Collage Workshop

I think Collage is harder than it looks, you loose control over shape and colour if using collected papers, but at the same time, you have this power to play and rearrange. I have always loved working with collage and mixed media, it can be a really quick, effective way of interpreting ideas, and you can create incredible textures and pattern. I looked closely at part of one of my paintings, observing tone and texture, and then created an abstract collage, only using shades of green. This limited colour palette forced me to focus on the shape rather than be distracted. I am learning a lot about colour, for me I think simple, paired down colour schemes work best. When I use too many colours, I am so focused on making them look right, that I loose sight of what I’m actually trying to do.

I like the layers that you can create through collage, by simply placing thin strips, you have an interesting and transparent pattern. I continued to develop this idea, by overlapping strips and adding in more colour, using mainly dark reds, with a bit of green. I also experimented with adding paint, I like the textures, but the composition doesn’t really flow together that well.