Celebration

Marcia Ballou
Marshfield, MA
2022
8′ x 12′ x 2 3/4′
Acrylic collage of paint and painted papers on Omega board

Celebration was created by collage artist Marcia Ballou, when she was an Artist in Residence at the Art Complex Museum for the month of July, 2022. Ballou says the following about this piece:

“Celebration is a painted collage that depicts a memory in time: a day when I was sitting in my field, looking at wildflowers, and watching the dragonflies and butterflies dash about. Creating a mural that captures a moment was an exciting project for me.”

Creating this piece of art on location was a profoundly satisfying experience. I was able to share my process with every step, as my initial sketch became the final mural:

• Spray painting a bright, abstract background
• Painting the papers to create my palette
• Laying out the design
• Slowly layering the paint and painted papers until the design was complete

I tell visitors, ‘It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle!’

My goal in creating this piece was to share my love of nature and its colors. I also want to convey a sense of happiness and joy. Thank you for looking.”

What do you see?

Celebration includes a variety of birds, moths, and butterflies. Can you find them all?

• 1 Baltimore Oriole
• 1 Red-winged Blackbird
• 1 Nuthatch bird
• 3 Hummingbirds
• 1 Goldfinch
• 7 Blue Moths
• 8 Monarch Butterflies
• 1 Downey Woodpecker
• 7 Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies
• 2 Dragonflies