Seeing Double: How One of My Collages Named Itself

Leap and the Net Will Appear
(2025) © Nicole Moore

Leap and the Net Will Appear
2025
Mixed Media Abstract
Realism Collage
8 x 10 inches
Artist Book 2

Trusting the Scissors: The Making of Leap and the Net Will Appear​

More than a year ago, I gave myself a playful challenge for this analogue piece. I decided to use only images from a vintage Mslexia Magazine, leave out all words, and stick to just blue and orange.

Mslexia’s focus on women’s voices has always inspired me as a writer. The magazine’s bold layouts, striking photos, and creative designs felt like the perfect starting point for a new take. 

I wanted to work by hand, enjoying the feel of cutting and arranging each piece. This hands-on process led to surprises and happy accidents that digital collage often misses. Using a Mslexia Magazine image for my collage felt like a way to celebrate its empowering spirit.

The Tension of Two Colours

Limiting my palette became a quiet ritual. Blue and orange are opposites on the colour wheel, and together they brought the page to life with their energy.

Blue stands for calm, reflection, and inner strength. It reminds me of quiet early mornings and thoughtful moments.

Orange, in contrast, is full of boldness and energy. It makes me think of moments when I took risks or stepped outside my comfort zone.

Together, these colours mean a lot to me. Blue keeps me grounded, while orange pushes me forward. They often stand for hope and action, or staying steady during change. Mixing them in this piece helped me explore these ideas in both look and feeling.

The Double-Take

I spotted a Black female figure in a cobalt top and trousers, clutching an orange tassel tied to a sweeping, kite-shaped blue mortarboard. Six clouds drifted through the scene, like passing thoughts or dreams.

Above her, I added two bright orange eyes, watching over her world. Below, a large blue eye grounded the scene, its curve blending into the landscape at her feet.

Only after I finished and stepped back did I see something unexpected.

The whole picture had changed. The round ground under her feet looked like the lid of a giant eye. The clouds, kite shape, and landscape came together to form a strange face. Suddenly, it felt like the artwork was looking at me, not the other way around.

Leap and the Net Will Appear

For me, this piece shows the mix of beauty and fear that comes with trust. The figure holds onto a thread, hanging in a world that seems to watch her.

The net isn’t visible, but her grip and the way she leans into the wind show her faith. She isn't alone; the ground beneath her is part of something bigger.

I only thought of the title after the glue dried. Seeing the future move through a landscape that also looked like a face made me think about how the universe supports us, even when we feel like we are falling.

I called the piece Leap and the Net will appear because making it reminded me of that saying. I started without a plan, ready to cut and paste, and the artwork surprised me by taking shape on its own. 

While working, I thought of artists like Hannah Höch and Romare Bearden, whose creative collages and openness to surprise have always encouraged me to trust the process. 

I also kept in mind the surrealism and bold colours of artists like Matisse, which inspired me to take risks. This piece reminds me that sometimes, the safety net is just a new way of seeing things.

When you view this piece, where do your eyes land first?

Do you spot the woman in blue chasing the wind, or does the face in the landscape draw you in right away?

I invite you to share your first impressions of the collage, or describe any feelings or interpretations that surface as you take it in. Your perspective might reveal something I have missed—a unique response all your own.

Please share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you notice.

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Abstract Realism Collage Art: From Commercial Object to Abstract Dreamscape

Shangwe · Abstract Realism Collage Art: From Commercial Object to Abstract Dreamscape

Red at Play (2023) © Nicole Moore

Red at Play
2023
Mixed Media Abstract Realism Collage
8 x 10 inches
Artist Book 1

Layers of Crimson: Finding the Rhythm in Red at Play

This post explores how a commercial image transforms into a contemporary mixed media dreamscape, showing that everyday objects can inspire imaginative artwork.

We are trained to look past the ephemera of daily life. The glossy pages of a magazine, designed to capture our attention for a fleeting second before the page turns, usually end up in the recycling bin. 

But in March 2023, a vibrant commercial fragment stopped me in my tracks. It was an advert for raspberry gin: a striking red bottle standing alongside a condensation-veiled glass, with a precise garnish of green cucumber and floating raspberries.

That one image formed the core of Red at Play. Through this mixed-media abstract realism collage, I dove into the push and pull between polished commercial order and the wild, unpredictable flow of emotion.

Creative Process: Mixing Realism and Abstraction

While making Red at Play, I lifted the image from its commercial world and plunged it into an abstract dreamscape, subverting it in the process. I wanted the bottle and glass to ground the viewer in something familiar. 

The surrounding mixed media became a playground for the mind: free, instinctive, and wild. I hoped the background would pulse with the energy of a lively room: laughter, clinking glasses, and swirling movement. 

Rather than simply framing the realism, the abstract forms interact with it, holding the fizz and spark of a moment frozen in time, like the fleeting delight of a cocktail.

Curated Cocktails and Intimate Spaces

Speaking of cocktails, it's ironic that I hardly ever drink except on rare occasions, yet I am drawn to the beauty of a well-made cocktail. Cocktail bars charm me more than pubs. Cocktails evoke celebration and elegance, their forms beckoning us into a world both familiar and tantalisingly distant. For me, cocktails are more than beverages; they are cultural symbols which combine art and ritual beyond what the glass holds. 

I vividly remember the closeness of sitting with loved ones at The Seed Library, a quiet Shoreditch bar, on my birthday in October 2025. Soft lighting cocooned us, glasses chimed gently, and the music drifted from jazz to reggae, even playing Police and Thieves by Junior Murvin (1976), whisking me back to the blues parties of the 1960s and 1970s. 

In that moment, nostalgia and belonging mingled with the thrill of celebration. The bartender moved with soft elegance, describing each ingredient with care and layering flavours with gentle artistry. He even scribbled the recipe on a business card for me. It felt as if making the drink was the real celebration.

I was mesmerised by the atmosphere, the bartender's careful stir, and the subtle pleasure as the final garnish landed. These occasions wrap me in comfort and connection, fuelling creativity in surprising ways. Memory, warmth, and belonging often inspire me to create atmosphere and story in my art.

Techniques & Materials: Layering the Narrative

My collages always begin with magazine cut-outs, usually garnered from stacks lying around the house. I search for images that ignite something in me and transform them. I become both collector and creator, giving scraps new life by reshaping, remaking, and recycling them. 

Through cutting, tearing, and layering transparent paints, I let the red palette of Red at Play quiver with energy and demand attention. The green of cucumber breathes in freshness and hints at renewal. White offers clarity along with momentary calm, like a fresh canvas or a gentle pause.

Knowing When It's Finished

Collage is both curation and creative destruction. I let shapes and colours lead the way, chasing a perfect balance or a trace of tension. I trust my first instincts, searching for combinations that surprise me or spark a hushed interaction within the piece.

If uncertainty lingers, I set the artwork aside and revisit it later with fresh eyes. If it still feels unresolved, I keep experimenting—shifting shapes or adding layers—until the piece's energy clicks into place. 

A collage feels finished when nothing more is needed, even if small imperfections remain. That quiet sense of completeness signals when to stop.

Reflections

Looking back at Red at Play three years after its creation in 2023, I realise it marks the moment when I stopped overthinking and just let myself play. 

The contrast between the rigid, manufactured lines of the raspberry gin bottle and the fluid, unpredictable nature of the abstract collage and paintwork taught me that balance doesn't mean perfection. 

Sometimes, art is just about capturing a mood and letting the colours throw a party on the canvas. I'm also struck by how much the collage feels like a time capsule—capturing not just a visual experiment, but a moment in my creative life.

Reflecting on Red at Play from 2026, I notice both what has changed and what endures in my artistic process. The interplay between commercial imagery and abstraction still fascinates me, yet the work's meaning has deepened over time.

What once felt like a spontaneous act of transformation now reveals layers of nostalgia, experimentation, and personal symbolism I hadn't fully grasped then.

Revisiting this piece reminds me that art's meanings are never fixed; they evolve with us, gaining new resonance as we move forward. The collage has become not just an object, but a record of the questions, curiosities, and joys that shaped my art practice in 2023.

Collage Tips

If you want to try collage, start by exploring your own magazines, packaging, or old books, which act as treasure troves of surprising images and textures. 

All you really need are some basic supplies: scissors to cut, a glue stick (I use UHU) or tape to attach your pieces, and a flat surface to work on. Tear or cut out shapes that call to you, arrange them loosely before glueing (I take a few snaps), and rely on your instincts.

To start simply, pick one colour that catches your eye. Search your materials for anything in that colour, maybe five pieces, big or small, and arrange them together on your page.

See what kinds of mood or story appear just by placing similar colours side by side. This low-pressure exercise is an easy way in and lets you play with shape, colour, and placement without worrying about the final result.

Once your collage is finished, consider how you might show it off or protect it. You can display your artwork simply by pinning it to a wall, framing it behind glass for protection, or using a clear folder or portfolio to preserve it from dust and bending. 

Seeing your collage in a frame or special spot in your home can make it feel complete and remind you of the creative energy that sparked it.

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on this piece. If you want to know more about the process or anything else mentioned in this post, feel free to leave a comment below, and I will respond.