Fun Zipper Pouches, Paper Party Supplies, and More, Handmade and Curated in Montclair, NJ by Claire Cohen.
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Looking Ahead by Looking Back

30 Second Read TBT

Now that the Xmas holiday season is over I'm looking ahead to my really busy season- Valentine's Day! My paper heart garlands are popular decorations and gifts that keep the holidays hand made right through the winter!

As I look back over the years I can see all the different materials I've used to make them, Golden Field Guide pages, National Geographic atlases, girl scout handbooks, sheet music, always vintage and always damaged in some way that lends them to my purposes. But almost nothing is safe from my deconstructing ways- not even my own art work!

I made these garlands 5 years ago from huge paintings I had done in a college elective painting class in 1985. The heavyweight watercolor paper was fun to punch and I loved the way they turned out. I used all my paintings to make them and sold every last garland which made me feel good.

The note I added to the listing description explained the process: "I was a Weaving and Textile Design major in college and these paintings are heavily influenced by the surface design resist techniques I was using in my major at the time. I would apply rubber cement to the watercolor paper and paint broad brush strokes of gouache paint, wait for it to dry, apply more rubber cement, and so on. When the painting was done I would rub off the rubber cement and then apply pen lines or India ink and charcoal to add yet another dimension to the painting."

As I look ahead to 2017 and all the new products I have planned I can't help but feel nostalgic for all the work I've made over the years and feel a connection to those pieces that influence what I make now.



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