Collage artist Laura Lein-Svencner enjoys the process of building her work from multiple elements uniting them to create harmony amongst the abundance of paper chaos all around us.
Collage by artist Laura Lein-Svencner
Beginning with paper, some handmade from the plants in her back yard, to the found papers in the recycling bin, she sands, crinkles and manipulates them to a different state of being. Her work is in a constant state of flux.
Lein-Svencner is from Darien, Illinois. Her artistic studies have involved drawing, printmaking, sculpture, papermaking and collage. She became interested in collage 12 years ago when she took an evening class. Laura showed a natural aptitude for the medium and was encouraged by her instructor to continue exploring.
Three years later, after some self-study with collage and development of her own techniques, she felt comfortable enough to start teaching others and has been doing so for nine years at the La Grange Art League in La Grange, Illinois. She also teaches at the Naperville Art League in Naperville, IL and during the summer months at collage workshops all over the Midwest.
In her collage work, Laura gathers a variety of papers, and puts them together on surfaces such as watercolor paper, wood assemblages or canvas. She compares this process to that of a painter preparing a palette. Textures are then formed by adding gesso, molding pastes and acrylics. The colors, textures, ideas, and images that are used determine what visual connections and inner meanings are revealed. Using a heat seal iron, she fuses the assemblage of collage papers into place, leaving the exposed raw edges of her torn papers to create yet another texture.
Collage by artist Laura Lein-Svencner
“I’m primarily a hands-on student of life,” says Laura. “Which has served me well since I tend to experiment more and try to think beyond the obvious. Visual entries grow out of self discovery, new compositions stem from the need to take risks and explore. I am continuously fascinated by executing the many ideas that flow through each piece, stimulating the need to study the many aspects of collage as a fine art.”
Lein-Svencner’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States and in New Zealand and is in collections worldwide, including the Museo de Collage in Mexico.
The Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace is open 9 am to 6 pm daily and is located at N6975 State Highway 42 in Algoma. For more information call 920.487.9902 or email info@theflyingpig.biz.
