Collage Dreams

Last August, I took an Art Unraveled workshop with Jane Davies, a talented, quirky (my kind of person) mixed media artist from Rupert, Vermont. Her workshop introduced me to the idea of using plaster as an element in mixed media art. She was actually teaching encaustic, which I decided was not my cup of tea at that time (Arizona weather makes it sort of iffy). Since then, I have followed Jane on her blog and through some Youtube videos she has posted, learning from her demonstrations and getting up the nerve to give it a whirl.

Finding My Way
8x10" reused canvas board layered with venetian plaster,
acrylics and Gelli-pirnted papers with pen scribbles.

The next day I took another workshop with Sandra Duran Wilson, who is an amazing abstract collage artist from Santa Fe. I wish I could study with her all the time. Since these workshops, I have been enamored with the properties of plaster and continue to explore and play with ways to use it, combining it with other media.

I have started using my Gelli-printed papers to create some little collages. Since I am on an extremely tight budget, I am finding things I have around the house to work with. I cut up a Blick Art box and used it for my canvas, layering on venetian plaster. I like the rough edges of the cardboard, too. I especially like the scribbles that Jane Davies uses in her collages.

Mixed Media Collage
6x7" on recycled cardboard layered with venetian plaster,
acrylics and painted vintage papers