Elizabeth St. Hilaire
Florida
Artist Statement Submitted 2018
My love of collage started with a scrap box of mementos from my childhood. These small sentimental pieces of my past came from my father, who rescued them from the attic.I decided to find a way to incorporate these memorable papers, notes and snippets of my family’s past into something both memorable and beautiful. Thus was born a representational collage “painting.” This piece, Looking in on Jane (a portrait of my mother).
My technique has evolved through the years, as a result of experimentation with hand-painted, hand-made, and a wide variety of textured and patterned papers. Layering and weaving, pushing and pulling the colors, patterns, and values makes collage liken to a dance. I go back and forth, alternating and overlapping until the rhythm creates something I love.
In my work I highlight the extraordinary within the ordinary, focusing on intense and vibrant colors combined with a sensibility of design.
