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Sarah Z Short

A Beautiful Mess

Published 30 days ago • 1 min read

Sarah Z Short

Driftway Studio

Hi Reader,

After staring at this blank email for too long, I turned on some lights, lit a candle, and made myself a latte. By the time my espresso was ready, I knew what to write. Sometimes walking away is the best way to solve a problem.

There are also times when getting into a project with no plan at all leads to the best results, which is the spirit behind the class I'm teaching next month in Rhode Island called Make a Beautiful Mess (there's a waitlist), where we'll spend the day creating collage papers using eight different mixed-media techniques. I love my days in the studio when my only plan is to experiment with paint and paper.

Or, as in the case of one day last month, figuring out the best way to add color to fabric.

The fabrics I made were used in some of the pieces in a series I finished for a show in September, and you're getting the first look at one of the pieces. The fabrics on the left have some gorgeous marks that were accidentally left when I hung them up to dry. A beautiful mess indeed!

Now it's back into the studio where I hope to find time between framing projects to make a mess. Below is another piece, available on my website, that features papers created during other experimental days of paper play.

Warmly,

Sarah

James Trail Driftway, West Kingston, RI 02892
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Sarah Z Short

I'm an abstract artist using vintage paper and letterpress printing for contemporary collage art. I teach online and in-person collage workshops.

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