New colors for this month’s concertina sketchbook collages. Looking forward to a blue March. "Blue is the color of peace. Water is blue. I like the color blue because it just puts me at peace. The patriotic symbol is blue. I just like blue." - Antonio Brown Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Collages made from March's left over scraps.
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In February, I started and finished four more Monday sketchbook collages in a concertina format. Each panel takes me longer than the sketchbook collage pages I was making over the past few years. For the concertina, I still work on one collage at a time but as I do I'm also thinking about the previous panels and the panels to come so I can keep it cohesive. A little more concentration is required but I'm embracing the challenge. Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 All 4 finished panels After I finished the last collage of the month in January, I used up many of the leftover scraps by making some speed collages. That was such a fun way to finish up that I did it again in February. I started with a big collage (7" sq.) while I still had larger scraps to work with and then gradually made the collages smaller (3" sq. & 1.5" sq.) as the scraps got fewer and smaller. You can read more about see these monthly concertina sketchbooks and how they got started here.
My Monday sketchbook collages continue but with a twist this year. I wanted to do something a little different this year so I've decided to use a concertina format. I made one strip of paper for each month and each strip has either 4 or 5 panels depending on how many Mondays are in the month. Each of the panels is 5" x 5". As I work I'll let papers hang over the edge to the next panel and leave the option of integrating them into the adjacent collage the following week. I'll be pondering how I want to bind the strips into a book at the end of the year. Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 There were so many beautiful days in October and November is starting off the same way. This year we are having a longer than usual growing season. The average date for the first frost in my part of coastal Connecticut is between October 11th and October 20th. It's now the second week of November and we've had a couple of very light frosty mornings but no hard frost that makes the tender annuals and perennials say their last goodbye. Look at all the color I was still enjoying during the last week of October. One of the first plants to go when just the slightest frost hits is the sensitive fern and that's exactly why it's named as it is. The green turns to a pale golden yellow with an edging of brown. I like how the fading plant resembles the print I got when using one to make an eco-print. I've been saving leaf skeletons for years and have a large collection I keep organized in clear sleeves in a notebook. For the past 5 weeks, I've enjoyed looking over that collection and choosing ones to feature in my Monday morning sketchbook collages. Take a look at the video below for a start to finish view of one being created. Follow along on Instagram to see all my Monday morning sketchbook collages.
“If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour." ~Victoria Erickson I hope you're having a great start to the new year! I've been having lots of fun making piles of rusty papers and coming up with projects for a class I've been wanting to teach for some time now. I have a rust printing for fabric class on Skillshare but since I'm a collage artist at heart I've been thinking about rusting paper. for some time now. The first time I got the chance to experiment with rusty metal and paper was kind of by accident or I should say after an accident. I broke my right hand and couldn't write, type, stitch or glue anything so all the projects I had going at the time had to be put aside for about 6 weeks. What I could do though was arrange washers, nails, and other odd bits of rusty metal on paper with my left hand. I took over the basement and tried everything I could think of or had read about on the process of rusting. I'm excited to share my new workshop Rust Printing on Paper. It's the result of all that research and experimenting. So if you are a collector of rusty metal like I am (or would like to be), have I got some ideas for you! Rust Printing on Paper WorkshopIn this workshop, you'll explore different techniques for making prints with rusty metal on a wide variety of papers. I'll show you how to use the rust marks as inspiration as you create an accordion book with a cover, added pages, collage elements, windows, weaving, and stitching. You'll learn how to bring shades of gray out of the rusty metal for different color variations and rust up some thread and string that can be used to stitch in the accordion book as well as on the collection of mixed-media collages you'll make on the last day. This is an instant access self-paced workshop What's winter without a mug of good hot chocolate? A pretty dull winter if you ask me, especially if there are no marshmallows involved! I shared this recipe for green tea hot chocolate 3 years ago but thought I'd share it again because I think it's so good. This is a lighter version where you get the benefits of green tea and cocoa as you enjoy a treat that's not overly sweet. Most times I quadruple the recipe and store what’s left in the fridge for another time. Click the photo above to get a printable copy with the instructions for both a single serving and 4 servings. I won't tell anyone if you add some marshmallows too! "The snow is sparkling like a million little suns." - Lama Willa |
AuthorHi, I'm Kathy an artist working in the mediums of collage and eco-printing. I'm also a rust enthusiast who loves to teach. I enjoy sharing my processes and guiding you along on your creative journey. Archives
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