Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 10)

Ribbon Roses (Collage Day 10) Originally uploaded by randubnick

Early this morning, I went to Red Brick to try out my idea for finishing the rim of the collage with a narrow gold border. I had considered using gold stickers, but a mistake putting them down might cost me the whole image. And the bright gold of the stickers would overpower the gentle gold woven into these ribbons. So instead I am making the narrow gold border with the ribbon itself. I look for gold in several of the patterns in the ribbons, and cut out little triangles. (For some reason, triangles work best). Then I paste them down, or try to, with gel medium. I am wrapping the narrow end of the triangle around the back and over the rim of the styrofoam tray, and it takes patience to make the triangles stick. Hurrying works against you; wet medium sticks to wet, so these have to be pasted down one at a time. As I began, I thought this idea wouldn't work at all; then the triangles started to stay down, but the process seemed endless and I thought it was taking too long. But finally I began to like the result, and decided that after all, the image is worth the trouble. (The beginnings of the gold border are visible in this photo, but tomorrow I will post a closer view.) It will take a couple of hours to paste the gold edge down, so what! But then finishing the back of the tray will go much faster. As I worked, I grew calmer. It was like a meditation, and my impatience disappeared as I concentrated on the task. Soon it was time to pack up and go home. I managed to get most of the glue off my hands before I left the studio. I had little pieces of gold ribbon stuck to my clothes and hair for at least the next hour, when I had a chance to get changed. But the smile on my face lasted all day.