O is for Once in a While - Collage

Every once in a while, often in a class, I am introduced to a totally new technique. Last spring, in a class on creativity, the assignment was to work with torn paper to create a collaged image - color optional.

I actually did this assignment three times. I addition to these sunflowers, I did a face and an abstract.

For inspiration, I found a large and very old sheet of thick cottony paper in my stash. This had had been lightly drawn on long ago, and was not nice enough to use for any other project.

Though I knew any paper might be used to interesting effect, this thick and heavy stuff promised a good result because it tore into rough soft edges which allowed me to fit them, like a mosaic into a drawing on canvas.

This was the ultimate in sticky finger projects, but by using gel medium, applied with a paint brush in thin layers, I soon discovered that I could both fit and layer the tiny paper pieces to create both shape and texture. I also chose to add some color into the background that would show through.

This was painstaking and tedious work, but I just loved listening to music and playing around to build each work. It is unlike my other work, and therefore a fun thing to do, once in a while.

18"x24" on canvas