Creating Mixed Media Collage Art

 This year my focus has been on creating collage art, so today I'll show some collage art examples. I started learning this process by using images from discarded magazines and books. Eventually I moved into using my own photos and illustrations as well as images that have been released into the public domain.

I was inspired to start doing this kind of art after watching Dede Willingham, on Youtube. She glues images onto a background and then uses acrylic paint, colored pencils and markers to create a cohesive piece of art. It took me quite awhile (sometimes I got quite frustrated with myself) to learn this method of creating art.

I learned by creating art cards- lots of art cards. So far, I've probably made over 200. I learned how to mix colors, how to integrate a variety of images, how to fussycut images etc. Then at the encouragement of another artist, I started creating bigger pieces of art.

In my first series, I worked on 8 x 10 inch substrates. My focus was on showcasing the bright colors of various birds by putting them on a dark/black background. Here is the first one I did.

The main elements are a painted bunting (bird), an orange rose and some grapes. I found the grapes and the bird in the public domain. The rose image was a photo I took with my camera. I recolored and edited the images in Gimp. One of the most important things I learned to do was to sharpen the images before I printed them out.

After printing out the images with my Epson Stylus, which uses Durabrite ink, I glued them down. In the corners, I glued parts of skeletonized leaves (thanks to my friend Carol).

Using acrylic paint, I added paint splatters, vines and leaves. It did not turn out perfectly, but I learned a lot and so went on to my next collage which is this peacock one.

I've always enjoyed peacocks. It brings back memories from my childhood. My mom dropped my brothers and me off at a relative's house while she went to town with the horse and buggy. They had peacocks on their farm and I remember being totally fascinated by these beautiful creatures.

But I digress. The process for creating this art was the same. I found the images that I wanted to use, edited and recolored them and then sharpened them in GIMP and printed them out. After gluing down my image, I put pieces of skeletonized leaves (spray painted gold) throughout the image.

In my third piece of art, the main focal point is a peacock feather. I recolored a photo of a kingfisher bird and some poppy-like flower photos. Again, I added the skeletonized leaves. I used a butterfly to add interest and break up the straight lines of the feather. Then I added the details- dots, swirls, leaves etc.

This is a learning process and as much as I enjoy it, I know that the more I create, the more I'll learn. Currently, I'm teaching myself how to paint simple flowers and leaves to add to my art, using the methods described in Decorative Painting Techniques for Wildflowers and Berries book (It has good illustrations and is simple and easy to understand).