Have you ever made/created/designed your own collage paper? I have and it's great fun! I dyed rice paper, printed onto deli paper, painted shapes onto bond paper, envelopes and newsprint. Gelli printing is exciting because you don't know what you're going to end up with. I love using natural products to dye my papers. Tea, coffee, turmeric, onion skins and avocado release some lovely colors. I have quite a collection of papers now - enough for many projects to come!
I recently visited an antique mall and found some old maps, hand written correspondence and old notes written many years ago; the stamps give interesting clues. This brought back memories of my pen pal days. It was so enjoyable, as a pre teen, to write to people far away. I have kept in touch with one person, and to this day we are close friends. As a young kid, I remember sending sticks of gum to her in the letter. She sent back a little surprise, like a hair ribbon. Great memories!
In the photo above, I used bits and bobs of the old correspondence. Notice the words "I love" and " do hope" , a letter sent with kindness and encouragement. This letter talked about everyday happenings, the weather and the anticipation of being reunited again. A peek into simpler, slower times. I use these as a base for an abstract piece, cover some of it with paint and more collage layers. I'm still working on this piece and having a ball with it. Collage, like all art, is creative, centering and meditative. It brings me lots of joy!
I shared a little peek into my world here. I invite you to try collage - I think you'll make lots of discoveries. The possibilities are endless and all you need is glue, paper, paint and some marking tools. Let the fun begin... and show me what you've done. You can reach me on Instagram @cynthiagrandjean, on Facebook at C Grandjean Art or my website www.cgrandjeanart.com.
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