As an artist Belinda is drawn to color and texture. Paper collage, encaustic collage and fiber art have become her primary mediums.
SMALL PAPER COLLAGE
Belinda was introduced to Soul Collage several years ago and was drawn to the magic of small collages. The suggested template is 5” x 8” – just big enough to include several images and small enough to complete easily and quickly. “My own use of small collage is to engage deep wisdom and express it visually. I usually make 3-4 small collages at once and have no intention other than to use images that I find compelling. The sequence of collages unfolds like a dream. When I am finished I can step back and find the narrative that tells me the story that the collages reveal.”
An example of this unfolding story is Belinda’s book, “Through the Eyes of the One: A Journey in Image and Verse.” It is a series of 35 small collages along with a poem. Each poem begins with words suggested by Soul Collage founder, Seena Frost: “I am the One who…” The collages and poems were created during the year when Belinda’s husband John was diagnosed with cancer. He went through a very difficult period of treatment after which the cancer returned and spread. John decided not to do more treatment but instead embraced the last months of his life as a spiritual journey. Belinda’s book evolved as her companion on that journey.
Later collections of small collages explore a dance between the pain and fear of life along with the beauty and the presence of spirit throughout.
In workshops Belinda guides inner exploration and how to express it through this simple and lovely art form.
FIBER ART
Fusible facing has revolutionized art quilts. Inspired by a short introduction to creating fabric collages using fusible products like WonderUnder and StitchWitchery, Belinda created a series of 52 fabric collages. Based on 52 drawings from her books on ritual postures, these 8 1/2 x 11 collages have been translated into a deck of oracle cards. Using the same technique in a larger format, Belinda is now creating ritual cloths to be used as a centerpiece for meditation, card readings, or rituals using the postures.
“It’s no surprise that fiber art has been so important to me. On my bed I have quilts made by my grandmother and great-grandmother over the past 100 years. My memories as a child include visiting my grandmother and watching her sit around a quilt with her mother and aunt, doing their stitching by hand. I loved all the fabrics, the colors and patterns. My aunt Maxine carried on the family tradition, making art quilts and wall hangings, and encouraging me to sew. Trips with her to the fabric store in Chicago were magical. And all the women on my mother’s side of the family were serious treasure hunters in consignment stores. We would parade around in our fabulous coats and designer dresses, crowing over the bargains we had found. It’s still one of my favorite ways to play.”
ENCAUSTIC COLLAGE
Encaustic collage uses a base of encaustic wax on wood to incorporate pigments, paper, inks, and three dimensional objects to create images. Belinda’s teacher is Juliette Montague who regularly offers encaustic workshops at the McConnell Center for the Arts.
