Collaged mixed media drawing measuring 7"x7".  The media used include etching ink, charcoal, graphite, tinted charcoal and graphite, walnut ink, and egg tempera paint.  The frame measures 12"x12" and is black wood.

This collage is a complex combination of many elements, namely discarded drawings which the artist has recycled in this new and innovative way. The end result is a remarkable array of intersecting lines and contrasting neutral colors, which create a unique abstract composition unto themselves. Walter’s collage is a unique piece, which shows that even our unsuccessful attempts at art may yield to order and beauty.

My collaged drawings are made from unsuccessful drawings which I resurrect using collage.  The collage elements are scraps torn from previously failed drawings and prints of which I seem to have an endless supply.  Making each collage is like working out a puzzle.  I try out different pieces on various locations in the drawing until I find an interesting combination.  I then continue to draw and paint to create a completely new image.

Karen Walter has a BA in Studio Arts from Framingham State College.  She has also studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Contemporary Artists Center in North Adams, MA. She is currently a Paper Conservation Technician at the Harvard College Library at Harvard University.  Karen has exhibited her work extensively throughout Massachusetts.