hola,
first edition of the newsletter, i’m a little nervous but also very excited!
i thought it would be fitting to focus on my favourite thing ever... collage. it’s my medium of choice and where i focus most of my creative energy. as much as i love collaging, i also love talking about it as well.
thank you for taking the time to read and subscribe. your time and support means the world. now go start collaging!
jade x
collage behind the scenes
i posted this collage on my instagram a little while ago. i thought it would be cool to explain how it came to be. it's one of my fav collages ✨💕
i often feel as though there is a lot of shame surrounding desire, especially women and desire. it's not often spoken about and when it is, there are often destructive undertones attached to it: selfish, needy, clingy, promiscuous, slutty. i never really thought a lot about my own desires until my friend chelsea recommended lisa taddeo's novel Three Women. whilst i was reading the true stories of these women, i was overcome with a shattering sense of belonging which made me realise how guilty and alone i originally felt about my own inner desires: desires surrounding relationships, intimacy, sex, crushes, touch. i think this collage came to be as a reminder to myself that i no longer want to suppress the guilt and shame of exploring desire. i've come to acknowledge my desires but i also want to feel desired and there's nothing wrong with that! desire is strange and complex but can also be fun and thrilling, it's helped me grow as a person. for a very simple collage, it holds a lot of meaning and marks a significant shift in my life. i hope this encourages you to think more about your own desires.
collage kit - love is in the air
although valentine’s day has come and gone, here’s a very love filled collage kit i made. print it out, cut it up, glue things together or if you’re more of a photoshop creative, go for gold. i would love to see what comes out of this kit. if you use it, post it on ig and tag me @chubbycalico_
collage faq
how did you start collaging?
i started collaging during the first big covid lockdown. growing up with rookie mag, i was really excited to see a post by tavi that shared a new online publication called nearness project, run by two amazing artists alia whilhem and anna white. it was a great space to creatively share the collective emotions of covid, the pandemic, lockdown and isolation. i would refresh the site everyday, excited to see the new content, especially the collage kits posted each week. i took the plunge and started collaging because it was a way for me to channel my creative energy whilst staying locked down at home. i’ve kept going ever since.
are your collages digital?
nope. i print everything out and use scissors and glue. it took me a while to realise why i prefer this method. i think it’s because i get really overwhelmed when i’m given too many options. the thought of using photoshop to collage kind of freaks me out - if i have the option to use all the things then why am i not making use of all the things? setting limits and restrictions is less daunting for my brain. it also turns collaging into a puzzle. it’s harder for me to resize, edit or duplicate images once i’ve printed them, so i really have to think about what i’m putting together. in saying this, when i first started collage, a few were digital but once i turned to scissors and glue, i never looked back.
where do you get your images?
most of the images i use are from old collage kits posted on rookie and nearness project. i love using collage kits because they usually centre around a theme. even though my finished collage might not reflect that theme, it helps me narrow things down and i’m not overwhelmed by too many options. i guess it’s kind of like my answer above. i struggle when i’m given too much to work with, having a theme or a collage kit simplifies the noise.
what i listen to when i collage
collage with me
last notes
you made it to the end! thank you once again for your time, i really appreciate it.
until next fortnight, catch ya later.
JADE!!! woohoo! you did it! im so excited for the future of this newsletter and im so in love with getting to know more about you and your artistic process! <333