There are many different ways to work in a series. Sometimes it's a single idea. Sometimes it's a technique repeated. Sometimes it's the same supplies or colors used over and over in different ways. Sometimes it's a combination of things.
YOU get to create the "rules" around the series you're creating.
Last week, I decided to create a series of square collages using the same six papers. My only rules were (1) square, (2) collage, and (3) the same 6 papers. Here are the six gelatin printed papers I started with:
Knowing that I like a lot of contrast, I tried to choose papers in a range of colors and values with different sizes of patterns. I also knew that I'd need some kind of "resting" spots, so I tried to pick a few papers that were a bit "softer" feeling.
In collage, choosing your palette of papers is an important step that is often overlooked. Most people work from scraps or a big bin of papers. Just as you might work with a limited palette while painting, you might want to consider working with a limited palette of collage papers. And that's just what I did!
I showed you the first collage I made last week…
…and then I simply kept going until all the paper was gone.
Some are more successful than others. They're all slightly different sizes and wavy around the edges since I pieced them together without a substrate. As a group — and keep in mind that this is a digital collage, so they all appear to be the same size — I think they work well together.
Because they're made with the same papers, they coordinate. I'm also using many of the same ideas about how lines combine.
Right after I made them, I shared these pieces on instagram and someone commented that they would make "great backgrounds for cards." I confess to being slightly insulted. I don't think anyone likes hearing that their artwork would make "a great background." I'm also well aware that we each have our own taste when it comes to art and what we'd hang on our own walls — or give as a card. Nonetheless, it did make me pause and wonder. Are they finished?
I'm going to live with them for a little while and see how I feel after some time has passed.
Thanks for stopping by!
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
What a super challenge you set for yourself! I think it is very helpful to select a smaller batch of papers to draw from before I start on a collage. Otherwise I can be paralyzed by having too many choices. As for being told your art would make “a great background” – I was once told by an art instructor that yes, she understands “people can use collage to make beautiful wastebaskets”. At the time, I was working on an altarpiece for my church, but I didn’t bother to tell her.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
I actually think they all turned out great and can totally see these pieces hanging as a horizontal grouping.
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Absolutely guilty of digging into the big box of scraps while working on a collage and, while it sometomes works, it is frustrating when looking for the ; will totally give this a try (need to use up some of my gel print stash!!). THanks!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Sue!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Thanks, Mary!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Have fun!
Have fun!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
I really like them all together. I can’t see them as backgrounds – what would you put on top of them?!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Thats what Ive been wondering!
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
Love them, Julie! They definitely stand alone and are so striking I think they’d be distracting as a background. Who’d want to waste time looking at a focal point when there’s so much other fun going on. If you have 9 of them, you can hang them in a square formation to take the square thing one step further,
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
a background? maybe she struggles with background. i would frame them as is … perfectly finished!
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Yes! I was thinking that down the road I might combine a few of them into a larger piece.
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!
I just stumbled onto your pages and love them! I have to admit that I would have only though about creating collages so far as backgrounds for cards, as I really enjoy making cards. The comment you mentioned wasn‘t mine, but I just wanted to say, that if I had said this, it would have been based on my experience as a crafter, in which adding a big „hello“ sentiment on a smaller scale collage background is often done (and it would also have shown my lack of knowledge of art).
After seeing some of your blogposts and YouTube Videos, I am now really curious to try to do some real art – and to see how I can allow myself to have my creations be seen and appreciated as art without the need to serve a function (such as a cart background). I love your work and especially your openness and inspiration!!