Collage Tip 6: Make History! (Stuck on the Royals, Part II)

Princess in the Making, Mixed Media Journal Page, April 29 2011

Well, I was all set to give you my next tip on collaging textures, when my good friend, Elaine Coombs, emailed me to ask what I thought of the Royal Wedding … excited by sharing my thoughts with her, my left brain […]

Collage Tip #5: A Walk A Day…

My Walks, Mixed Media Journal Page, December 11 2009

The last fragment of snow has evaporated from my front garden… spring is finally here! This past week, I’ve been liberated from my subterranean studio and begun to once again enjoy taking my daily walks. For some time now, […]

Artist Trading Cards: History, Rituals, How To’s

March Reflections, Mixed Media/Collage ATC Folding Book (Cover), March 2011

Continuing from last week on the subject of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)…

Joining an ATC group can be a lot of fun and anyone can start a group – not just artists! The following are a few tidbits to familiarize you […]

Student Spotlight: Olive Jones’ Vision Board

Olive Jones' Vision Board, November 2010, 16 x 20 inches

If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear my friend Olive Jones might just be a distant relative of the famed archaeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones! She’s always off gallivanting somewhere across globe digging up amazing facts for her latest research paper! Olive […]

Creating Collage Using Daily Life Ephemera:

Untitled, Collage Journal Page, February 11, 2011

Yesterday, I gave a visual journaling workshop at my friend/artist Wendy Southin’s studio: Dragonfly Dreams. Here’s a fun exercise we tried using recycled bits of material from our daily lives to create journal pages. This method was derived from the work of twentieth century German Dada* […]

Collage Tip #4: Creative Ways to Play with Text in Your Collages

Untitled, Mixed Media Journal Page, November 27 2009

Here are a few exciting ways to play with text and numbers in your collage and mixed media art:

1. Create text using “chance”: cut out words from newspapers, magazines or books. Place them in a bag and […]

Vision Board Workshop at the CCCC

Today thought I’d share some reflections and photos with you from last week’s Vision Board workshop held at the Crichton Cultural Community Centre (CCCC).

It was an absolutely freezing cold winter day (-32 degrees Celsius! brrrrrr) when five brave students made it out early Sunday morning to take my half-day workshop. I was glad […]

Collage Tip #3: Use Literature to Breathe Life into Your Collages

This journal page "Taboo Subjects in Our Home" (December 8 2009) was inspired by my Mary Shelley collage explorations

In October I wrote of how music can be a great tool to inspire your collaging. Similarly, I feel literature can add vibrancy to your collage/mixed media […]

Collage Tip #2: There Must Be 50 Ways to Glue Your Collage…

Three Wishes, Journal Page October 27 2009

1. Permanent Glue Stick (my favs UHU, Coccoina (thanks Kelly Kilmer!), Lepage) 2. White Glue (like Elmer’s) 3. Clear Glue (Glossy Accents is great for embellishments on glass) 4. Gel Matte Medium (for thick papers and light objects) 5. Matte or Glossy Scotch Tape (for me […]

Collage Tip #1: Music as Muse for Collage

Tribute to Michael Jackson, Journal Page March 8 2010

This is the first of the many small tips I hope will help inspire your collaging…

Many of us wait for that one special moment when the creative muse will strike us with her magic wand and voila! –we’ll suddenly be in the mood […]