I start each of these collages randomly and work on just one at a time. My primary resource material is cutouts from fashion magazines. I have little interest in fashion itself, but these magazines offer a treasure trove of material– a feast for the eyes.

Typically I begin composing these collages from an edge or a corner of the backing material. From this initial reference point, I draw straightedge lines that radiate from the side of this piece, to an opposing edge of the backing material. If a curved line emanates from the edge of any piece I will frequently incorporate that into my composition. I pick each cutout piece one at a time, finding subsequent pieces that somehow complement the cutout added on to the piece previously. And I work my way over and across the cardboard backing in this fashion.

I usually choose titles for these pieces as I near the completion of it. Sometimes the title is taken from text embedded within the collage, but even more often I give the piece a title based on visuals within the piece itself. Sometimes these titles are titles of or lines from songs, but titles or lines from literature can work just as effectively.