Penny Gordon-Chumbley
Painter and Cut Paper Artist

Inspired by the cutouts of Henri Matisse, and being a frugal person, I began to use the leftover pigments from my paintings by brushing the paint onto archival paper. I set the paper aside while I worked on other projects. After the paper dried, I cut and played and considered how I would use these new shapes and color washes. 

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Trying to describe this new-for-me approach, my husband and I coined the term "fleurage" to describe the marriage of fleurs (flowers) and collage. Primarily botanicals, these pieces use leftover painted canvas, painted papers, candy wrappers, antique letters, tissue paper, fabric, handmade paper or other mixed media.