If the angel deigns to come, it will be because you have convinced him, not by your tears, but by your humble resolve to be always beginning.
—Rainer Maria Rilke from Letters to a Young Poet
“Beginning” is a theme that’s been popping up the last couple weeks—starting with my first 5-day class of the year at the beginning of March—and that’s what you’ll be reading about today. It was a class of three students, which never happens, but first time for everything, and it worked out pretty good.
All three—Mary, Alice, and Liz (that’s Liz’s daughter in the annotated photo above)—were beginning a new collage project that they were excited about. For once I wasn’t concerned about having enough time with each of them, but concerned that it would be more like me hanging over their shoulders while they worked. I did find myself telling an odd story here or there to fill in the talking gaps, but then made myself stop to give them a chance to concentrate on their work and their “assignment” for the next hour or so.
I figured I should have something creative to occupy myself with when my help wasn’t needed. I decided on the UFO (UnFinished Object) of a blue spiral I had begun a year ago when I had a pile of blue fabric scraps after February’s Blue Goldfish Follow Along 2025 wrapped up. I pulled it out and begun again.
So here and there throughout the week I added to my spiral, working on my demo table with the overhead camera turned on. If anyone needed a break from their own projects they could check out mine—and if they had a question or were ready for more help, I was right there next to the computer.
Getting Started on a Fabric Collage: Photo, Drawing, Fabric
These days with the ability to teach online, I provide pre-class coaching a couple weeks prior to the class, whether I’m teaching in-person or online. This coaching consists of Zoom meetings where I help prepare students for the first day of class—be it questions about source image, pattern, fabrics, or all of that.
In pre-class coaching, we discuss whether the image makes a good subject, whether and how it should be cropped, and so forth. We also discuss how big to make the final image (bigger is better!), even calculating the enlargement percentage in order to have a pattern enlarged.
For Liz’s double portrait below, we contemplated the need to recreate the entire photo or to employ some judicious cropping. I like to say, “cropping is your friend.”
Before class I also like to touch base on fabrics—choosing the colors and designs that will work best for the “story” of the chosen subject. Then, we’ve done as much as we can to get a good start in class.
This week I bring you the in-progress fabric collage classwork of: Liz Imperato, Alice Magorian, and Mary McKay. “Show and Share” photos from our mid-week after-class evening together are included in each section as well.
Enjoy!
As you view this post, click on any smaller image to see it larger and to scroll through each gallery grouping.
Liz Imperato
Liz joined us from Santa Barbara, California—her goal for the week had been to collage a pink baby elephant. However, she jumped ahead and finished darling “Pinkaboo” before the class even began (see photos in her Show and Share below!).
Goal #2, which Liz decided was best to begin in this class, was a double portrait of her daughter Emily, and Emily’s dog Winnie. Liz is a prolific collage artist but knew she’d need to slow down a little for this one—and sure enough, step-by-step it’s coming along.
I chose a photo taken on Christmas day of my daughter holding her puppy, who is wearing a red bow.
Liz Imperato Show and Share
“Pinkaboo” the baby elephant, below, was the class project Liz intended to do for this online class. However, she was so excited to get started, that she had the collage finished, quilted, and bound before the class even began!
Alice Magorian
Alice logged in to the class from near Baltimore, Maryland. She had visited Canada last year to see polar bears as they gather before heading to their ice-covered winter hunting grounds. Beginning a collage to capture a mother and cub she photographed was her intent for this week, though she added that her goal was to continue working in fabric collage with more coaching. She already took a step in that direction by becoming a member of Patreon at a level where she can receive monthly feedback on her work.
Alice Magorian Show and Share
Mary McKay
Mary from Palm Desert, California ,joined us for two days during the week with a separate goal for each day. After a few months working on a self portrait, Mary was ready to let-go and begin a much lighter and less-stress subject—a fish. I firmly believe fish are great subjects to unwind with and to have fun with—Mary is doing both.
Day One: Finishing “The Hat”
From Mary:
I had wanted to try a self-portrait/image/representation/interpretation/reflection. With Susan safely out of the country and no help at hand, I decided to start. Got nowhere. Stared into space, grocery shopped, went for a walk and did all sorts of other things to avoid starting.
The next day I stood in front of my now very tidied fabric inventory and pulled blue and aquas and lights. I decided to limit myself to what was in front of me and started with the face. I repeated the same process for each area of the piece. In three weeks I had an almost complete hat, face, and shirt. I limited my usual second guessing. Pick a color, cut it, put it down. Repeat. That was a first.
Susan returned from Italy. The whole reworking third draft started, stalled, restarted and ended. Now I am very near the end and I am happy with the result.
Day Two: Beginning “Bibliofish”
From Mary:
After way too much angst, I decided to do a fish. The plan was to create a simple fish, sort of a spiral, blend the colors on one try and call it done. What could possibly go wrong?
A fish. Color. Scales. No personality. Swims. Little bubbles. Sort of a shimmery collage of healthy slime.
I decided the fish would be a swimming library on fins. How do you put shelves on a fish?
Numerous titles were suggested:
Improve Your Swimming
Bipeds: Fact or Fiction
How to Raise Better Fry
Styling Your Fins
Bluefish for Sal
Huckleberries Fin
Uncle Tom’s Kayak
Serenfishidous Collage
In any event, it is a work in progress.
Mary McKay Show and Share
