Artist Marcia Ballou—Kaleidoscope

Opening Reception: Friday, May 10, 2024 | 6:00-8:00 PM

On View Friday, May 10th through Saturday, June 15, 2024

Sponsored by the Marshfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Inspiration

On a sparkling summer day, I was sitting on a bench in my field enjoying the bright light and beautiful summer flowers when a dance of nature appeared before my eyes. A swarm of dragonflies was diving, circling and chasing each other, their wings sparkling in the sunlight. And then Monarch butterflies appeared, many of them, floating into the scene and joining the dance. It was enchanting. This scene is held in my memory as a treasure. It is a scene I paint, always trying to portray the feeling I had: joy.

A KALEIDOSCOPE.

Collage is my medium. I use a palette of painted papers, cloth, paints, and threads. The process is slow, and I employ deliberate and spontaneous applications. I create colorful gestures and intuitive patterns with paint for atmosphere and then assemble papers, cloth, and threads with either acrylic mediums or hand stitches. They are put together like a jigsaw puzzle. The compositions are enlivened by the unexpected combinations of material and shapes. And then sometimes a realistic painting of a favorite creature appears against the abstract dance of color. The patterns always seem to create blossoms of texture on the surface of the finished piece. My goal is to evoke joy.

Dancing