A Passion for Creativity

Collage In Earthy Tones

©2019, Joan Desmond, collage on paper

My Mom would have loved these colors. She used variations of them in her surroundings and wardrobe. It’s what I kept thinking of while selecting papers, arranging them, and gluing this collage. For me not so much love, as these are colors that I rarely focus on, like the greens, using them mainly as accents. But periodically I revisit and explore hues that challenge me in art to get out of that familiar comfort zone of the known.

When I was 22 my Mom died. At the time I was immersed in crafts, weaving mainly. It was also before I returned to school for an art degree. Aside from the drawings I did as a teenager, she never saw my later paintings or knew that art became my life’s passion.

Ironically, my Mom was awarded an art scholarship when she was 17. However, she went to work in an office instead to support my Grandparents.

This image is joyful in its circular movement. It could represent a melody my Mom played on the piano. I think she would have liked this.