I’m back in my studio, creating a new set of collages and I’m finding it very interesting and fun. They don’t happen really quickly, they take time and lots of pondering of each little composition. Today, I’m posting another 6 paper collages with another 6 still to come. This set is again very colourful. I do like lots of colour. The surfaces are a collection of painted papers, very colourful tissue, bits of pattern papers and even some seeds. The images of seeds are from photos of seeds in our garden. I had a bit of fun taking those photos and manipulating them to high contrast images which ended up being a nice source of texture in the collages. These collages are built up in layers, each layer attached with matte medium onto the paper and then onto the next layer. I will be posting these as well on our Etsy shop FoundMadeArt. They are priced quite affordably and we also offer Free Shipping anywhere. I’m hoping they find homes either alone or in groups.
So, here is my second set of abstract collages. I haven’t given them titles. I like the idea that each one is left to be interpreted by the viewer.
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, ink pen, various saved and painted papers, fennel seed photo copy 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, ink pen, various saved and painted papers, 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, ink pen, various saved and painted papers, sweet pea seed photo 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, ink pen, various saved and painted papers, 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, ink pen, various saved and painted papers, 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers, cardoon seed head photo. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
I was expecting to post the next sets of collages much sooner, but, due to a few health problems, NOT COVID, thank goodness, I had to delay. So although these collages have been done for a while now, there was a lot of scanning and preparation to deal with before I could finally post.
I have also taken a big step, for me, and decided to put the collages in our Etsy shop FoundMadeArt! I’m hoping they’ll fall nicely into that “affordable art” niche, something colourful and small to jazz up someone’s walls. I’ve kept them priced quite inexpensively ($60 Cdn), for a one-of-a-kind art work, and hope that they’ll make a nice gift for someone else or just for yourself. We all need a little treat, right? Although they are being sold unframed, here is a little example of one framed. We love to find frames at thrift stores and really encourage everyone to try that too. Great recycling! We’ll be adding more as we go along.
Small Abstract Paper Collage,5x 5.5 inches (approx 13 x 14 cm)created with paper, tissue, paint, pencil crayon. Helen Bushell
The next batch of 6 collages are again very small, just image size 5 x 5.5 inches (approx 13 x 14 cm), and would work quite nicely framed and hung in groups too. Each composition is created with layers of paper, tissue, painted paper, black and white prints of seeds from the garden like cardoon or sweet pea, even fennel seeds. In some, there is even a bit of tissue from patterns for sewing. Nothing wasted around here…
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Small abstract collage, mixed media with tissue, pencil crayon, various saved and painted papers. 5 x 5.5 inches, Helen Bushell
Will often helps me come up with titles for work. To him, it felt like the red pieces were moving or migrating, even. Hence, the title. I’m playing with creating framing within the composition. And I’ve been saving the little blue crosses on my correspondence from Blue Cross and like them much better as little blue X’s. Sort of X marks the spot.
This is a 6in Square paper collage, again using double sided adhesive. All the papers are created or found. The speckle is a favourite, the security inside of envelopes in the post. And that little orange bit in the middle, that is actually a series of numbers with the edges muddied in photoshop and then colored. Most of the colors come courtesy of junk mail, proving again that artists see a use in junk. I’m quite happy with the over-the-top color.
Another little, 6 inches square, paper collage. It sort of feels cool in contrast to those hot red x’s, so I called it Northern Arrangement. Also done with double sided adhesive and a variety of created papers.
We’re starting 2018 with a bit of change, a new blog design. Nice and fresh and colorful. Each time you open our blog you will see something new. And we’re hoping to feature more of our artwork, but maybe just a bit at a time. This latest paper collage done with double sided adhesive is called “Contained Action” since it seemed to me to be flying bits flying around in a box of sorts. I’ve been having a bit of fun doing these, not only creating the collages but also creating the paper surfaces. Each of these little collages is about 6 inches square. So it’s tiny, but action packed. lol
LIttle scraps of paper, bits of painted paper and printed paper. And it made me think of a Room with sound moving in it. Therefore, the title. Another 6in x 6 in paper collage.
It’s been a very busy couple of months ending 2017. But I’m hoping to post more of our work this year starting with this little collage done with double sided adhesive. This one I call Beachy. Sort of has that feel of ocean for me.The size is quite small, about 6 inches by 6 inches (15 cm x 15 cm), but they seem to take quite a while to create. So many possibilities.
A while ago, in another post on collage, I said that artists aren’t hoarders, we’re just collectors with a plan. Not all the paper that comes into our home leaves by way of the paper recycling bag. Paper is, after all, for collage artists, a valuable resource. So I use old envelopes to create paint patterns on and even save envelopes with that lovely security pattern on the inside, as a rather tasty texture to use in collage. Anything out of the printer is saved as well for its textural value.
I like to say that artists are not hoarders, we are collectors with a plan. So while everyone else is recycling all the paper that makes its way into the home, we tend to pick through it and save some savory bits for future use. For instance, I might like the color of an envelope from a birthday card, or the texture on the inside of an envelope from the bank, or the color in a bit of junk mail that made it past the sign on the mailbox and put them aside. Or sometimes we’ve saved some cool mags found at garage sales. So it all gets tucked away, more or less in an organized manner for later use. As I say, we have a plan….
