It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Do you remember, years and years ago, before you knew about skin cancer, before you really believed that too much sun would wrinkle your skin, you know, back when you would oil yourself up and lay out to get a sun tan as soon as the weather warmed up?

So you remember, also, that you usually got burned that first day. But we all suffer for our beauty. But, do you remember the best thing about sun burned skin? Once it started healing, you could pick at the skin and see how big of a piece you could get off in one piece!

Well, the next best thing, and painless and does not cause cancer, is working with paper and making collages. Because I use acrylic medium to adhere the pieces of paper together and to protect the surface. And of course it gets on your hands and especially your finger tips. And then the fun begins if you don't go washing it all off. As it dries, it becomes a second skin and you can pick at it for hours and see if you can pull off a complete finger print or what ever...just too much fun but a little dangerous when one is driving home after spending the day at the studio.

So what have I been doing? These are assorted collages in various stages of getting done or done. Some need a palm tree screened on, some need some stamping, some need some more color or more paper. And some are done. But they are all so fun to do. Each is 8x10". Collage 1 is not an even 8 x 10"


Collage 2 still needs a little more work, I think.

Collage 3 is finished I think.

Collage 4 is waiting for a palm tree, I think.

Collage 5 is finished.

Collage 6 is finished.

Collage 7 is finished and is oh so neat!

Collage 8 is finished, I think although I may tone down the white music paper.

I have been collecting and making papers for years. I collect old postcards, old stuff and more old stuff, old books that are falling apart, old rubber stamps, pages with a lot of color in magazines of high quality, found papers, savings stamps and all the kind of STUFF.

And then, finally, I have a chance to play with it. I am working on one table at my studio and my big work table is piled high with quilt stuff and so is another table. But I have two more days I can do collages before I have to clean up for my design class on Saturday. So I will spend two more days playing paste-up, tearing paper, etc. And then, Friday afternoon, I will play clean up and get the studio set for a class.

Life doesn't get any better!