Mini Sketchbook, Fly Girl Test, Encaustic Collage September 2005
While working towards my visual arts degree, I dabbled in many different art forms – in university I learned much about the history of collage and mixed media art and artists, as well as experimenting with various methods related to it. I went from creating actual physical collages to virtual ones for the internet and CD-ROM. For a while virtual collaging was an exciting challenge, but in time because of its complexities, my fervour for it waned. As I continued to seek out the works of local and international artists working in this vein, I longed, once again, to create collages that were tangible… sensuous to the touch… full of rich, delicious surface textures… vibrant colours… ones which captured my artist spirit.
After reviewing my first few copies of Somerset Studio magazine back in 2005, I was convinced I should pursue more rigorous training in collage methods. In Somerset Studio the work of one particular artist, Claudine Hellmuth, caught my eye. I really enjoyed her humorous, witty, creative retro style creations. I was delighted to find out she had recently written a book of collage techniques, “Collage Discovery Workshop”, which I quickly scooped up from my local art store. After years of somewhat aimless experimentation, I was ready to pursue learning techniques which were tried, tested and true! Now, you should know, I’ve picked up many art technique books before – some of which are still gathering dust on my studio shelves, but this was not to be the fate of Claudine’s text.
I was impressed by the well-documented photographs and step-by-step instructions describing each project in “Collage Discovery Workshop”. I liked that the information regarding methods was laid out in a fun, easy-to-read manner. It included great resource references and a wonderful supply list that was often thoughtful to one’s budget. With such clear, concise instructions and beautifully photographed images of the projects it detailed, the book was begging to be read and tested! In a few days I eagerly reviewed the book and was bent on exploring several of the techniques discussed therein. In those days, I kept a small little mini sketch book to explore different methods from the book which I still have. I was so proud to fill up its pages with all the new things I learned. By the time I finished these exercises, I was quite confident about taking on larger projects with greater challenges. Here, I must say, the success rate of being able to re-produce Claudine’s techniques was high. The book exceeded my expectations and I enthusiastically recommend it along with its sister companion “Collage Discovery Workshop: Beyond the Unexpected” (just when we thought she must have run out ideas, Claudine bowled us over with more!). A few years ago, she began producing her own line of collage/mixed media products. She’s such an amazing artist and has been a great inspiration for me.
Even today, after discovering a number of wonderful books on the subject, I still highly recommend Claudine’s. I still use them to jog my memory when I go blank on methods. They have helped me to create encaustic collages, assemblages, works on canvas as well as canvas books. Suitable for the beginner or intermediate level artist, these texts present a series of exciting challenges from which artists can begin to construct their own visual collage/mixed media vocabulary. They’re definitely a series of collage adventures worth embarking on!
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