Sun Series #1

Sun Series #1

Saturday, September 4, 2021

"Mixed Up" Exhibit at Malone University

                                                            "Still Life with Vase"
                                                            Clare Murray Adams

                      Please join us for a reception for the current exhibit at Malone Art Gallery!
                                           Wednesday September 8th from 6:00-7:30 PM

The four featured artists aren't confined to one art medium or process; they combine found objects, paint,
fabric, clay, paper, metal, thread, beads, plexiglass, and much more.  Stop by to celebrate the artists that include  Gail Wetherell Sack, Jo Westfall and Gail Trunick and me on Wednesday September 8th.

Exhibition closes on Friday September 24th.
Gallery Hours are Monday - Friday 11:00AM-4:00PM.

The Malone Art Gallery is located on the second floor of the Johnson Center for Worship and Fine Art.
2600 Cleveland Ave. NW. Canton OH 

                                                        www.claremurrayadams.com
                                                www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams

Monday, May 3, 2021

Join me for an In-Person Workshop at the Massillon Museum!! Sat. May 15th, 2021

 

The Tie on Pocket

  A Tie on Pocket: Women’s History in a Utilitarian Accessory

          This workshop is in conjunction with the "Women of Resilience" 

          exhibit currently ongoing at the Museum.  

    Take the workshop and see the exhibit!  A one trip outing!


Historically pockets were an accessory that women from 1600 through the early 1900s wore independent of their clothing.  In these pockets they carried all kinds of things…pencils, thimbles, keys, pictures and more.


In this workshop participants will create a fabric pocket that can be tied around their waists to carry a variety of today’s useful objects such as money, a small notebook, even a cell phone! With a kit of fabrics, ribbon, threads and embellishments and using hand sewing and simple embroidery techniques they will individualize their pocket the way our female ancestors did.  Each kit contains items that will make the pocket unique.  Simple hand sewing will make it personal just as individual stitches personalize a quilt or a mended garment. 


Join me for this in-person workshop at Massillon Museum in Massillon OH.
Saturday May 15, 2021.   1:00-4:00 PM
$17 for members,  $20 for all others.
Kit included in the cost!

Masking and social distancing protocols will be employed.
Space is limited.  Visit www.massillonmuseum.org to register or
call 330-838-4061

I hope to see you there!  It is so good to be able to teach in person again!
Clare



Thursday, February 18, 2021

Virtual Teaching: Mixed Media Collage

 

"New Directions"
mixed media collage on paper
14 x 11"

I will be teaching a Mixed Media Collage Workshop through Pocosin Arts.
Join me April 2 and April 9 from 4-6PM Eastern time!

Course Description
Collage is a very inclusive medium that incorporates a multitude of materials, diverse techniques and strong compositional skills. The class will cover working on both paper and wooden substrates. Demonstrations will include beginning a collage with layered papers or a painted background, working to create individual artworks that reflect each participant’s interests in found materials using other media such as watercolor, acrylic, colored pencils and/or fiber. Techniques will include layering with transparency, integrating imagery, ways to reveal underneath areas, and incorporating found objects all with an emphasis on composition and creating a sense of unity.

Take this virtual creative journey with me!
-Clare


Thursday, January 21, 2021

Searching for Spontaneity






  



I have spent my studio time since last March creating small collages.
While collage is my go to way of expressing myself, I was interested in looking at collages that were simple vs. those with more complex layering.

It was interesting to see how pieces with simple shapes and lines (the top 2) used the space of the page.
There is a certain dynamic that occurs with limited color and the way the shapes and lines
engage the space.  These pieces do have some paint but often it is minimal and used to
enhance or extend the already pale surfaces.

In the lower three collages I experimented with the ways to use paint on the background or 
a combination of paint and collaged paper before adding other focal elements.
In some pieces the paint was applied with a brayer leaving a mark different
from that of a brush or palette knife.

Mark making became increasingly important as did the mark making tools:
sticks, skewers, brushes, crayons, pens, pencils.

I found myself collaging through out the processes; I would often find that I worked back and forth between collage, paint, mark making and more collage and paint.

I ultimately wanted a surface that looked spontaneous and effortless.
The work was often neither spontaneous or effortless.
Maybe that is because this way of thinking and working is new for me.
It reminded me of my work in quilt making where I moved from creating pieces that were made with
the rules of traditional quilt making...quarter inch seam allowances, a specific number of hand quilting stitches per inch, clean and  neat...to raw edged pieces with a loose and free look.
It all takes time.
It takes a different mind set and a certain willingness to just "go for it!"
Easier said than done, at least for me.
I am still working toward that truly spontaneous way of working.


 

Friday, January 1, 2021

Happy New Year! Welcome 2021!!

"Horizon no. 3"
mixed media with collage
5 x 8"

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy New Year 
with many good things, both old and new,
on the horizon!

Patience
  Endurance
   Acceptance
Creativity
         Encouragement

Clare

www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams



 

Sunday, December 27, 2020

A ZOOM Workshop in 2021!

"Leaf Dance"
mixed media collage on panel
10x10"

I knew it had been a long time since I posted.
Seeing that August date of my last post is a bit embarrassing.
If you are still out there "Thanks!"

Just like many of you, maybe all of you, 2020 has been a challenging time.
Learning how to manage time, complete old tasks in a new way, visit others safely and for many of us,
learning how to use technology like Zoom.

While I have had lots of time for making art since I am staying primarily at home
I find that I am missing teaching and staying connected to other creatives.
I have been offered the opportunity by Pocosin Arts to teach a Zoom class
focusing on mixed media collage.
And I am excited!

You can find all of the details here.
You will recognize the class when you see the image of the above artwork, "Leaf Dance".
There is a description of the class and access to the materials you will need.
The class is scheduled for April 2 and 9, 2021 meeting for 2 hours each day.
I will be sharing some examples of works created using various media and incorporating collage.
There will be demonstrations of a variety of techniques and media with the ability to ask questions and
share the work you make with the other participants.

I hope you will join me on this new venture.
Check it out!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
Stay safe.
-Clare

www.claremurrayadams.com
www.instagram.com/claremurrayadams
 



 

Friday, August 14, 2020

Some of My Favorite Things: Adhesives

"Not Enough of Anything"
14 x 11"
mixed media collage

This is an older piece but one that I really like.
It incorporates a lot of different materials which means a lot of different considerations when
it comes to the collaging.  Adhering different materials often require different adhesives.
So to that end, this post is about "some of my favorite things" relative to adhesives.

These are my go to adhesives.
I do use glue stick often and Uhu offers a strong bond.
It is perfect for paper to paper application.
It is solvent free and dries clear, always a plus. 
In the artwork above I used it to adhere the found papers, rusted papers and vintage
book pages to the paper substrate I was building the collage on.

Yes! Paste reminds me of the thick kind of paste I used when I was in grade school.
You know the stuff...it came in a jar with its own brush attached to the lid.
This is a cream colored soft, paste that is thick.  I apply it using a paint brush.
It is 100% acid free and archival, dries clear and a little goes a long way.
I like it for adhering fabric to paper or thicker papers to whatever substrate I am using.
I usually weight it until it is completely dry.
It was perfect for the burlap with the imbedded plaster on the top left of the piece pictured above.

In contrast matte gel medium which has multiple uses is a softer adhesive than the Yes Paste.
I have had the most experience with this product. It is my go to adhesive.
It is also applied with a brush and dries clear, although it retains the brush marks so any excess
adhesive, while clear, might show the brush marks if you paint over it.
That may be desirable or not depending on what one is creating.

Finally, there is PVA Archival Adhesive.
This is used by bookbinders because of its archival quality.
Like the others it dries clear and is strong as well as flexible.
It looks like Elmers glue but is a more professional product.
I would use it to adhere finished collages to mat board or foam core.
With all of these products I use a brayer to make sure everything is flat.
Or I might weight the work under a pile of books.

The kinds of materials and mediums an artist uses become a part of the artwork.
I know that a lot of what I do is very ephemeral.
I use materials in the artwork that don't always have a longevity or that may deteriorate
over time.  I am drawn to that which is damaged yet beautiful.
But I want the works to last as long as possible so the kinds of adhesives I use
are important.
That may seem kind of counter intuitive but sometimes that is the nature of art.