Break Free with Scrap Therapy

What the heck is scrap therapy? It's a term I've coined to describe a collage exercise my friend Paula Guhin wrote about recently on her blog, Mixed Media Manic. It's something collage artists can do for themselves when they're in the midst of a demanding project and need a little break. Or when the idea fairy is AWOL. Or on those days in the studio when nothing seems to go right. At times like these, it's scrap therapy to the rescue!

Scrap therapy is stealing a half hour or so to have a bit of fun. All that's needed is a handful of found and painted paper scraps, 140# watercolor paper or other substrate, and a glue stick. (A scissors is optional.)

It's pretty simple, really:

1. Sort through your leftover paper scraps to select compatible colors and patterns that appeal to you.
2. Tear or cut those papers into pieces.
3. Glue them onto the watercolor paper to make a small collage or collages.
4. Add stamping, drawing, paint or other embellishment, if desired.

That's it! These aren't pieces you're creating to sell or submit to art competitions. The sheer pleasure of making them should be your only goal.Working on them with future sales or shows in mind defeats your purpose, which is just to have fun, so try to keep your thoughts from wandering in those directions.

This past week I found myself in dire need of scrap therapy. I've been working hard the past few months on a very large commissioned piece which has really put my skills and stamina to the test. Roughly half the surface is collage, specifically, vintage book pages which serve as a background. Every page must be encased on both sides with acrylic medium to preserve it during handling, and, once adhered to the canvas, to protect it from exposure to UV rays.

This single phase of the project has taken over a week to complete, believe it or not. There were dozens of pages to encase, and I won't even mention the tedium of cutting each one to exact dimensions so it fits precisely into its assigned position. (Yeah, I'm a perfectionist. I admit it.)

Anyway, after many days of self imposed torture, I turned to scrap therapy to preserve my sanity and my aching back. It only took a few minutes of rummaging through my paper stash to pick out some that called to me. I'm increasingly drawn to all things Bohemian of late, so purples, reds, blue-greens and golds dominated my choices. Here's my first scrap therapy collage, completed in about an hour:

Scrap Therapy collage #1   ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Last night I made a second collage, a companion piece to the one above. It's being flattened under a pile of books as I write this, and as soon as I can get it scanned I'll post a photo of it as well.  I love working with these colors so much I can see these fun pieces easily morphing into a series. There's still plenty left to do on the commission, and so, inevitably, there will be occasions when more breaks of this kind will be needed and more Boho collages will result. (Maybe I'll title the series Breaking Boho. LOL)

Setting the commissioned piece aside for a while was just what my brain needed. Sometimes the more you work on something of importance the less inspired you become. By shifting from that to something free of expectations, I completely lost myself in the creative process, which is, of course, the point. It took me from feeling depleted to feeling revived.

Scrap therapy is cheaper than shopping therapy, and healthier than liquid therapy. It really works! If you're not careful it could become a secret addiction, but I, of course, wouldn't know anything about that! 

Text and image ©2016 Lynn Edwards




 

Welcome, Paula Guhin -- Artist and Author Extraordinaire!

Today it's my great privilege to welcome guest blogger Paula Guhin, whose artwork and photography knocks me off my feet! Paula is not only remarkably talented with a brush and camera, she's a respected visual art educator as well as the author of six popular how-to art books: Image Art Workshop: Creative Ways to Embellish & Enhance Photographic Images; Painting with Mixed Media (with Geri Greenman); Creating Decorative Paper; The Complete Photo Guide to Creative Painting (with Geri Greenman); Glorious Glue!:Art with Adhesives and Adventures in Photo Artistry: Easy Activities for Anyone! All are available through Amazon.

Paula works in a wide variety of media. Below, she shares with us her process for creating the fascinating assemblage she has titled Time, Where Have You Gone? Be sure to visit Paula's blog, Mixed Media Manic, (links at right and below) to see more of her beautiful and amazing artwork! -- Lynn

 

Paula Guhin

"I'm a collage artist and painter who also adores assemblage. Here's how I begin the latter: I start with an idea, a theme. Then I gather materials to fit that concept, and a vessel of some type to contain it or to build upon. In Time, Where Have You Gone?, I used a tall wooden clock housing for structure. I always have acrylic paint and mediums, a small hand saw, and strong adhesive handy!

Found items suggesting a theme are arranged on and in a wooden clock housing.  ©2015 Paula Guhin

Two pair of thrift shop earrings reminded me of wings...time does fly! Dollar store Halloween stuff (like plaster headstones, etc.) fit right in with my thoughts of mortality as I worked on the piece. I often use doll parts, too, but I alter them (and I change most of the other materials as well).

TIP: As an assemblage is completed, the artist should feel free to add to or discard some of the collected materials. They don't ALL have to be included.

Time, Where Have You Gone? 13x5x3" mixed media assemblage on wood ©2015 Paula Guhin

I always finish the back of a free-standing piece, but of course some assemblages are meant to be wall-hung. This one took me well over a week, since each side had to dry before I continued. I finish artworks by checking all angles for contrast, variety, unity...you know, all that good stuff! (But just because this piece is formally balanced doesn't mean that all of them must be.)

The back and sides of the assemblage feature altered Halloween "tombstones" from a dollar store, earrings from a thrift shop, a clock face and other found objects.  ©2015 Paula Guhin

Now YOU try one (they're so fun!), and maybe see many more assemblages at http://mixedmediamanic.blogspot.com/

My thanks to Lynn for allowing me to guest here...she's a peach!"

Coming Monday: An Exciting Treat for My Readers

If you follow this blog, you know how highly I regard Paula Guhin, author of several of my favorite art books. Paula is a woman of many talents: she's a wonderful artist and photographer, and a very fine writer. As if these accomplishments weren't enough, she's also a respected art educator and an accomplished equestrienne.

Paula's blog, Mixed Media Manic, is a fabulous resource for artists with dozens and dozens of tutorials to inspire and inform. It's also where I head when I need some cheering up. Paula's blog features humorous tidbits guaranteed to give you a good laugh, particularly if you're a woman.

So it's with great pleasure that I can announce Paula will be my special guest here on this blog next week! Be sure to check in this coming Monday to see some of her amazing work and learn how she created it. You're bound to come away with your mind spinning with fresh, exciting ideas, and a strong urge to drop everything and make a beeline for your creative space. Have I whetted your appetite? I promise you won't be disappointed! See you Monday!

©2015 Lynn Edwards

Seeing Possibilities in the Mundane: Altering Photos for Art Use

Recently I was sitting on a beautiful deck shaded by a canopy of trees. I couldn't help but notice the intriguing patterns the sunlight was casting all around me. Then I began to look really closely at other features in this idyllic spot -- the rough bark of the trees, the pebbled surface of the concrete path leading to the deck, and the "toothlike" appearance of the wooden steps across from where I was sitting. Thinking I'd like to add some photos to my inspiration file, which I like to tap for collage elements and painting ideas, I grabbed my camera to capture these humble subjects before the light shifted.

Here's a small sampling of what I ended up with:

An ordinary tree trunk

Rotated sideways and altered in Photoshop it becomes a textural element for a collage

Rotated in the opposite direction and colorized, it might be the basis for a future abstract painting

Shadows where a vertical wall met the concrete sidewalk

Changing its color and exaggerating the saturation results in something quite different!.

Ordinary wood steps on the deck

Those same steps look more interesting now, don't they?

I really liked this pattern on the patio lantern.

Photoshop turned it into something quite dramatic.

Playing with the color and saturation levels introduces a whole new look entirely.

Even if you don't have access to a photo editing program you can still take pictures that can inspire you, be used as image transfers, or be altered manually. With digital photography the sky's the limit! An indispensable guide to dozens of techniques for altering photos is Image Art Workshop: Creative Ways to Embellish and Enhance Photographic Images by Paula Guhin. It's a go-to resource for me. You can check out Paula's blog, Mixed Media Manic, by clicking on the link in my blog list. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

A quick update on my pouring experiment, described in my previous blog post:

I'm still tinkering with the painting. I think I'm done messing with it now, but I need to go back and clean up the edges where I put blue painter's tape. Overall, I'm happy with the way it looks, but I need more practice with pouring. As soon as I make it presentable (!!) I'll post a photo, probably toward the end of this week.

Text and images ©2014 Lynn Edwards

Nine More Essential Books for Collage and Mixed Media Artists

In yesterday's post I listed six books I'd enthusiastically recommend to anyone wanting to become a better mixed media or collage artist. Tonight, as promised, I'm posting the rest of my favorites list. The nine titles below, like those already mentioned, are outstanding resources. I keep a copy of each in my studio and I refer to them often. In their pages I find creative inspiration, an endless supply of techniques to experiment with, and plenty of eye candy to uplift me whenever I need a creative boost. So here goes:

Painting with Mixed Media by Paula Guhin and Geri Greenman
Image Art Workshop by Paula Guhin
Mixed Emulsions: Altered Art Techniques for Photographic Imagery by Angela Cartwright
Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed Media Artists: Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery and Encaustic by Ann Baldwin
Flavor for Mixed Media: A Feast of Techniques for Texture, Color and Layers by Mary Beth Shaw
Celebrate Your Creative Self by Mary Todd Beam
Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop: Mixed Media Techniques for Embracing Imperfection and Celebrating Happy Accidents by Serena Barton
Creative Mixed Media: Paint, Print, Stitch, Stamp, Embellish by Sherrill Kahn
Masters: Collage -- Major Works by Leading Artists curated by Randel Plowman

There are many other excellent art books out there, with new titles being introduced almost daily. Those I've mentioned are my reliable go-to's, a cherished library of knowledge I consult often. They'd be what I'd grab first if my house was burning down. (I've actually removed them to the safety of the basement when tornadoes threatened.) You probably have some you feel the same way about. What books do you treasure and why do you value them? Let us hear from you. Good books deserve to be read and information about them shared!

©2014 Lynn Edwards

The Car as Art

Paula Guhin, whose Mixed Media Manic blog I follow (see sidebar), recently posted a couple of photos of sculptural art on a hippie van that made me smile. That artist had used old mannequins to add some distinction to his or her vehicle. Paula's photos reminded me of another tricked out vehicle I had seen a couple of years ago in Woodstock -- that's Woodstock, Georgia, not New York. Naturally I had to take a picture of it:

No way can you drive a car like this and not draw attention. Every inch of the hood, roof and rear deck was covered with toys. You don't see sights like this everyday.