A Few of my Favorite Things

Pretty much anything goes with mixed media collage.  But every artist has his or her favorite ingredients.  I want to share a few of my own here.  First there is the paper.  I must admit, I'm a paper junkie.  I love the feel of it, the sound and smell of it, the many different textures, colors and qualities.  My favorite paper store is Handmade Paper Superstore.  But be forewarned:  you can get lost in the marvelous papers this shop has to offer, and wind up spending far more money than you had intended.  I only buy certain special papers there, like lace papers and a few lightweight, fibrous mullberry papers.  I used to buy assorted colors (who can resist all those luscious hues),  but found that some of the colors are produced with dyes that fade quickly, so now I prefer to buy plain white paper and decorate it myself.

 I use 90 pound watercolor paper, acid free cardstock, mulberry and tissue paper, and an oriental paper made for calligraphy that is very lightweight but strong.  It is available from Dick Blick art supplies.  Paste paper is a favorite, made by cooking a cornstarch and water paste on the stove, straining it to remove lumps, then adding acrylic paint.  The colored paste is sponged or brushed onto paper, and can be combed through with various tools to produce patterns.  It's especially effective to paint on an undercolor, perhaps metallic, then add a different color paste on top and comb through it so the bottom layer is revealed.  Diane Maurer-Mathison has published a wonderful book called "The Art of Making Past Papers", which gives detailed instructions. A fellow mixed media artist, Paula Guhin, has recently published a book called "Creating Decorative Paper".  You can find out more about her book and her work on her lively blog, http://www.mixedmediamanic.blogspot.com . 

Two other books I love are "The Art of Paper Collage" by Susan Pickering Rothamel and "Handmade Paper Collage" by Dawn Ackerman.

Now, for embelishments:  I use silk yarn for added interest.  The Handmade Paper Superstore carries it, as well as many other online shops.  Plain cheesecloth can be dyed with acrylic ink such as Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay Ink.  Cheesecloth can be used in all sorts of ways: as a stencil to leave mesh lines on your work, or glued onto the paper.  Mica chips are great for adding texture and sparkle, and even come in different colors.  You can find them at craft stores or from US ArtQuest, an online store.  I also like to add bits of abalone shell or other shells collected at the beach years ago.  Good old sand makes a wonderful texture either sprinkled onto wet paint or glue, or mixed right in the paint as it's brushed on.  Fabric paint can add great detail and is so easy to use.  In the picture below, you can see dots and zig zag lines of fabric paint dancing through the collage, as well as shells, mica chips, yarn, and many of my hand decorated papers.

My favorite glue is Perfect Paper Adhesive, though there are many glues that will work.  Just be sure to use acid free, non-yellowing glue if you want your artwork to last.  PPA is available from US Artquest and also from Amazon.com.  I love its smooth, non-sticky texture and its strength.

As you begin to experiment, you too will find your own favorites.  Mixed media collage is a wonderful, liberating experience!