THE PROCESS-- Mixed Media Collage

MATERIALS:
Recycled cardboard
Gesso
Artist's chalk pastels
"Suave" max hold hairspray (or any inexpensive brand)
Scissors, glue, Sharpie marker
Papers, paint, fabric, ephemera
Hole punch, if desired

Recycle cereal box or other cardboard for substrate.
Cut to size & shape desired. Apply gesso, 1-2 coats.
Apply chalk pastels in desired colors.
"Fix" with inexpensive hairspray. (This is
to help prevent smearing of the chalk)

Choose scraps of fabric, paper, painted papers
to include in the composition.
Color contrast was a main consideration
for this piece. Lay out without gluing
and try several compositions.
Cut, tear, and overlap shapes.

Begin gluing shapes after experimenting with
color contrast, overlap, and how your eye
is guided through the page.
In the western world, our eye is usually
trained to "read" the composition from
(upper) left to right, top to bottom.
Try to guide the eye through the page
by the balance and movement
of shapes, colors, space & contrast.

I usually repeat some colors and shapes
throughout the surface, often using
something an odd number of times,
as in 3 times, or 5 times...
but it's not an absolute...
My process is intuitive.

"Connected" - Pink & Blue Collage

Often, it is difficult to know when the
composition is finished!
Some artists suggest that the artwork
is never "done" it just stops in
an interesting place...
I added layers of undulating lines
to suggest "strata" with
an extra-fine point Sharpie marker.
I used a hole punch to punch holes in this piece
to put into a "ring binder art journal."

Ingrid has been recycling cardboard
to create stunning journal pages in
a recycled ring binder. She has inspired me
to create my own version.
Please visit Ingrid's blog to see her
beautifully executed journals!