Henry Martin: If you could meet one other artist who would it be (living or dead)?
Laura J. Stein: I would like to meet Wayne Thiebaud. He is one of my favorite painters, his brushstrokes are so luscious and unique. I have cut some of them out of catalogs, and used them in my collages. At the age of 97, I am sure he has a lot of great stories to tell, and knowledge to pass along.
Laura J. Stein: I like to paint with bits of paper, which is why collage is my medium. I choose to work from source material and do not use a copy machine or a computer in my work. I put down an outline with a pencil on watercolor paper. Mostly I use a ruled edge but sometimes I might do it in a fast and loose way with a drawing inside. Then I fill the space with cut or torn pieces from auction catalogs, old medical textbooks, and maps. Sometimes the picture comes together right away like a completed puzzle. More often though, I put several layers down, scraping here and inlaying there, until it looks right. I like to have a lot of materials around me, and then I make connections and figure out what I want to combine. I use scissors, a razor, and gel medium to paste and attach and scrape away. I have a lot of preconceived ideas.
(Left to Right) Title: Turquoise and Orange Dots. Date: 2009. Medium: Paper collage. Dimensions: 18 inches x 24 inches. Title: Narrow Angle. Date: 2010. Medium: Paper collage. Dimensions: 18 inches x 24 inches. Credit: Laura J. Stein.
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