The Experiment Continues...

So, my ongoing experiment with doing collage 'sans monotype' is still going on.  This is hard, people! (Did I just say that?  I'm starting to sound like my students!)  Here is, I suppose you could say, the 3rd incarnation of this piece- sort of.  You'll probably recognize parts of it from incarnation #2.  I felt it wasn't going anywhere, so why not rip it up?  Nothing to lose, and lots of potential learning to gain.  Besides, tearing something apart is a good way to get out your frustrations, if nothing else.

This has several layers, and has gone through quite a bit of ripping and scraping of its own. It didn't scan very well, I guess because of the metallic joss paper; the colors are a bit off, despite my attempt to correct them in Photoshop. 

Self critique:
I like the colors, but I'm not sure if the joss paper is too bright/strong in value compared to the rest.  Maybe there's too much contrast.
I think the composition is the biggest problem here.  Not enough of a focal point; it's a disjointed jumble of stuff, like the inside of your kitchen junk drawer.  The issue for me has always been that I have difficulty eliminating anything, so it becomes too much, too much, too much!
Maybe I should cut the sides off?


Well, it was fun, and I did learn from it.  And I made a huge mess in the studio.
Your critique?  Any comments, advice, and/or constructive criticism are appreciated.

Tune in next time for incarnation #4...