stitched collage

I've been away from collage too long - this simple one just reminded me how much I enjoy playing with different papers - this time I added in a piece of one of my photos. This will be a great way to work my photos into mixed media.....

To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow.  So do it.  - Kurt Vonnegut

pinterest love: collage

I decided to have a single pinterest board for collage and mixed media because, for me, there is often a cross-over.  So for this brief foray into my Collage and Mixed Media board I'll just focus on some of the cool examples of collage I've come across.  Maybe you'll find some inspiration here......


Found on Flickr.


By Jacki Long  - I like this unusual way of using text.




A New Direction by Felicianna on flickr  Her flickr pages are filled with fun little mail art sized collages and more.  I have pattern paper and never thought to really use it like this - great idea!


Delight in Summer by Kathy Z, flickr



By George Fischer


I've long been a fan of Melinda Tidwell's work.  She does lots with old book covers and cover papers - everything fairly neutral, and as much as I love color, I find myself drawn to her calmer work.


Another brilliant example of Melinda's work (with a bit more color) - look how she uses shades of bits of paper layered together.......love it.



Signals #1 by Julia Trigg  - she must have a great collection of ephemera to choose from!




Jill Ricci makes such fun collages and always has a variation of this shape as her base.....so appealing.


Another long time favorite collage artist is Donna Watson. She has an Asian aesthetic and often incorporates Asian text or dimensional elements - generally her style is spare and dramatic.


By Crystal Neubauer


By Umberto Manzo


Cut out a shape and overlay it on top of a stripey or dotty collage - idea by A Faithful Attempt.


By Hugo Werner (on flickr) - another great use of type to make a dramatic collage.....it's all about finding the right bits/pieces/edges/colors.

Well, I could go on and on and on.  Collage is endlessly fascinating and can be creatively challenging - I have the most fun gathering for collage - gathering magazines, menus, random bits and pieces of pretty or ugly or interesting paper.  Stacks and stacks of paper.  I may have to go back to 365 collages again next year to make a dent in all the paper!

Check out my Pinterest board for even more inspiration.......  Have a creative week.

Still catching up on posting my efforts the last couple weeks......

#238 - Jane Davies sent out notification of a new online class and one of the phrases caught my eye so I made a sign to hang in my art room to remind me.  (I like how this turned out) She wrote, "There's no pressure to make Finished Art" - I love that!  I need to produce more, practice more, play more, just make more art without listening to my inner critic.  14x17"

#239 - a collage in my art journal.....

#240 - 243 - I had some random pieces of novelty paper on my desk so I added one more patterned piece and decided to make a series using only these 4 papers - a yellow nubby paper, a dull brown (where did I ever get this ugly piece?), a shiny copper (looks red in the scan), a white floral in relief and the patterned piece I pulled out of a "save it" drawer.  9x7"

Unfortunately the shimmery copper doesn't show up well in the scan but it adds a delicious element to each of these collages. I used cut strips in each, I worked to contrast rigid, cut shapes with torn, organic shapes, texture with flat, etc.  The first collage uses all cut pieces and the one below uses only torn pieces.

Whew - if you stuck with me the last few days, thanks!  That catches me up - Aug 31 is day #243 of the year! Only 109 days left.  My, that's an eye-opener......  Must be time to start thinking about Christmas gifts - what can I make?????

week 19 for 365/2 (part 2)

May 5-11:  continuing with collage focus this week; inspired by Randel Plowman's style and book, The Collage Workbook, lesson 9: squares & rectangles.  I decided to pull out my scrap bins (full of all those little pieces I can't quite throw away!) that I sort by warm, cool, and neutral colors.  The couple of collages I made earlier in the week were from the neutral box; these are obviously from the color boxes!

#128 - warm colors; about 7x8" on cardboard

#129 - cool colors; about 7x8" on cardboard

#130 - pink!  (lots and lots of pink! - pics from a seed catalog); about 7x8" on cardboard

#131 - mail art.  4x6"......sometimes simple is better!

Do you have a fave?

As I read all my favorite blogs each week, I continue to find myself inspired and motivated by all the creative activity out there - from gelli prints to paint exploration to tags/ATC cards - whimsical, representational, abstract - I love it all!  You guys are an amazing community and I'm so happy to be a part of it.  Hopefully every once in awhile you'll get a creative nudge or idea from me, just like I do from you!

week 19 for 365/2 (part 1)

May 5-11  - I've been feeling the urge to get my papers and glue out and collage, collage, collage.  So I did.

#125 - After a year of collage efforts last year, I kind of took a break but I really love it and have been missing it, so this week is all about collage. (about 6x6")

#126 - I pulled out my Randel Plowman book for quick inspiration and both of these are a result of lesson #2, work in shades of white.  Obviously, it's only 'inspired' because I've used a bit of other color, but I did keep it neutral....... (about 6x8")

#127 - Last one, only a 4x6 - will likely get mailed.....

With this one I laid down an initial layer of papers, covered them all with sparkle tissue paper then added the bird & green paint speckled pieces and finally added a touch of stamped circles and around the edges.

Hope your week is off to a great start!  Be creative.

week 14 for 365-2 (part 1)

March 31 - April 6 - Week Fourteen and still moving forward..... woohoo!

#90 - week 14 of Documented Life: theme this week is to write and embellish your name - oh boy, right up my alley! :)

I've seen versions of this style around pinterest so wanted to give it a try for a while.  I discovered that it's most effective when all the letters connect or overlap in some way - that was kinda challenging and took quite a few practice stackings to get it right......  filled in with watercolor pencils ......

#91 - the current MMSA theme is to make cards using transparent elements.  Another easy one for me (and for most of us I'm sure) to use stuff from my wealth of translucent materials...... the first card, tissues paper, painted pattern paper and the red splotches are on deli paper and the bug is stamped on tissue.

This second card started with a the polka dot and word tissue paper.  Layer some napkin cutouts on top of that and black dots on deli paper.....you can see through all the layers to the blue dots on the very bottom!

#92 - more transparent postcards:  - This card started as a veggie print - you know, stamping with the end of a celery stalk - then added a few tissue bits and topped it all with ribbony tracing paper and washi edges.

The above p/c started with one of my flower photos and is topped with a drawn floral design on tracing paper and edged with washi.

I had lots of fun with the transparent theme and made lots more so watch your mailboxes! :)

ICE

The International Collage Exhibit (ICE) is up and live.....  I submitted 13 collages for the first time this year at the urging of Jo Murray (collager and artist extraordinaire).  78 artists are participating and there are collages of every shape, style, and description.  Each artist has one collage available for purchase and one will be on permanent display (I don't remember where).  The others become part of a swap - so I'll get 11 (or 12 if mine doesn't sell) collages in return.

This is the collage I'm offering for sale - gelli print w/ a found copper piece and a feather.  It's mounted on an 8x10 white watercolor backing.

The one below is the one that will be on permanent display


Click on over and visit the site and definitely consider joining the exhibition/exchange next year.  I'm so glad Jo encouraged me to participate.

week 8 for 365-2

February 17-23

Continuing with my weekly Documented Life pages - this week's theme is "add a flap to your flap".

#48 - kind of an uninspired double spread this week...I forgot to write my artsy notes during the week so had to try to remember and recap on Friday.  Acrylic paints spread w/ a credit card; the right hand side is my 'flap with a flap'.

I got the Thurber quote card tucked in a gift envelope and it seemed the perfect topper to my layers of flaps.

#49 - some doodled stars for MMSA mail art theme

#50 - a few origami folds to make a star - my first origami attempts ever and I really enjoyed it....will definitely be trying it again.  Thanks You Tube!

#51 - a digital collage of some of my pics for the MMSA grid theme

#52 - here's the next phase of my round robin zine - this participant wanted a sea or mermaid related theme, so I tried my hand at my rusty watercolor skills for a little seascape and since my limited drawing skills couldn't tackle a mermaid, I managed just her tail....

#53 - my last collage for the International Collage Exchange

#54 - more mail art with a grid for MMSA

Did you find time to be creative this week?  Did you make a postcard and send a little mail art to someone?  Were you a lucky recipient of some happy mail?  I hope so.  Maybe you even got one from me...... :)

week 7 for 365-2

February 10-16
We had major birthday celebration activities that interfered with my art making time this week.  We had a combined weekend celebration for a bunch of friends turning 60 this year - food, talk and laughter, a little whirlyball activity (basically bumper car basketball), more food, some drinking here and there....you get the picture.  Nonetheless I managed to get some artsy stuff done....

#41 - round robin zine page sent off to Dori

#42 - Documented Life, wk 7 theme is to use a repeating shape and add color.  I picked hearts in honor of Valentine's Day.

I like adding flaps, tip-ins, foldovers, stuff to hide and surprise.  Below is what's under the flaps.  On the left is my weekly log of artsy doin's.

stitches, doodles, scrapbook paper, lettering

#43 - spent a half hour before work making a few postcards..... using my favorite base material, cardboard from a pepsi/popcorn/cereal box.

#44 - My buddy Jo has been bugging encouraging me to submit collages to the International Collage Exhibition and Exchange.  I've admired her collages and paintings since we met so I was a little intimidated, but finally decided to go ahead and participate this year.  So I got busy.....I chose a few of my favorites from last year's 365 collages and added some new ones:  (they're about 5x7 and mounted on 8x10 watercolor paper). There's still time for you to participate if you're interested (March 20 deadline) - check out the link above.

deli paper, ephemera, textured wallpaper, typeface from my vintage book on tan cardstock

#45 - another collage with gelli paper, white novelty paper, feather and a bit of copper flashing on cardstock

#46 - I love the contrast using a black background gives- all novelty papers from Dick Blick

#47 - collage with scribbled-on deli paper, handmade (not by me) papers, book edges, and a round bead (the background is actually a light tan, not this pinkish color the scanner manufactured!)

That wraps up another busy creative week.  Hope you enjoyed your week and found time to be creative!