Dwelling: Art + Prose Magazine - Issue 4

a collaborative art + prose magazine

cover art by Megan Ives

Welcome to Issue 4 of dwelling art + prose magazine

Dwelling is a digital and collaborative creative arts magazine that aims to support and showcase the creations made by artists of every kind; new, old, emerging, experienced, visual, lyrical, literal and more!

This creative magazine provides useful tips and resources for artists and writers to turn to when in need of guidance, inspiration or a challenge.

My name is Danielle J. France, I am the creator and editor of Dwelling. I am a visual artist, creative writer and amateur director. My mission is to create a home for artists, of every skill level and position in their career, to merge a community of like-minded artists who look toward supporting each other and want

to share one another’s creative works with love and passion.

The online world can be an overwhelming space for artists and writers alike, so this magazine is intended for everyone of any background to step into the spotlight and have a chance to have their voice heard in the creative industry.

I thoroughly enjoy sharing my personal projects with other artists, and I hope that by giving this magazine to the world I can make a home for you to pursue your passions as well.

Thank you for opening up the pages of my magazine and I hope you enjoy your stay!

A special thank you to Riversong, Dad, Bradley, Ainslie, Summiar, Ellie, and all the artists who have been around since the beginning or have joined along the way. I appreciate your support and thank you for allowing me to explore my creative ideas, make mistakes and pick myself back up again.

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I work, the Wiradjuri Nation, and pay my respects to all elders, past and present.

WHAT IS COLLAGE?

Collage is a fun and interesting form of visual art that, if you were to ask any person what it is, you’ll always get a different answer. You could say it’s about cutting out pictures and arranging them on a page to make something new, or you could say it’s the use of several different mediums in one work, but it’s important to know that whatever the answer is, it’s never the wrong answer, as is anything with the visual arts.

Here, in this short essay, I want to challenge you in developing a new perspective of collage art and how it is used in every element of the creative arts.

Visual

Collage develops great insight into the artist’s world, or into the time that the artwork was created, using materials such as magazine clippings, re-using their own visual material, or the use of junk they’ve found along the way, allowing the viewer to piece together a story. Coining it’s name in the early 20th Century, at the roots of abstract art, collage actually stems a lot further back in history than originally thought. The first collage techniques were used in the 10th Century by Japanese calligraphers, which were used to then write their poems on.

Musical

It might be hard to pin down the definition of musical collage, but it’s everywhere: new music inspired by old sounds, remixing bits and pieces from old music and mashing them up together (Daft Punk), or just straight up releasing the same song but with a new voice as the lead (Elton John and Dua Lipa). Musical collage may not necessarily be called collage, but it’s everywhere, and it’s amazing to watch musicians play around with new and old ideas.

We all know Bob Dylan’s raw, natural sounds, but did you know that he was inspired by collage techniques? Inspired by several derivatives of music and the work of literary and visual artists, he was able to create his unique ‘collage-esque’ music that impacted the world. Referred to as ‘the Picasso of song’, he revolutionised music in the 20th Century, and collaged his sounds and lyrics to create something new.

Literary Collage in literature is a fascinating form of art because it allows the author to experiment with specific themes and intertextual references all at once. Just as we defined collage art for the visual, collage writing is very similar, taking snippets from other literary works, or using different mediums such as poetry and prose, then pasting them onto the page to create a whole new piece of art. I like to think of Jordan Peele’s screenplays for Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and Nope (2022), where the script begins with a quote, and this quote helps to give you insight into how the movie might pan out, or what clues you should be paying attention to.

I offer you this, then; collage is of your own design. Play with different materials, experiment with new forms, and challenge the expectations of your chosen medium. Collage is not only limited to the visual, but is useful for the methodic and the literate. Collage is at your grasp for however you decide to use it, the creative arts are whatever you desire it to be.

Danielle J. France, 2022

References: Fahrenheit Magazine Collage in Twentieth-Century Art, Literature, and Culture: Joseph Cornell, William Burroughs, Frank O’Hara, and Bob Dylan, Rona Cran, 2014

COLLAGING FROM NATURE

INDULGE IN THE NATURAL COLLAGING STYLE

Wabi Sabi (2008), written by Mark Reibstein, is a children’s picturebook about a cat named Wabi Sabi who doesn’t know what her name means, and de cides to set out on a journey to explore the extraordi nary wonders of Kyoto, Japan, to discover the complicated meaning behind her name.

Accompanied by English and Japanese haiku’s and the natural elements of Ed Young’s collages, Wabi Sabi helps all readers understand the true meaning of ‘wabi sabi’.

Wabi sabi is not just a practice, but a Japanese term for ‘seeing the world that is at the heart of Japanese culture’, it is about the simplest and most imperfect natural materials that create ‘beauty and harmony’, and is best described as something you feel emotionally and harmoniously about the environment around you.

BY ED YOUNG

The origins of wabi sabi lie in Chinese Taoism and Zen Buddhism, when the Zen priest Murata Shuko of Nara (1423-1502) changed the tea ceremony by choosing to use simple and rustic instruments rather than the fancy gold, jade and porcelain typically used in the Chinese tea service.

Wabi sabi is not to be mistaken for the Westernised home décor trend of the 2010s, but is the simple appreciation of things standing the test of time, and an observation of the natural materials the earth has to offer us. It makes us contemplate our humanity at the best of times, but makes us appreciate what it has to offer us and what we can do with it in order to survive.

Make sure to take the time to read Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein and observe the collaging elements composed by Ed Young.

Danielle J. France, 2022

CLEAN CUT FEATURETTE

Megan Ives is an artist based in Arkansas, America and works solely in collage. You can find her on Instagram at: @mega knives collage

What inspired you to become a collage artist?

I think that my inspiration to begin experimenting with collage really came from my frustration with creating what I saw in my head EXACTLY. I couldn’t just pick up a pencil or a paintbrush and put it on paper, I don’t have those specific talents. So, being a perfectionist, I decided I could just cut out all the ideas I had in my mind and piece them together to create what I imagined. Collage became the perfect medium and it left me satisfied with what I had created rather than frustrated.

What is your art process?

I usually start a piece by flipping through some books or magazines looking for an image that really stands out to me. Most of my pieces have some sort of outer-space element to them. I love using Hubble telescope images as backgrounds. If that is the look I’m going for I’ll usually search for landscapes first, select a Hubble image or other background that compliments the colours, then I go searching for elements to add to it. If I’m wanting to make something more abstract- like I’ve been doing lately experimenting with weaving paper - I’m pulling material mostly based on colour. I’ve found that if I have an idea of what I want to create before I sit down to make a collage, I can’t find exactly what I want and end up getting frustrated. I try to keep an open mind while I’m creating, pull whatever stands out to me, then experiment with. Sometimes I create a collage in 20 minutes, other times it may take hours.

Where did you learn how to create collages? Do you have any background education in Visual Arts?

I don’t have any background education in Visual Arts other than a required high school art class. I’ve always loved art but felt like I couldn’t do it. So, I never really pursued it. I did experiment with collage/mixed media a bit in that art class, though. Everything I made was a little strange and different than what the rest of the class was making. Years later when I decided to make collages, I remembered the class and some of the pieces I had made and wished I still had them. I’ve been making collages for about 6 years now and it has taken a lot of

experimentation. I’ve learned so much from other collage artists on social media. I’m constantly trying out new tools and changing the way I do things.

What materials do you use? And where do you find them?

Apart from my Hubble telescope image books, all my source material is thrifted. Some of my favorite books and magazines to pull from are National Geographics from the 1960’s and 1970’s. I recently purchased someone’s entire Nat Geo collection on Facebook marketplace. My bookshelves are overflowing! I find a lot of great material in Life science collection and National Geographic society books. As far as tools go- I prefer to use a swivel blade rather than scissors or a standard X-acto knife and my adhesive of choice is a simple glue stick!

Do you have any tips for young and emerging collage artists?

I think the whole point of collage is to create something unusual. You get the chance to create something new out of these already beautiful images that are all around you, sometimes even on their way to the trash. This is a medium that you aren’t really limited by many technical skills - only your creativity. So, get weird with it!

How do you know when a piece is complete? Sometimes I struggle with knowing when a piece is complete. With some pieces I just get a feeling, I can look at it and know it’s done. Everything feels well balanced and I’m happy with the colors/ texture. Most of the time, though, I start a piece and put it away for a while and come back to it several times before I finish it. Most of the time I don’t end up changing anything - but I just don’t get the feeling that its complete right away.

How do you move outside of your comfort zone creatively?

I love to take inspiration from other collage artists I follow on social media. My collages have always been a very specific style but lately I’ve been trying to go out of my comfort zone and try new thingstearing the paper instead of cutting it, working with white backgrounds, more minimalist collages, etc.

Are there any materials that you would like to try for future collages?

I really have been wanting to work with resin more. I’ve been experimenting with it a little over the last year but that’s something I’d like to work with more. I’d also like to incorporate some non-paper elements into my collages and work on a larger scale. I love collaging, but sometimes I feel really limited by the size of the paper. So, I’m working on ways to take my collages and make them larger. Collage is a great way to reuse materials, such as newspapers, magazines, photographs and more, as well as cardboard, plastic, and pretty much anything.

Would you say that collaging is a form of eco-art? Do you think artists could make an impact on the environment by using recycled materials? Absolutely! Outside of glue, blades, and mat board - all the materials I use are recycled. People give me old magazines. I pick up paper trash all the time because I think it would be interesting in a piece. When you start looking at all your “trash” as something you could reuse for a piece of art - there are so many possibilities! If more people had that mindset, I think it could have an impact.

Danielle J. France, 2022

Cloud Walk

River Fill

Walkers

COLLAGE TIPS

BY MEGAN IVES

1 - Source your materials- thrift stores, junk mail, “trash” on the ground, etc. Some of my favorite materials are National Geographic magazines from before 1980, or Time Life series books. I always get lucky and find these at thrift stores for cheap. And a lot of the packaging when you order something from a cute shop online comes with great material for a collage!

2 - Cut or tear it up! I like to cut my collages for a clean/ realistic look, typically. This is best achieved with a pair of scissors or x-acto knife. I like to use a version of this knife called a swivel blade. It allows the blade to rotate on its own making it a bit easier to take corners.

3 - Seal-healing mat is necessary if you’re going to use a knife. It’s also super handy to protect your desk from glue/ glitter/paint.

4 - Glue it down: I like to use a simple glue stick for this part. It’s less messy than mod podge or liquid glue and dries flatter. Once I have everything in place where I want it, I use a roller to smooth it all out.

5 - Get creative! Most of my collages have space elements (check the children’s book section of the thrift store for space books). The cool thing about collage is you get to take real images and make things that don’t really exist. Have a picnic on Saturn. Take a photo of a woman watering her yard with a hose and have her filling the oceans with water. You get to do whatever you want ;)

UNIQUE FORMS

Collage doesn’t just have to be scrapbook ing in a journal, collage is the accumulation of ideas and materials coming together to create a finished piece.

Rebecca Alker-Jones re-uses and recycles materials found at the tip shop and in the unlikley spots you wouldn’t think to search for collage material. Rebecca is focusing on soft sculpture, such as using the fabric off old coat hangers, as long as it has different textures and oddities.

At the tipshop, she’s searching for already made shapes like dumped golf karts and tables so she can mould them together. Other than gaffa tape and thread, every thing will be entirely re-used and recycled.

Rebecca emphasises that you have to push past the ugly stages of the piece, exploring an idea doesn’t always translate exactly how you imagine it, so if you feel like it isn’t working, keep working with it, and you’ll find your way.

Untitled (until completion) Rebecca Alker-Jones, 2022

ART FORMS CREATE YOUR PERFECT COTTAGE GARDEN

Siloe Oliveira’s Youtube series ‘Cottage Garden Design Masterclass’ takes you through each step to design your perfect Cottage Garden, as well as elevating your artistic eye. He introduces you to the important placement of your flowers, and the theory behind it. These six art forms will not only help you to create depth and interesting shapes in your very own garden, but give you the skills to create the perfect artistic composition on your next project.

Foundation

Bushy plants like Hydrangea, Black-Eyed-Susan and Dahlia’s, to name a few, are best for creating the bulk of your garden. These large bushes can make up most of your garden space, but make sure to not use too many of these, because you’ll need room to add in all the other important flowers for your cottage style garden.

Patterns and Rhythm

Columnar plants such as Hollyhocks and Gladiolus are an essential element for adding height and structure, and creating the backbone of your overall composition. These column-like flowers will break up your bushy foundation, so make sure to space them evenly to set up your patterns and rhythms.

The Focal Point

Sculptural plants like Iris and Lilly are your focal points, assisting your Hollyhocks or Gladiolus with rhythm and symmetry. The interesting shapes these flowers produce will be the first thing everyone notices when they visit your beautiful garden.

Depth

Cosmos, Poppy and Gypsophila are fantastic pieces for creating depth and are the most important in giving your space that cottage look. The wispy, transparent shapes they produce will be the key element in making your piece of art stand out.

Shape and Contour

Vining plants like Ivy and Morning Glory will bring your structural plants in, stitching the larger flowers together. These sprawling plants will also give your garden that chaotic, cottage look. Deciding on these plants is up to you.

Touch Ups

Sprauler plants, like Thyme, Forget-Me-Nots and Sweet Alyssum, that move outward along the ground will blur harsh lines and protect your soil. These organic-shaped plants are essential in giving your garden that cottage look.

Siloe Oliveira, 2022

WORLD BUILDING

FOR THE FANTASY WRITER

Here are a few prompt questions to consider whilst you write the epic fantasy story living inside your head:

What is the magic and how does it define the magic wielder’s relationship with the world?

Are there limitations to their magical abilities?

Do they need an external force to wield magic or is it simply willed by a force of nature? And if so, does this take a toll on their physical and mental health?

How does society react to people’s ability to wield such extraordinary powers?

Is there political warfare or is there something larger at hand?

Will this story take place in a space that already exists, like the real world we know, is it a fictional world cre ated by someone else, or will you create a new world of your own accord?

What aspects of your world mimic real world traditions and ideologies? e.g. Identifying with religious and god-like figures, or perhaps you want to challenge modern world gender conventions. These things are usually imployed without you realizing, and it helps the reader recognize plausibility for this fictional world.

Do humans exist in this world?

Are there mythical creatures in this world or any other creatures besides humans?

What is the physical environment like? Are the living conditions habitable? Is their home stable?

Danielle J. France, 2022

FILM + TELEVISION

OF TWENTY TWENTY TWO

Here are a few of my personal favourite movies and shows of 2022 (in no particular order):

X and Pearl Fresh

Killing Eve (final season) Severance

The Batman

The Northman

The Essex Serpent Nope

The Resort Do Revenge

The Rings of Power House of the Dragon

The White Lotus Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The English Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities Everything Everywhere All At Once The Stranger Bodies Bodies Bodies Prey Amsterdam Wednesday The Menu

Irma Vep - I think we really need modern vampires.

Danielle J. France, 2022

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

Tim Moorhead is a visual artist who has worked in a variety of media. His works are held in premier National, State and Regional collections as well as major private and corporate collections both in Australia and overseas. This includes the UNICEF Collection in New York, the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C., the National Gallery of Australia, State Galleries in most states plus many Regional Art Galleries.

Moorhead holds a B. A. of Fine Arts and a M. A. in Visual Arts Research, leading him to lecture, hold short-term residencies in tertiary art schools across Australia and sit on national, state and regional committees concerned with art, art education and professional development.

In 2007 he was inducted into the H. C. Coombs Roll of Honour at the ANU. In 2018 he was a finalist in the National Shirley Hannan Portrait Award. In 2019 he was a finalist in the Basil Sellers Art Prize and in 2021, he was a finalist in the River of Art Award.

How would you describe your experience as an artist?

Having graduated from a 4 year art course in California I was fortunate enough to have migrated to Australia in 1968 when we were going through a great appreciation for all the arts. At that time, in the early 70’s, there were many major galleries in every city and many regional areas were establishing Regional Art Galleries. At the same time, artists were gathering in groups to discuss art making into the early hours and much food and wine helped fuel the debates. During that time, I exhibited in major galleries in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra.

What is your art practice, where do you find inspiration and what mediums do you feel most comfortable using?

I have always practiced my art using various media and am always looking at ways to further extend my understanding of these media. My work is always committed to a series of works based on one theme.

MOORHEAD, CONTINUED...

This usually consists of around 20 individual works. When I feel that I have explored that visual theme long enough, I move on to another.

Do you have any advice for young and emerging artists? What would you say is the best thing an artist can do to enhance their skills? I find that looking up close at other art work enhances your working knowledge. Look at the support the work is on, evaluate the mark making and analyse the media used. Also continue to draw. Keep a small sketchbook handy and use it to observe your surrounds. Drawings don’t need to be renditions, it helps you to see rather than simply look.

Seating Arrangements was exhibited at Bega’s Spiral Gallery in May of 2022.

The solo exhibition featured twenty individual works including pastels on hardboard, mixed media on heavy gauge art paper and ceramic wall hanging plates. He says, “The inspiration for this series of work revolves around personal belongings and how they reflect the owners’ personality. Chairs all have individual characteristics depending on design, materials that make them up, age, colour and where they are placed. All of us have a favourite chair or two. These are some of mine.”

Danielle J. France, 2022

Tim Moorhead

VIV is a fantasy/sci-fi comic set a few hundred years in the future on the planet Fethos, following the two main characters as they navigate a corrupt xenophobic human race that has taken their world by force, driving many of the local inhabitants into poverty and extinction.

Read the first chapter here: https://vivcomic.wixsite.com/vulpesinfernovulpes

Stay tuned for new page uploads on the first Tuesday of each month.

Chapter 2 is available from November 1, 2022. 330, 2022

‘FITTING IN’ ART THERAPY

As an art therapist, being creative takes on a whole other level. I move in spaces, use materials coherent to others, explain processes. My joy of being who I am becomes my work. Learning to be with someone, alongside a group, discovering their own jour ney into who they are becomes a central point in the art making.

I felt after a year of being in others space, I needed to find my own. Along with not feeling like I fit in, I was carrying the new found official diagnoses of my neurodi vergence. With a creative space for ND available, I bought a ticket to a workshop session with Freya Pinney, Art Therapist and Artist exhibiting at Artrageous Community Art Gallery.

This space allowed me to be an individual, not the therapist. Cre ating for the purpose of ND, using the available materials in whatever intention I needed.

The prompts for the group were: Who am I? How do I see myself as a ND? Sitting with others in a creative space, a gallery surrounded by artworks created by other NDs identifying creatively with the purpose of supporting the community of NDs, I began slowly, feeling cautious as there was a tension in the air. Everyone was cautious having never met each other before. Freya guided us with the materials letting our intuition be inspiration. My first expression began as pencil shavings glued to the paper plate which was meant to be a paint palette. I quickly changed to a small canvas and drew pencil lines around in abstract shapes, colouring in be tween with water colour pencils which I kept sharpening & using the shavings for the other piece. The more I coloured the canvas the slower I became within myself.

Breath easing. Tension leaving my body.

As others worked around me, I felt safe in my own space alongside their’s. I painted each shape of colour with a gentle brush of water, that stained glass effect began to emerge, seeing through the lines of distraction to who I am really becoming. The original piece I finished with two balloons, (deflated and inflated) stuck on either side.

Riversong, 2022 IG @sol phoenix mani TikTok @riversongmuse

‘We had an amazing time doing the ‘Fitting In’ Art Therapy Session in September.’

@ the process repository

For updates and more information about art therapy follow:

@art.accessiblerelatabletherapy @ the process repository @sol phoenix mani

Photographer & Artist: Danielle J. France IG: @ danielle.jane.art

Model: Ainslie Hunter IG: @ambivalentsausage

Photographer & Artist: Danielle J. France IG: @danielle.jane.art

Model: Ainslie Hunter IG: @ambivalentsausage

Model: Summiar Eyers IG: @s.u.m.m.i.a.r

Photographer: Ellen Spannari IG: @ ellenmay.photography

Artist: Danielle J. France

Model: Summiar Eyers IG: @s.u.m.m.i.a.r

Photographer: Ellen Spannari IG: @ellenmay.photography

Artist: Danielle J. France

Neurodivergent LGBTQ+ Creative Art Therapists

ART:

Gateway Island Gallery & Studios is pleased to present the Little Moments 2022 Small Works Art Prize & Exhibition, an open entry art prize and exhibition of small-scale artworks both 2D and 3D.

Local and regional artists in the Albury–Wodonga region are invited to submit entries to the Gateway Island Gallery & Studios annual Small Works Art Prize.

Prizes will be judged by an independent panel with 1 prize each for 2D and 3D works, each will be valued at over $200.

The exhibition will be available to view 6 December 2022 to 14 January 2023.

Official Opening event is Friday 9 December, 5.30–7.30pm

Shop 7, Gateway Village 48–54 Lincoln Causeway

Gateway Island Wodonga, Victoria Telephone: 02 6021 3073 Email: admin@gigsgallery.com.au

PO Box 1473, Wodonga Victoria 3689 OPEN: Tuesday to Saturday 10am–4pm

Entry is free Wheelchair access Lots of easy parking

The Woodford Folk Festival is held annually over six days and six nights, from Dec 27th through to Janu ary 1st. More than 2,000 local, national and international, artists, musicians and presenters put on over 438 acts to an audience of an estimated 132,000 people. The festival begins each year with the iconic Opening Ceremony and closes with the spectacular showcase, the Fire Event on New Year’s Day. This year will be the 35th Woodford Folk Festival and the 28th held at Woodfordia. It is the largest gathering of artists and musicians in Australia.

The Woodford festival experience is deep, rich and colourful. It is based on a vision of inclusive and creative community, culture and tradition passed through generations, expressed through story and ceremony. The site, a former barren dairy farm, has been lovingly regenerated with over 120,000 sub tropical rain forest trees, orchids, ferns and sedges, planted to create a habitat for butterflies and wildlife.

Woodfordia is transformed into a village that hosts over 25,000 daily patrons, performers, stallholders, volunteers and organisers. As many as 2,680 volunteers across 162 departments are at the heart of the organisation and contribute to the setup and day-to-day running of the festival. During the event, the festival is actually the 67th largest town in Australia.

Each year construction begins in early December and continues up until Christmas Day. Over 450 contractors and volunteers build the village. Many come from around the world to be part of the festival build and then stay for a week after to pull the event down.

The festival build includes:

The festival programme features concerts, dances, street theatre, writers’ panels, film festival, comedy sessions, acoustic jams, social dialogue and debate, folk medicine, an entire children’s festival, an environmental programme featuring talks, debates and films, art and craft workshops, circus performances and workshops, late night cabarets, parades and special events including the spectacular fire event.

The festival streets are lined with restaurants, cafes, stalls, bars, street theatre and parades. Tree-filled campgrounds, butterfly walks, ponds and wildlife complete the picturesque site. The festival appeals to a diverse audience with all ages and many nation alities attracted each year. It’s a magical experience, and one not to be missed.

Woodford Folk Festival https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/about/

Thank you for visiting dwelling art + prose magazine

Head to www.issuu.com/dwellingartmagazine to view the free, digital version of issue 4, plus previous issues.

Submit your creations: Make sure to submit your art and writing to my email to see your creations featured in the next issue of Dwelling Art Magazine. Please include your name, social media links and the name of your submitted work when you send it off and feel free to ask any questions related to the magazine.

Let’s collaborate: Let’s work together on the next issue! By collaborating with other artists, I hope to create the most inclusive art and writing magazine we have to offer; collating ideas and developing more incredible free and affordable resources for other creatives to turn to in times of need. Email me (below) to send in your ideas and I’ll be sure to respond in a timely manner.

Contact Danielle: Email: dwellingartmagazine@outlook.com Instagram: @dwellingartmagazine

Publication December 1st, 2022

Creator & editor

Danielle J. France