It’s been a while since I’ve made a coffee cup collage, so I figured I might as well film the process of making one. I’ve had so much fun making time lapse videos in quarantine, and this piece is number sixteen in the video series. I plan to take a break from making these for a little bit so I can focus on other areas of my art. I’m looking forward to finding new ways to share my art and technique with others.
Art always had a big role in my life when I was growing up. It was just something that I did and I didn’t think twice about it. I took art classes at local art galleries and took an art class every year at school. I don’t think I actively thought that I was an artist or thought about becoming an artist until I was in high school.
High school was when I started becoming more serious about art. I was mentored by a local artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, and had a couple of my first-ever group exhibits. I found myself spending hours of my free time painting at an easel and experimenting with mixed media. But again, I don’t ever think I thought “I’m an artist” or “I’m going to become an artist.” At that point in time I was wrapped up with becoming a writer, which is what I initially went to college for.
At Elon University I studied creative writing, but quickly realized that I felt lost without having some sort of visual art outlet. I picked up painting as a second major. After graduating from college, I finally realized I was an artist. I had this drive to make new work and exhibit my art. And I realized how important art had been in my life all along.
It’s funny how something can be in your life for so long, and it can take you a while to realize how much it truly means to you. I’m glad that what I once thought of as a hobby or creative outlet, is something I now know I need in my life. I’m glad that I eventually found my way to calling myself an artist. And these days I’m continuing to hone my craft and share my technique with others.
When it comes to my animal portraits, I’m mainly drawn to making bird and dog collages. So the other day I decided to work on a hedgehog collage for the first time. I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out, since I figured the spines might be difficult to recreate. I was pleasantly surprised with how I found some texture that worked well with making the hedgehog’s spines. It’s nice to go outside of your comfort zone and try new things.
One of the silver linings of quarantine is that it’s forced me to get more productive with my artwork. I can’t believe that this “Golden Retriever” collage is time lapse video #14. Nearly every week since lockdown has been going on, I’ve been striving to complete one of these time lapse videos. And I was pleasantly surprised with how this piece turned out.
Artists have been making artwork for centuries. For those non-artists out there, you’re probably wondering what is it that makes artists want to make art? Where does that drive come from? I like to think that it comes from the following:
Artists have this deep-rooted love for making art. They enjoy what they do, and they can’t live without it. Just as anyone who has a career or hobby they love, artists love what they do and have this drive to pursue it.
Art allows artists to express their thoughts and views. It also allows them to explore different emotions.
When artists make art, they can tap into their imagination. They aren’t limited by the real world, and can explore worlds that they imagine.
Sometimes artists can use art to communicate thoughts and ideas that they are unable to communicate with words. It also allows them to communicate different views to others.
Artists are drawn to the art-making process for a variety of reasons. It allows them to be creators who use the valuable tool of expression.
I keep trying to work on a different subject, but I’m consistently drawn back to animals. What can I say? I think animals are more exciting to make time lapse videos of. This was an especially fun collage to make since it was my first attempt at making a hummingbird.
When you see one of my collages in-person, it’s difficult to tell what they’re made of. I think when it comes to art in general, it’s hard to imagine how a work of art was completed from start to finish. I like to post time lapse videos of my process every now and then, but I also thought I’d share more information about the tools I use to make my artwork:
These are the main ingredient of my art. I like using fashion magazines since they’re full of patterns and bright colors. I also like using magazines like National Geographic when I work on landscapes.
These are my tool of choice when I cut paper for my collages. I don’t ever use things like X-Acto knives, although I’ve heard of some collage artists who enjoy using them for cutting intricate pieces of paper.
I like using this as my support or the material I make my collages on. It’s lightweight enough that I can cut out pieces of a collage I’m working on – if it isn’t quite working out – and glue them down on another sheet of watercolor paper. It’s also durable enough that it can last for years.
This is my adhesive of choice. I like using glue sticks when I’m working on a work in progress, since the glue isn’t completely permanent, and I can pull up previous pieces to undo any details that aren’t quite working.
Every collage I make begins as a sketch. It helps me map out my compositions so I can get a sense of how well a given idea will work. And erasers are necessary for when I need to redo parts of a sketch.
When one of my pieces is finished, I’ll varnish it with a UV-protective varnish. Varnish helps seal the magazine strips in place, and gives them a more permanent adhesive than the glue sticks I use when the artwork isn’t quite complete. It also helps protect the paper from sunlight over time.
Whenever I frame my artwork, I like to use UV-protective glass and acid-free mats to help protect my artwork over time.
Sketchbooks are a wonderful way to practice your craft as an artist. You can use them to plan out future compositions, as a visual daily journal, to practice (so you can improve drawing various subjects), or for one of the many other reasons artist keep sketchbooks.
If you’ve decided to start keeping a sketchbook of your own, here’s what you can do to get started:
Head over to your local arts and craft store to pick up a sketchbook and drawing materials. You may want to use regular graphite or something like color pencils, oil pastels, or water colors.
Do you want it to be a free-form daily journal, or a book of potential ideas? Should it be used to practice drawing? Or will you use it to produce mini, original works of art? Figuring out the sketchbook’s purpose will help keep it focused.
This will help you ensure that you consistently use the sketchbook. This also helps document how your work in the sketchbook changes over time.
Taking the time to review your work every once in a while, helps you evaluate what you’ve previously done, and make a mental note of the direction you’d like to move in.
And there you have it – a list of steps to get you started with a sketchbook. Good luck and happy creating!
Another day, another collage made so I could put together a time lapse. Still life has always been a struggle for me, so I’m trying to challenge myself by working on subjects that I don’t ordinarily work on. This piece was especially difficult to piece together, and perhaps it’s simply because I’m not used to making too many food-related collages. Anyway, I’m not sure if this is entirely finished, but it’s finished for now.
I’m generally drawn to making animal portraits, but the other day I decided to do a still life collage. I wanted to film the process again to create a time lapse video (you can see the results for this one below). And I thought it would be interesting to tackle a simple shape that could be made to look more abstract.
This was my first time making an avocado collage, and although the finished product turned out a lot rounder than I intended it to be, I’m still pleased with the overall look. The shadows and highlights played nicely this time.