I Love Thee Shrine

I'm spreading my wings apparently. I've been trying new things I haven't done before. This week I channeled my inner Michael DeMeng and The Crafty Chica and attempted making a shrine. The Chica had issued a Love Shrine challenge a few weeks ago and I planned to finish up the box I started decorating for DH's valentine but I lost steam on its completion.

Last weekend DH and I talked about him joining me in the studio. He's hesitant and although I know he is wildly creative, he thinks he has lost all that. After looking at books and such, he found assemblage type art to his liking (think DeMeng or LoBue). So this weekend when we went by a thrift store and found this pile, we bought the whole lot. Seemed like a good start, I thought. One of the boxes was for me to try my hand at an assemblage/shrine of sorts.

There is some debate on the difference between collage, assemblage and the newer used word, montage. Diorama and shrine also are thrown into the mix and you can get thoroughly confused as to what you're actually making.

Collage and Montage are similar in that they involve mostly papers and flat surfaces work. Montage also has to do with throwing photos into the mix (although there is always a person or photo in my collages so see how a person would get confused on verbiage?)

Assemblage is an artistic process in which a three-dimensional artistic composition is made from putting together found objects (according to wikipedia.) So I take that to mean, something is sticking off of the 'collage' or 3 dimensional structure. Now if you look at DeMeng' assemblage work, its a whole world unto itself. It should be called DeMenglage since it has such distinct style.

A diorama is 3-dimensional as well although usually found encased in a box or glass like case. A shrine is similar in that if made for the home its usually a small structure.

Did you like the word lesson? No matter how you name it, it's art. 

I worked with the forementioned box. I had no plan, as usual. I Just started pulling pieces to go in it. The white spiral thingie is from the teen's bed when she was younger. The heart was a happy accident. I had intended to trim down the painted cheesecloth but liked the way it looked so much I decided against it.

Are you playing along in the Chica's shrine challenge? Would love to see your entry!!