype, 14.75×18, 1993

#517 Black Purple 1, monotype, 14.75×18, 1993

There you have it. Those of you who know my work know that color is very important to me. Sometimes more, sometimes less, and every once in a while, I have to sneak in some black.

“Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.”

Mary Oliver (poet) “Instructions For Living A Life”

Labyrinthine. I love that word! My previous collages with embossing and circles suggest the design of a labyrinth. This new group uses embossed string in a more defined way. Unlike a true labyrinth (admission – I’ve never visited one) in my work there is no way in or out. That’s the beauty of making art. Inspiration leads to conception!

The complex, textured, monotype background layer supports the simple “labyrinth” layer of an embossed circular shape. Start at the center and work your way out (visually) or start at the edge and meditate as you circle toward the center. It’s your choice. “Walk” with your eyes.

There are four prints in this group. Print one and two starts with a monotype which includes inked and printed mesh shapes (first layer).  The second layer is the embossed labyrinth shape. Each print has its “ghost” (what’s left on the plate after the first print is made) to which I’ve added more inked mesh shapes and the embossed labyrinth shape or shapes. The third, and final, layer consists of a variety of collaged circles (dots) somewhat randomly scattered over the entire surface.

What purpose does the dots serve? They can be points of light shining down on the labyrinth. Or, they repeat the swirling aspect of the embossed shape. Or, they guide you in, out and around the labyrinth. Or, they aid in the spatial push- pull of the design by placement, size, and color. Anything else?

Here are the four prints.

#1424 And Then There Was

#1424  And Then There Was

#1424 Final Print

#1424  And Then There Was, monotype, embossing, collage 30×22 2024

#1425 (ghost of 1424) Game On

#1425  Game On

#1425 Final Print

#1425  Game On, monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2024

#1426 You Can Have It Both Ways

#1426

#1426 Final Print

#1426  You Can Have It Both Ways, monotype, embossing, collage 22×30 2024

#1427 (ghost of 1426)) States of Mine

# 1427  States of Mine

#1427 Final Print

#1427  States of Mine, monotype, embossing, collage 2024

This is as close as I’ve come to walking a labyrinth. How about you?

Piece by piece and layer by layer. Bye, bye suminagashi marbling (for now), hello acrylic painting on paper. This will be the base layer on top of which I will construct a new collage. It will go from simple to complex. As you scroll through the images, slowly and thoughtfully (I hope), here are some questions to ponder. You might find them simplistic but here they are, anyway.

1. What are the similarities? Differences?
2. Do you see relationships of color, line, shape, texture?
3. Is there one focal point or several? What connections are there from one area to another?
4. What difference does the change in orientation of the central collage make?

And now, the collages!

Here is the “process” sequence.

First, acrylic painting on paper.

Process #1391- acrylic

Next layer, monotype added.

Process #1391- monotype

After that, collage of sun prints + photos.

Process #1391-monotype w. sun print, photo

A few more collage elements and voila! The completed collage.

#1391 Breaking Loose

The same sequence occurs in #1392 and #1393.

#1392 Grab Bag

#1393 Sort Of

Here is another group with the same layering sequence except that the orientation of the central collage of sun prints and photos is vertical instead of horizontal.

#1387 Hold On It’s Gonna Be A Rough Ride monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1387 detail

#1388 Nice Work If You Can Get It monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1388 Detail

#1389 Bending The Rules monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

#1390 The One That Got Away monotype, sun print, photo collage 25.5×19.5 2021

Now, leave all the dissecting and analyzing behind. Go back, look at the completed collages and have FUN! Think “joyfull”, “playfull.” Have a romp! I did!

“Wait for the right horse and you will walk.” (anonymous)