Collage - The Fine Art of Taking an Assemblage and Creating Something New

Collage by definition is from the French word "coller" meaning to glue. In the art world, it means gathering an assemblage of things and putting them together to create something new.

Famous artists such as Picaso, Georges Braque, Max Ernst, and Henri Matisse played around with this art form. It is a favorite of children and amateur artists because it provides such a venue to express oneself without having a lot of artistic supplies. Newspaper, magazines, boards, glue, cloth or material, paint, doo-dads, and most anything can be used. The artist simply has to compile a variety of mediums to create their work of art.

One of my favorite bases is the pre-stretched canvases available in most craft stores. You can get these on sale in a variety of sizes. Your collage can be on one of these canvases of several of them placed together in a pleasing array. Of course, you don't need to buy anthing to use as a base. You can use boards, plywood, heavy duty cardboard or most anything that is substantial and won't warp.

In this case, I used two 6 x 6 square canveses and one rectangular canvas 6x12. I preped the canvas simply by wetting the surface slightly with water using a paint brush so that I could crumple my tissue paper and place it where I wanted it. Just plain, ordinary tissue paper works, but when handling it wet, try not to let the color run (unless that is the effect you want). The next step was the brush diluted glue over the tissue to adhere it to the base.

I am going to take a moment an back up here. When I had this project in mind, I had just retired and so the theme I chose had to do with my state at this stage of my life. Often people who retire start feeling left out and useless, but I wanted to convey the idea that even in the vintage years, we have something to contribute. This is also the stage in life where we are free to explore new ideas, volunteer our time in great causes, and begin new hobbies. It is far from a sedated kind of life, but, rather, a time for new adventures. This was the theme I was trying to portray with this collage.

Having a purposed theme helps you to decide what materials you want to use. Collages often are full of texture so keep that in mind when selecting your bits of stuff. Also, you may have a message that you are trying to get out to others or simply express yourself. That is the beauty of this type of art.

Texture is delightful to the eye and it adds depth to your piece. Treasured items may be added to expand your theme such as treasured pieces of jewelry, medals, or other memorabilia that give it meaning. I like to use bits of cloth, newsprint or text from old books, handkerchiefs which you can find in thrift stores, old buttons, or even photos. The sky's the limit. Just make sure it, 1) goes with the color scheme you have chosen, and 2) sticks with your theme.

Now that you have your assemblage of stuff, start laying it on, moving it around, experimenting where you would like to place these items. Think about what will be used for the background like the printed page or handkies. What items do you want to catch the eye and where are these going to be placed?

I always find it helpful to quickly sketch out my arrangement or even many arrangements prior to starting the project. I did this first just to get my ideas down and play with the theme. The season of autumn seemed to fit the idea of aging so my colors were the colors of fall in nature. Sometimes it is just fun to lay things out and move them around until you get the look you desire. Invariably, I seem to always change my sketched layout once I begin to play.

You can use Modge Podge glue if you wish, but I find that a watered down Elmer's Glue works just fine and is cheaper. When you start layering, place undiluted glue underneath the items and then brush over with glue that has been watered down just slightly. It always turns clear so don't worry about the white appearance at first. Many layers of glue can be applied until the item is stuck securely. You may have to momentarily hold down a corner or a section that doesn't lie down with your finger. Also, tissue paper and cloth can be massaged around for the desired effect once it is saturated with glue to some extent giving the artist time to experiment.

Start layering the items with glue letting it dry inbetween each layer. Leave the focus pieces until last. You can use a hot glue gun to put those on later or small, thin wire can be attached through the back such as the case with the heirloom watch. I poked up through the canvas fastening the watch fob and chain in place by looping the wire through a link and bringing the wire to the back to twist and secure. This is another reason I like to use the canvases.

Inviting my neighbors over to make their personal collage, I began teaching them the basics. They were to think of a theme and gather items to display or bring anything that meant something to them. As we started, you could see their personalities through their art.

It is an interesting process and relatively easy to create something of which to be proud. We had a lot of fun experimenting and figuring it all out not to mention the great time we spent together. For these two, it was an art experience which they had never done before. For me, it was interesting to see just how much the collages they finished reflected their personalities and tastes.

You are a collection of all your experiences and education: a collage of sorts. So making a collage is just an extension of yourself. It is an assemblage of stuff from which you create a whole, new work of art. So start creating!