This summer at the Tualatin Library, the community can enjoy remarkable and joyful collage paintings by Northwest artist Barbara Garrison, now on display.
What is collage art, or, stated differently, what are collage paintings?
Collage art is a creative technique in which artists assemble different materials—such as paper, photographs, fabric, printed text, paint, or found objects—into a single composition. Rather than creating an image entirely from scratch, the artist combines separate elements to build layers of meaning, texture, and visual interest.
You will notice this interplay of materials in Barbara’s work. In “Becca’s Best Friend,” the delightful dog portrait, there is a combination of gelli-printed papers mounted on a watercolor background. You will notice that Barbara’s particular form of collage is about painting with the different patterns, textures, and colors that come from her hand-painted papers and more to tell create an environment and tell a story.
She says, “Mixing things in for impact and expression helps to tell the story of the artwork, allowing unlimited artistic expression. I’ve used handmade specialty papers, buttons, photos, and natural materials. Whatever can help to express the feelings and impressions I’m looking for. The best part is that in collage there are no rules. You do what feels right for you, no right or wrong. No limitations on materials, or colors, or textures. Experimenting, combining other mediums, playing with ideas, that’s what makes collage such a passion for me.”
Collage can be abstract or realistic, carefully planned or spontaneous, and may exist in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms. The process encourages experimentation because ordinary materials can be transformed into something expressive and unexpected.
“I think I’ve dabbled in all kinds of techniques,” says Barbara, and “It’s all an evolution of space and time.” Like many artists, she is passionate about experimenting with her medium and trying new techniques.
Barbara has a long and diverse art career, which began with stained glass and then moved into fused glass. These processes require larger studio spaces and bigger equipment (think kilns and fire-breathing instruments). As life moved, circumstances naturally changed. As there became less availability of space and perhaps more availability of time, the art practice evolved into new areas…like watercolor painting, mono-printing, and collage.
Artists often enjoy collage because it allows freedom, discovery, and play. The act of cutting, arranging, overlapping, and combining images can spark new ideas that might not emerge through drawing or painting alone. Collage also makes it possible to communicate complex emotions, memories, or social commentary by placing contrasting images together in meaningful ways. A torn photograph beside handwritten words, for example, can suggest nostalgia, conflict, or hope without needing a literal explanation.
Barbara reflects on her learning process with these new media: “Every step I took was my favorite step to do until I took the next step…then that was my favorite thing! There was no part of the process I didn’t love.” That enthusiasm and spirit live in all of her collage paintings which burst with color, texture, and that indescribable something that is the heart of the artist.
Collage is a wonderful way to translate the beauty of nature and natural objects. It is also especially effective for communication because viewers naturally search for connections between the assembled pieces. This interaction invites interpretation and emotional engagement, making collage a powerful artistic language for expressing personal experiences, imagination, and cultural ideas.
Be sure to visit this exhibition, which runs through the middle of September. You can be in touch with Barbara at babtwins@hotmail.com. if you would like to learn more about her art or purchase her work. This program is sponsored in part by the Tualatin Arts Advisory Committee. If you would like to learn more about this program, contact Angela Wrahtz at angela.wrahtz@comcast.net.
