My Collage Process

Actually, I am still discovering my collage process.  Especially since, as I’ve mentioned, this year I am creating a series of Darby collages to include in a 2012 Longhaired Dachshund calendar.  I’ve never worked on a series before.  These are some photos of my first steps.

I spent a significant amount of time cutting out silhouettes of Darby sleeping.  Then, decided I wanted to use the actual photograph instead.  This is an important decision for a collage artist.  Are you going to use the photo or deconstruct the photo and build the shape out of other materials?  I wanted to use natural and/or Japanese paper in each collage and I liked the idea of Darby made out of the speckled paper, like an eggshell in the nest.  And I wanted to use the feather paper beneath the nest.  But both didn’t feel right.  So I’ve put these attempts aside.  For now.

Every time we go for a walk, I spend time looking at the colors I see, and the natural world my dog interacts with.  Brown, green, and a hint of purple are January this year.  Here are some images I intend to work with, including photos I took of succulents in my yard.

Here’s my work table.  Yes, those are real deer antlers hanging on my fence…

One of the challenges I discovered was that I kept finding images I wanted to use for other months.  I considered buying another table, but knew I would lose the saved images under piles of more saved images.  So I decided to put everything up on the wall.  I used Scotch Reusable Tabs.  They work well, secure but easy to remove without damaging the paper.

I’ve also been working on compositions for future months and posted them on the wall too…

Here’s the direction I’m headed. I placed a lighter version of speckled paper behind the nest…

P.S. When I was finishing up yesterday, I noticed a scrap of paper on the window sill.  I put some pine cones behind it (I’ve become obsessed with the artistic and engineering genius of the pine cone since I moved here — I used to think they were corny) and took a picture.  It was a nice reminder about simplicity and the happy accidents that occur in the studio.

I’m so glad to be back.