This is the End ...

 The last page of my watercolor spiral-bound sketchbook now has a background of a gel print. I am skipping around, adding shapes and so forth to these pages. I have a mixed media sketchbook ordered, so I will do a similar thing with that one. This gives me something to react to when I am doing warmup collages.

Greener Grass ...

 

Grungy Backgrounds in Sketchbook

 

Individual Collage Papers

Collage Papers!

These gel prints are for the collage bases I made in the past couple of days. Red, Purple and Green!!! OH YEAH!

First Sanding

I did not add any layers of collage to the smaller pieces, thinking that removing one layer might be fine. I think that is the case. This makes a nice background. I will put a coat of some neutral on it, either translucent or only partially covering the surface, meanwhile making some collage papers with the gel plate. The more I look at the paintings I did using many layers of collage shapes and paint, plus sanding, the more I like them. Even now I find these exciting.

Collages for Radical Layering

 These pieces are collaged with random bits of paper that I had on hand. They are drying now, and once they are completely dry, I will sand the bigger ones, which have several layers of paper on them, and add another layer or two of collage to the smaller ones.

"Siblings" in Play Phase

 

Four 8"x8" collage pieces on Claybord, a very smooth substrate that works well for mixed media. As I say in the headline, these are all in the "play" phase, where I am just putting things down without a lot of thought. Who knows how these will turn out?

Thursday Things

 

These two pages are very different, but both start with a blue ground. I gave them what they seemed to need, within certain parameters. I may work into them later but for now, I like what I see.

Exclamation Spread!

 

Vertical strips set off the warm backgrounds.

Yellow-Orange, Blue-Green

 

Today's art journal spread. The one on the left I hated, until I added yellow-orange back in. Both of these are very lively, with lots of movement. Yesterday's pages were very still and serene.

Blue-Green, Red-Orange ...

 

I like the contrast between the cool and dark page on the left side, and the light, warm delicate page on the right.

Page 2 Art Journal 9"x12"

 I will have to think of distinctive names for these journals/sketchbooks/artist books. If you have an idea, please share it! 

Get That Elephant Outa There!

I showed a friend the finished image in Blue Collage, and she said, Oh, yes, I see the elephant! I was dismayed because I had intended to be non-objective in this piece, so I had to work on the composition, adding more blue and orange. I like it better. The red "trunk" piece was always the only hard-edged piece that was not on the edge of the page, so this is an improvement anyway.
 

Blue Collage

My process making a simple collage from gel-prints and other hand-painted papers.

Art Journal Flip

These backgrounds will be used as a basis for collage experiments.

Progress

Because this color combination delights me, I have decided to do four pieces with the same basic elements and colors. 

Making Transparencies for Collage

 

Using the method described by Jane Davies in her video on tissue paper as transparency, I made three sheets of transparent tissue and stamped on it with black acrylic paint. I will cut these up and use them in collage.

Four Collage Backgrounds #workinprogress

These four collages are 12"x9", and they were inspired by details of a collage I did without a focal point, just for this process. They are drying while I take my lunch break. I don't know for sure what I will add to them.

 

Original Collage

Zen Painting Exercise

These were done in response to a Louise Fletcher video on abstract painting.