Two collages and how they came to be

Below are a couple of collages I've done recently. I'm pretty much not too good at collage, I know that and it is OK. Here are some really good ones. I read "how to collage" tutorials, and it seems that most people have an idea beforehand on what their collage will be. They decide on a theme, or even draw out. I don't do it that way. Maybe that's why my collages aren't as good, but they have a lot of meaning for me. They are more like an expression of an emotion that words can't convey.

What I do is flip through magazines, or newspapers, or my scrap pile of papers. When an image catches my eye, I look at it for a second. If an idea pops up into my mind I cut it out. At that point I'm not sure where it's going, so I continue flipping through. The one below got started when I was flipping through magazines and my eye was drawn to the moon. As I was cutting it out, the lyric to Credence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" came to mind. OK, that's a theme.

I thought the lake of burning coals seemed like it would go with a bad moon rising. And when I saw the man covering the woman's eyes, I thought about how Satan covers our eyes, deceiver that he is. And his 'tentacles' came to being when I saw a National Geographic shot from the air of windswept sculpted sand dunes.

So...Artist statement of this collage: "Satan deceives us by covering our eyes, which does not allow us to see the Truth, which is Jesus. Satan's tentacles grab on, keeping us more firmly in his grip. While Satan has his hold on us, we delight in the sins of the world while at the same time dwelling in turbulent waters. And if we choose to remain in that state, the lake of burning fire awaits. This is the age of a Bad Moon Rising, and many are deceived."

This one: my friend gave me a Christmas present of the amaryllis in a box. After I planted it, I looked at the box, scanning it for art possibilities. (This is the life of a scrounger, everything can be something else). I liked the fifties aspect of the design and I cut out the flower and the title. I took a leap from there, keeping with the light hearted theme and the colors. I continued with the vegetation idea, making it be the frame. I used the black and white heather at the top right to contrast with the color of an amaryllis. Colorful butterflies flit from flower to flower. And the Yuban and Darjeeling are beverages that I drink to wake me up, sort of seeing the world colorlessly until I have the caffeine! Acrylic paint (both flat and metallic), and gesso provide the background.

Bad Moon Rising
Credence Clearwater

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin.
I see bad times today.

Chorus:
Don’t go around tonight,
Well, it’s bound to take your life,
There’s a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we’re in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.