Week 1 Collage

 Week 1 Collage:  ABUNDANCE

I'm going to hold the word ABUNDANCE in my mind and flip through my collection of magazines and cut out maybe 5 - 10 images and or words that fit with the word abundance.  Collage is a snapshot in time.  If I did this same exercise with the same words and same magazines 3 weeks from now I would most likely select different words and images!  

Images and Words

Its ok to cut out more images that you are going to use right now!!!  They won't spoil. I store them in a gallon size zip lock bag.  And spread them  out first to see if anything fits what I'm looking for.  If not that's ok too, I proceed with looking through magazines.  After a time the zip lock bag will get full and then I make a more concerted effort to use some of them.  

TIP: Keep an eye out for interesting backgrounds and patches or scraps that can be used as a unifier.  This boring American Frontiersman ad's wood back would be a great strip to tie together two images.

GLUEING   

This is the fun part!   Play with which images and words you want to use.  Try a couple of combinations.  Trust that little voice that says YES!  It doesn't need to make sense.  It doesn't need to fit the dictionary definition of the word.  If YOU like it, its PERFECT.  What you like is the only thing that matters.  Once I get the YES from the little voice inside.  I take a picture of it.  In case I get interrupted, or knock the journal onto the floor and forget what was where.   I tend to use a glue stick for collage work because it causes less buckling of thin paper.  I have tried the various glue sticks found at Dollar Stores and they tend to not work for me.  As this 52 weeks of collage is beginner friendly I'm not planning to do very wet and textured layers.  But when I do the Dollar Store glue sticks don't hold up to that.  They also require more glue; so they are not as economical as they look at first glance.  The Blick brand glue sticks are more reliable and economical.  Other great glue sticks are the Elmer's All Purpose, and the Avery Permanent glue stick.  Since this is the internet and we all have access to different brands, please feel free to experiment with what brands are available to you.  Its just glue and paper.  No lives will be endangered if your glue stick turns out to not work well.  

Notice that all the pieces are touching something else.  None of the pieces are on a deserted island :-)  The strip of line is to visually make the top and bottom connected.  The doodling above the word ABUNDANCE is also to bring the linework from the top image into the bottom of the collage.  

You can leave blank space for journaling on your collage or your can journal on top of the images or not add any handwriting at all.  Completely your choice.  There is no wrong way!  Grab some supplies and show us your collage.  There are no stupid questions, ask away.  Show & Tell:  #52collages2021