Collage Graduation

Hehe. I couldn't resist. Probably because every time I see the word "Collage" I think of those 4 years at Arizona State University...

Laura Lein Svencner

Anyway... A few weeks ago I went to a demonstration put on by Laura Lein-Svencner, the cofounder of the Midwest Collage Society.  I've seen her before at Art fairs and love both her drawings and her abstract collage work.  Laura teaches a method of collage where polymer medium coated papers are ripped, composed and fused together with heat. (I believe Jonathon Talbot "invented" this method of collage.) The demo was awesome. She took us through the entire process, from showing us different ways to alter paper to make it our own, coating the papers, assembling the ripped pieces of paper into a pleasing composition, fusing with a tacking iron, finishing, and viola! She is holding the finished product, above. 


Of course I had to try it... so I spent a few days gathering and altering various papers. I finally found a use for all those citra-solved National Geographic Magazine pages. I went for the abstract landscape look. I made two collages, both are on the new Strathmore precut 8x10 watercolor sheets. The actual collage is approximately 4" x 6".  Here's the one I call "Tidepool"

And this one is called "Sunrise" 

I really liked making these, they were really fun to do once all the papers were prepared.  And since I have LOTS of papers ready to go, I am definitely going to make more. The scans don't do them justice. The colors are so vibrant, a little charcoal shading adds depth, the layers add great texture. What do you think? Do I get my Collage Graduate Degree?