GirlMeetsArt

Collage: Girls just want to have fun in the sun

Claudine Hellmuth is a particular “idol” of mine. Some years ago, I bought and devoured her first book, Collage Discovery Workshop!, full of whimsical art and generous tips, instructions, and cheerleading.

Then I had the great fortune of taking one of her high-energy workshops at an Art & Soul retreat. In one intense day, I created several collages using her techniques and exploring the idea of feminine beauty. And just plain having fun.

This paper sculpture represents one of the first pieces of art I did while tapping into personal history. It represents feelings of being wounded and vulnerable following a serious knee injury.

In the early 1980s, while living in Chicago and making my living as a medical writer, I found myself looking for a different way to spend my vacation time. A coworker told me about Oxbow, a summer art colony run by the Art Institute of Chicago.

I had my doubts.

I’d traced comics as a child to make decorations for our windows, but that was the extent of my “artistic” experience. But I decided to take the plunge, despite the wave of second-guessing that swamped me as I stepped onto a yellow school bus with a group of teenagers to make the trek to Oxbow.