Mini-Collage Series

Here is a fun little exercise I do to get in the mode of working fluidly, without hesitation or angst. It is really simple, but the key is to do it in quantity. I make these little cut-paper collages on 4.5"x6" pieces of bristol. Each collage has three shapes in three different colors.

After I have made loads of them, I crop some of them, and add a little line and pattern detail. It is fun, relaxing, and gets me out of thinking mode and into a visual groove.

I will be offering an online class on the Mini-Collage, but for now, here is an overview of the process:

Here are some of the little collage pieces:

Thanks for visiting!

Playing with Color

I was playing with some colors that are new to me, and discovered some really great hues.  Almost every time I order paint I order a color I am unfamiliar with.  Sometimes it sits unopened in the studio for months, and sometimes I can't wait to try it.  Eventually, I get around to exploring the new colors, and always discover something surprising.

This is the first study I did in the video, using Sennelier's Sepia, Blick Matte Acrylic White, and Golden's Indian Yellow Hue fluid acrylic.

In this one I am primarily investigating Golden's Terre Verte Hue, mixing it with their Nickel Azo Yellow and some white.

This is an earlier version of the Sepia test.  I mixed it with a teeny bit of Quinacridone Gold (from Golden) in those few bits on the right.  Otherwise it's just Sepia with varying amounts of white and gray.

Here are a couple of quick tests I did with some unusual colors (for me) from Golden:  Permanent Maroon, which is relatively transparent, kind of an muted red-purple; and Violet Oxide, which looks to me like an opaque version of the same thing.  I mixed them with white, and then with one other color, as indicated.