There’s nothing I love more than browsing the pages of design magazines – Elle Decoration, World of Interiors, Homes and Gardens etc. I also love to flick through Country Living and Country homes and interiors. I often come across images that I just adore – whether it’s a cushion, a lamp, a vase of flowers. Last year (there was a period of time when I had a LOT of time on my hands) I went through the magazines cutting out anything that caught my eye. Since then I have occasionally got this folder out and used the cuttings to create cards for friends. It’s cheap, it’s personal and scores a LOT of brownie points!
I was really interested when I found out about Rosie Granger who has been making collages for six years. ‘I’ve always been a collector of interesting bits & bobs – pictures from newspapers & magazines, old labels, tickets, scraps of tissue-paper and lovely vintage paper…’ explains Rosie (to my delight!) ‘and I have a couple of books full of words I’ve ‘collected’ – lyrics, or passages from books & quotes which I use in my artwork’.
Her artwork has a real retro, nostalgic and idyllic feel to it. ‘I love the style of the ’40s and ’50s’ says Rosie. ‘The fashion, design and the music’. ‘And things of a quite utilitarian nature really capture my attention, so I often use pictures of vintage radios, telephones and clocks in my collages’.
Rosie came to Brighton in 1989 to study Art History at Sussex and, like many, stayed on in Brighton after graduating. At that time Rosie’s artwork took an illustrative style using pen & watercolour. She sold paintings & handmade cards through Brighton outlets and had a market stall once a week.
Rosie tells me how she gradually moved away from drawing and painting as a result of the demands of a young family. ‘I started making these collage-pieces about 6 years ago, as birthday cards for friends and family’ she explains ‘I think my two daughters have had an influence too, with butterflies, flowers and glitter also featuring, these days!’
Polly from ‘Cross Street Press’ (who I will also be featuring on the blog) encouraged Rosie to come up with a few collage pieces to frame and show alongside her lino-cuts. The originals and some Limited Edition giclee prints are on sale in Brighton in the Frame Factory www.frame-factory.co.uk where Rosie works part-time as a picture framer.
By Helen Ruff
