La ville invisible Collage

My first real drawing dates back to 1961. Since then I haven't stopped sketching and applying colors, taking advice and classes here and there. In the seventies I studied with Vahé Hékimian and followed his lead while keeping my own line. In 1987, at age 65, I started a master in History of Art at the University of Poitiers (France), and graduated cum laude in 1992. In parallel I took classes at the local Fine Arts School. For many years, I used oil on canvas. But in the beginning of the new millenium, I started exploring the technique of collage. Today it is my favoured mean of expression. I proceed by randomly ripping off pieces of papers from magazines, which I sort out by color. I then select pieces and glue them on cardboard, adjusting the position or ripping it further. Once the glue is dry, I sometimes scrape off the paper with a knife or a cutter to obtain the desired effect. Once the whole collage is in place, I sometimes spread colored inks with a sponge to highlight the sky or tint a particular paper's tear. Random awards and prizes have punctuated my path, just enough to encourage me and keep me going. Today my goal is the same as ever : expressing myself independently and moving forward.