Alyice on September 20th, 2009

Collage Journeys

“The more you work, the more you develop your own tastes and obsessions, and a kind of personal iconography emerges.”

This review is a long time coming, and I feel a little guilty for not sharing this wonderful book with you sooner, but I’ve been trying to find the right words to convey what a freeing and inspirational book this is.

Collage Journeys isn’t a book about exploring or expressing your emotions through art, it doesn’t tell you how to use art to release pent up emotions or to explore what emotions surface on a daily basis. Rather, this is a book of projects and techniques that allow you to create art that is personal and true. This is a book that gets back to the basics of creating art.

“Collage is all about taking imagery and materials out of their original contexts or circumstances,” says Davies, “and putting them in new ones…giving them new life.”

Collage, according to Davies, isn’t always a black and white process in which we begin with one idea and end with the same idea. Collage is about a process, a journey. It’s about beginning with one idea and allowing that idea to naturally evolve—even if it means a new meaning takes its place.

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“At some point along the journey your collage will reveal meaning, seemingly of its own accord,” says Davies. “At other points, you will nudge it along by making conscious choices about the direction of the journey… The process is a balance of letting things happen and making things happen, just like life.”

In 7 chapters and 143 pages, you’ll discover:

How the materials you choose set the tone of the collage,
Why the support you choose affects the character of the collage,
That ephemera can come from anywhere and everywhere; regardless of its archivability,
Why archival glue is the best adhesive—even if your materials aren’t archival in nature,
How to organize your collage materials for easy retrieval and quick inspiration,
How a written journal will unleash a glow of ideas and articulate visual meaning,
How every artist has a different way of working on their collages and why it’s important to find your own work flow,
Why a fresh pair of eyes can offer constructive criticism or inspiration to complete a piece of work,
How paint can enhance the overall feel and look of a collage,
How working in layers allows you to blend materials in such a way that they no longer resemble distinct, individual entities but become cohesive and themed,
Why creating a series allows you to explore many possibilities, solve problems, and open yourself up to the unexpected,
How text can give a collage focus, add another dimension, or convey a meaning beyond the subjective response of the viewer, and
How to use metaphors, symbols, and icons to enhance the overall appearance of a collage.

You’ll also have fun with the 19 detailed how-to projects:

Daily life Collage
Doodle Collage
One Object, Ten Collages
Artist Trading Cards
Idea List Collage
Collage A Day
Scanner Collage
Color Collage
Tissue Paper Collage
Cut Paper Collage
Collage Enlargement
Tissue Paper and Paint Layering
Text As A Visual Element
Narrative From Text
Found Text
Playing With Context
Simple Visual Metaphor
Personal Iconography
Make A Journal

Most of the collages (and projects) introduced in this book are abstract in nature which makes the idea of creating a collage less intimidating and far easier for those of us who are just stretching our artistic talents or who can’t draw worth a lick.

But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to creating abstract collages. You can use the techniques and projects, in this book, to create collage art that fits your own personal tastes and style because everything taught in this book is transferable from one genre to the next. It’s all about exploration.

If you’re ready to give collage art a try, I highly suggest you grab a copy of Collage Journeys today.

Disclosure: I was given a copy to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

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