Upton’s Cathy Taylor Makes Collages Featuring Many Unique Subjects
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Tree of Life
Upton's Cathy Taylor's talent, since an early age, has consisted in simply taking things apart and putting them back together. In the process, an original creation is brought to bear, something new manifests from the scraps of the old.
As a collage artist, Cathy cuts out colorful origami paper or magazines and rearranges the pieces.
"I love the constant rearranging of space," says the artist.
"Cutting things out let's me eliminate the nonessential, rearranging on paper let's me find balance, and gluing is a process of sticking things together. In the end I create something new that has a non verbal message to tell. The process of collage is very much a part of my life. I am always on the lookout for new paper images to work with."
This has been true since her childhood. Collage-making and the unique effort that goes into it is truly a life-long love that has sustained itself in her soul to this very day.
"I was always using scissors to cut things out as a kid. Spirals hung from the ceiling at New Year's Eve, and I cut up magazines to hang on all the walls in my bedroom and I would also make scrap books. I loved cutting out the paper dolls from McCall's Magazine and loved art classes in school. I discovered Matisse and his cutouts in my twenties, and have been a fan of cut out color ever since," she says.
Ultimately, she continues this work because the creative process has a profound effect on her being, continually bringing a sense of happiness and inner peace. Both the actions that go into developing the collage and satisfaction of viewing the final product accomplish these goals.
"I calm down," she remarks.
"When I pick up my scissors, I am able to unwind by cutting our shapes and rearranging. I physically am able to work out stress by doing the collage work. I also have a lot of fun working with synchronicity in finding the right piece to connect with the other pieces to make a whole out of former fragments. I like the 'aha' moment of pulling things together to make a whole."
She hopes patrons who are lucky enough to view her work are gifted with the same feelings.
"I would like to pass on my sense of peace and well being. By the time I am ready to glue something together, it has gone through a process of arrangement that I hope conveys a non verbal message of some sort. I like interacting with others through art work. I especially want to pass on to women a sense of freedom and potential," she states.
Specifically, her favorite things to portray in her collages are some combination of spirals, stars, moons and snakes. A wide-variety of interests, for sure. In addition, she states,
"I love cutting out trees and people symmetrically by folding paper in half before I start. Recently I have been working with pattern, illumination, and reflection to give another dimension to the work."
In the past, her work has been exhibited in Worcester, Webster, Hopkinton, Arlington, and as far away as Florida. She is also a member of ArtsWorcester.
For the future, Cathy hopes to continue on the same artistic path, while continuing to throw in little experimental twists and turns now and then. And, of course, she would like to remind everyone that much of her artwork is for sale.
"I hope to be able to continue to share my work with others. The web site has been a lot of fun. I am now selling prints of the collage work. Bold colors and shapes of women forms- take a look, reasonable priced, am looking to share the work with all. I also have one of a kind pieces that work with luminosity and reflections that are fun with different light sources at different times of the day," says Cathy.
For more information on Cathy Taylor and to view some of her work please visit her website or find her on Facebook.
Related Articles
- Boylston’s Nancy E. von Hone Journeys Through Art
- West Boylston’s Dick Taylor Combines Analog and Digital Photography
- West Boylston’s Lynn Babineau Paints Intricate Watercolors
- Upton #16: Central MA’s Best Communities
- Worcester’s Hillarie Jason Combines Oil Painting and Photography
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It