Catching up with Hallie Strock

I’m Hallie Strock, and I’ve been involved with the 4th Street Fine Art group since 2006. I feel privileged to be a part of this wonderful collaboration of local artists. The diversity of work, the opportunity to learn from each other, and special friendships have meant a great deal to me.
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I am a painter, printmaker and quilter, and, for the past couple of years have been diving into collage and mixed media. I tend to focus on imagery, vibrant color and strong composition. I find elements in daily life that touch me, and invite the viewer to look and linger. I continue to explore, learn and look for breakthroughs

My collage technique has evolved from purchased decorative papers and magazines to hand-painted art papers. I can create my own paper palette and have more control over color, value, textures and pattern. I paint, stamp, stencil and make marks. I can even embellish purchased and found papers. Combining painting with collage lets me capture the transparency of watercolor, the brilliance of acrylic, the unpredictability of monotype.

I don’t plan my collages too carefully. Most of the time I just start and see where it takes me; I choose some papers that are “calling” to me at the time and start cutting and tearing shapes. Then comes the absolutely engrossing experience of laying the pieces out in pleasing and gratifying ways.

I learn from my mistakes. I’ll start something, and it’s a disaster, then I’ll correct it and it will look great, then I’ll do something else and it will be ruined! Every twist and turn makes a difference, until I feel the joy and optimism that happens when it all comes together.

Recently I have been studying the work of San Francisco artist Rex Ray. He takes the vocabulary of mid-century modernism and lets it splash and crash together in bold color combinations, and he reconfigurations things that already exist like imaginary plants, bottle shapes, flames and spinning ferris wheels. Other influences come from the work of Kurt Schwitter, Anne Ryan, and Perle Fine: all artists doing their best work in the 50’s and 60’s, and who were part of the Dada and Abstract Expressionist movement.