Collage Crazy!

Week 16 over at Journal 52 is all about collage this week. I love the whimsical collages that so many people create, but these never seem to go right for me! My collage started out very differently to how it finished. It was rather therapeutic to create in the end, building the layers and textures, even if it was not what I originally had in mind.

I started by collaging torn patterned papers together to create a background, then added a rough layer of gesso on the top to mute the colours and have some texture, but still see some of the pattern through.

The torn strips came next from the pages of an old book with distressed edges. The large circle was a happy accident as I was searching though scraps of paper and it fit just right! I then found the birds nest paper and cut four more circles from this of varying sizes and added the dragonfly and butterflies.

None of this was stuck down as I was playing with placement and chose to add the turquoise blue in a rough graded layer. All elements were collaged on top, then the copper drips added and finally the written and stamped statement - I just want to get my hands messy and create!