21 May 2023
Ring Storage Ideas
14 May 2023
Transform Glass Jars into Flower Vases
07 May 2023
A Sketchbook Practice
(1) Label the sketchbook "Ugly sketchbook" or "Messy sketchbook" so that you don't feel the pressure of perfection.
(2) Allow yourself to just play and think PROCESS over product.
(3) Work with limitations (ex. use only three paint colors or have a time limit to make a piece).
30 April 2023
Experiments in Collage
Have you ever tried your hand at collage? I've played around with it to make DIY business cards, covering a plain box and turning it into a gift box, and crafting birthday cards.
Collage is a fun medium to play with because all you need are scissors, glue, and any kind of paper to create a piece of art.
"The word collage comes from the Old French coller, meaning "to glue." Collage is created from the actions of cutting to remove and pasting to add. You must have both. This double action can lead to double meanings and double entendres. For example, if you cut a human figure in half and then add bandage-like shapes linking it together, you are simultaneously showing its split and connection. As you cut and paste, explore how you play with these actions." - Melanie Mowinski
One of my favorite takeaways from the book is to "Create parameters." Parameters, rules or a prompt are limitations that help you stay focused and get your creative juices flowing. Some parameters include:
(1) Complete the collage in 30 minutes or less
(2) Use only scraps from your most recent collage process
(3) Take the first three papers from your collage bag and use only those papers
(4) Only tear your paper, do not cut
(5) Add a stencil element
Here are five different collages I made using some of the prompts in the book:
Prompt Number 1: Play with memory. Dive into your memories. Look for a picture, pattern, or text that reminds you of your childhood:
A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts |
A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts |
Prompt Number 2: Create a collage that incorporates the patterns and textures from security envelopes. It can be part of the background or foreground or used as an accent:
Front of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern |
Back of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern |
Prompt Number 3: Use papers as paint. As you look through magazines, catalogs, and brochures, start to see how large blocks of colors are everywhere. Cut out just that, the colors. Look for different values, textures, and patterns, and then group similar ones together:
A beach-inspired postcard using magazine pages as paint |
A portrait of my niece Kirsten made of magazine pages. I regularly send her postcards and I think she'll get a kick of this one! |
Prompt Number 5: Experiment with mixing mediums. This one uses a collage background, a neutralizing layer of gesso, rubber stamps, and packing tape transfer:
A plain paper bag is a nice background for a mixed media collage |
Wasn't that fun? We can use collage in so many ways, instantly turning a blank page from "blah to TADA!"
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