Workshop Content:

Create fun new images from bits and pieces of magazines. We’ll start by mining magazine pages to build palettes of color, texture and shape. Learn to create abstract images, landscapes, faces, and figures from torn pieces of paper. Use subtle imagery to tell a story, extract personal meaning, or simply create for fun!

Day one: learn about the tricks of the trade — how to use magazines as your source of color, drama, and texture and which substrates, products and tools work best. We will review the work of contemporary collage artists to observe techniques and find inspiration. You will create several forms of collage papers for use in future work. While your papers dry, you will create an abstract composition from magazine parts alone. This will be quick, intuitive work. Finally, you will use your morning papers to build an abstract collage focusing on color and texture.

Day two: learn how to compose a more complex image from magazine parts. We’ll review examples of collage landscapes, figures, and still life and discuss the mechanics of composing an image. Artists may choose an image of their own or follow Kathy’s lead to create this more complex image. Along the way, learn techniques for reducing wrinkles and bubbles, crutches for refining an image, methods for adding shading and values, and ideas for working in the negative spaces.

Supply List:

Primary art materials will be provided (e.g. substrates, glue / medium, craft brushes)

Please bring scissors, 2-3 good quality magazines (e.g. fashion, architecture, National Geographic) and two plastic containers for rinse water. Optional: Acrylic paint, markers / pens, random paper images you would like to include in your collages (e.g. interesting papers, photocopies of old photos or letters, poems, maps, etc.).

Biography:

I love to create with paper — cut, torn, sliced, ripped, painted, and reassembled. I am particularly drawn to the look, color, texture and malleable nature of torn magazines and painted papers. Images originally meant to convey one message in a magazine can be used to communicate something entirely new in a work of art. An automobile advertisement might become part of a face. A face might become part of an abstract image. Disparate images can be used to tell a story or to extract personal meaning. Discovering hidden images embedded in collage creates a mystery that I simply can’t resist! I have been collaging for 15 years and never grow tired of it. Come explore with me. 

COVID Protocol: Masks requested when social distancing is not possible.