A Sketchbook Practice: Collage Fodder

As a creative practice, I've been playing around in my sketchbook. Most of the time, I make watercolor paintings, work on some experimental portraits or create travel sketches.

But I learned another exciting way to dress up a blank sketchbook page.

It's called FODDER or Collage Fodder. 

Fodder School (yes, it exists!) defines collage fodder as "anything that can be used in the creation of a collage. Collage fodder can be collected (think old vintage book pages or ticket stubs) or handmade (think gelli prints or handmade pattern papers)."

I've done a lot of the paper collecting over the years, filing them randomly in plastic folders. The "handmade fodder" part really got my attention. 

I was introduced to the collage fodder concept when I attended Sketchbook Revival hosted by Karen Abend and Fodder School teacher Tiffany Simply Sharpe.

The first step is to make the focal point. In this case it would be a mushroom.

We started painting mushrooms (I don't think I've ever drawn mushrooms in great detail before). I chose this color palette: green, blue green, purple and fuchsia. Then when the paintings were dry, I outlined the edges with a fine-tipped black marker.

Tiffany used watercolor paper. To make it my own, I repurposed an empty cardboard box, turning it from blah to TADA! The back side won't be seen anyway because it will be glued down.

Cut around the mushrooms to remove the excess white border.

I also made toadstools and flowers using the cardboard.

The second step is to assemble the background using a collection of paper remnants, fabric, packing tape, magazine tear sheets, gift tissue and gift wrap. Perhaps you have old magazines and catalogs or a library of collected papers? These are a good place to start.

Narrow down your paper choices to a color story. I chose greens, blues and purples to complement the mushroom I painted.

Using the page of the sketchbook, try out different layouts before committing to anything. Tiffany calls this the audition process.

The third step is to glue things in place (I used a glue stick).

The final step is to add some journaling or finishing touches like designs from cling stamps and an ink pad. 

Here is what I made...TADA!

This is another version using both the mushroom and flower that I painted...TADA!

And finally, this fairytale toadstool collage.

Collage fodder is another way we can turn a blank sketchbook page from blah to TADA!  

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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.

I came across this book, Collage Your Life by Melanie Mowinski, and it encouraged to me try collage once again. In the book, Melanie describes collage this way:

"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

Prompt Number 4: You are going to make a portrait. Hopefully of yourself, but it can be of anyone. Perhaps you make an oversized head on a tiny body, or you exaggerate the size of certain features. Play. Have fun:

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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In My Crafter's Tool Box: Modeling Paste

Howdy creative people!

Are you familiar with modeling paste? I've never heard of it before until I read this book:

"Get Messy Art" is a book about art journaling and is written by the talented Caylee Grey, a South African artist. She pioneered the "Get Messy" community and I admire her approach to making art: "My art journaling adventure began as a way for me to get messy, ditch perfectionism, stay accountable, and consistently create art." 

In the book, Caylee describes modeling paste as "an acrylic medium that feels like thick cake frosting. Pair it with a stencil to create an image that has dimension or mix it with acrylic paint to add texture. Smearing it onto the page really is like putting the frosting on the (art) cake." 

She had me a cake frosting! 

So I went off and bought myself some modeling paste so I could try it out.

One of the projects in the book is a demonstration on how to use modeling paste. As you can see, it does give an embossed finish to the flower...TADA! 

I'm excited to experiment!

To start, we will need the following materials: acrylic paint, modeling paste, and a palette knife

We will also need stencils, low-tack removable tape (like washi tape), and paper. 

Step 1: Make sure you cover your surface with scrap paper. Decide on which part of the paper you want to place the stencil image. Using washi tape, attach the stencil to the paper to keep it in place as you apply the modeling paste. 

Step 2: In a shallow dish, take some modeling paste. This is about 1/2 teaspoon worth.

Add some acrylic paint. This is around the equivalent of 1/8 teaspoon.

Use a palette knife to mix the modeling paste and acrylic paint together until well blended and no streaks are visible. 

Step 3: With the aid of the palette knife, spread the mixture on top of the stencil. Spread this evenly and make sure all gaps are covered. Remove any excess mixture with the palette knife.

Step 4: While the mixture is still wet, carefully peel off the stencil from the paper. Make sure the stencil pattern on the paper is not disturbed and that no part of the paper tears. 

Immediately submerge the stencil in a container of warm water so the modeling paste doesn't permanently harden on the stencil (you will no longer be able to use the stencil if this happens). Caylee's tip: You can place the stencil between two baby wipes to keep it moist until you're able to clean it. 

Step 5: If there is any leftover mixture, don't let it go to waste. Make ephemera with other stencils and sheets of paper and use these for scrapbooking, card making, collage, and more art journaling. 

Playing with modeling paste is so much fun! It takes some practice to get an even coat but the imperfections add to the handmade look.

It helped me turn all my paper remnants from blah to TADA! 

By the way, if you are interested in collage and all things paper, Strawberry Moon Magazine might be right up your alley. Issue 10 is all about collage (tips from A to Z) and there are free collage papers included. 

I also wrote an article (collage organization). If you are curious to know more or would like to purchase a copy (print or digital), you can visit Strawberry Moon Magazine.

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Tinting Paper using Peony Petals

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

Peonies are one of my favorite flowers! They are bold, bountiful, and really command attention. That's why I've used peonies as a muse for many crafty blah to TADA! transformations:

Handmade paper flowers made from gift tissue...TADA!

Creative gift wrapping where I turned an empty jar from blah to TADA!

A page from my Art journal where I used watercolor and a felt tip pen...TADA! 

And still another page from my art journal where I used rubber stamped-peonies, colored pencils, and collage...TADA!

Even if my peonies have wilted, don't they still look beautiful? Instead of tossing them right away, I'm going to experiment using these peony petals as dye. 

I separated the petals and spread them on top of white paper (this is copy paper) that I trimmed into rectangles (about 4 inches by 6 inches).

I'm using these cake pans to help me stack my paper. This is what I had in my cupboards. You can use saucers, tiles or other objects with a flat surface.  

Flip one of the cake pans so that the bottom faces you. Lay one sheet of paper with petals on top of the cake pan. 

Keep adding another sheet of paper with petals on top until you have six stacks.

Top the stack with another cake pan, this time the inside facing you. The goal is to sandwich the paper with the two cake pans. If you have a few more sheets of paper with petals, put them inside the cake pan and use a smaller cake pan to sandwich this set. 

I gently put my cake pans sandwiched with paper and petals inside a cooking pot. I weighed everything down with a marble mortar bowl (from a mortar and pestle set). They key here is to add a weight so that when boiling water is poured inside the pot, the cake pans do not float and release the sandwiched paper and petals.

I poured freshly boiled water inside the pot, making sure to cover the paper. Then I let this sit for at least two hours. 

Then I removed the cake pans from the pot, took out the paper, and placed the paper on an old t-shirt or towel to absorb the moisture. If you can see, there are hints of the color pink that have stained the paper. 

Wrap the paper in the old t-shirt or towel and put a weight on top of it (like a stack of books, making sure to put a plastic bag between the books and the t-shirt/towel bundle to keep the books from getting wet). Leave this to dry overnight. 

Unwrap the bundle and take out the paper. It will still be a little damp.

Slowly separate the layers. 

Gently peel off the petals and discard them. They have done their job by adding pink tint to the paper...TADA! 

Leave the paper to dry completely.

I can use my peony petal-tinted papers as stationery, for scrapbooking, art journaling, and collage. 

And that is how I turned wilted flowers from blah to TADA!

*****

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