Class Overview
Collage is a particular technique that gets us to loosen up. It is perfect for beginners jumping in and also ideal for established artists needing new ideas. In my classes I focus on getting people so busy making art that they forget to get worried about it. Classes generally begin with two hours of a structured exercise. This can be: making drawings, prints, stamps or stencils, distressing paper, etc. In my classes we make many of the materials from scratch. When we use magazines or bought materials I emphasize changing them; sanding them, painting over them, etc. These techniques warm students up and the last two hours of the class are free for people to work quietly. I attempt to draw from people their own individual touch, color sense and need for expression. These days people come to me with a fierce need to be creative and the first thing I want to do is give them a big chunk of time to relax into. I call this the 'caramel space' of creativity; a place where we can rest and breathe together in the simple act of making stuff. I read aloud from art books, talk about the history of collage and interject lessons on: composition, light, color, shape, texture and narrative.
