Part I: The Fabric & Patterns of Everyday Life

Michelle Casey, "Untitled", Journal Page, Collage/Mixed Media, 8.5 inches x 6 inches, 2009

When I first began visual journaling, working with magazine fragments of fabric patterns really began to interest me. I remember a friend pointing out how cool it was that a character I’d collaged was wearing “hound’s tooth”. I had no […]

Collage Tip #16: The Call of the Vision Board

Michelle Casey, "Aurora's Dream: Part II: Song Bird", Artist Trading Card, Collage/Mixed Media, 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches, 2013

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Tales from the Observer: Pattern Alert!

Anastasija Kondratjeva's “Busy bodies” fashion shoot. Okay, if this doesn’t blow your mind print wise I don’t know what will! This wild style is what I sometimes aim for in my collages. For more incredible photos of the shoot see Front Row blog under "Other Related Links" below.

On my daily jaunts through […]

In Memoriam: Norm Prest

Michelle Casey, “The Sound of Silence”, Collage/mixed media Journal page, 8.5 x 6 inches, 2010. This image was scanned and printed by Norm Prest… such a beautiful sample of our collaborative efforts…

During the last month, I’ve lost two dear friends… my Uncle Doug and my scanning and printing technician, Norman Prest. Both […]

Listful Thinking: Using List Making to Motivate Your Spirit

Michelle Casey, “The Secret of Life”, Collage/Mixed Media, 7 inches x 5 inches, 2011, Upper text: “The secret of life is to dare”; Lower left text: “Imagine”

Last week while savouring a cup of coffee during a rare peaceful moment in my life, I began thinking about lists again. Posting my Gratitude List […]

My Uncle’s Collage: A Life in a Heartbeat

Detail of my uncle's photo collage. Top left and four images to the right are of Doug; the one on the bottom right is his mom.

Sometimes the impetus for a collage comes from my need to elaborate on a character who’s currently affecting my life. Since February I’ve been dealing with a […]

My Summer 2013 Interview Spotlight!

A magnificent piece: "Triple Goddess" by my good friend Irene Rafael.

Hello! Today I’d like to spotlight the blog of my good friend Irene Rafael. For those of you who aren’t familiar with her, she’s a special virtual friend of mine from The United States. We “met” while partaking in Kelly Kilmer’s on-line […]

Reflections: Choosing Characters for My Visual Journal Pages

Michelle Casey, "Fukushima, Hiroshima, Nagasaki", Collage/Mixed Media Journal Page, 8.5 x 6 inches, April 2011. Photo of woman by Teneshia Carr in Noise #26, UK, 2010

During my first “Pieces of Me” exhibition, a visitor enquired where I was in my journal pages. “I kept looking for you!” she said. I told her […]

Summer Reading List: Art-Inspired Novels for Everyone!

A page from my collage zine "l'invisible" was inspired by Carol Shield’s novel "Swann: A Mystery" about Mary Swann an unknown poet.

Recently I ran across Alyson Stanfield’s Art Biz Coach Blog which listed some great summer reading featuring fiction novels with artists as their main characters. It was such a great idea […]

Collage Tip #15: How to Make a Collaged Envelope

My sea-themed collaged envelope (front)

This spring Collage Your World member Jeanne-Sylvie Bellet (France) sent me a beautiful mixed media piece in exchange for a copy of my collage zine. When she mailed it to me, I noticed that it was enclosed in an unusually colourful envelope. Upon further inspection and enquiry, I […]