Dragonfly Song

Dragonfly Song

10 x 8 mixed media on watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

I created this collage using handmade paper, card images, sheet music, batik fabric. I enjoyed working with the deep oranges and reds in this piece. I really like the use of old music books to remind me that there is music in all the earth's creatures if we listen hard enough.

I am still trying to learn how to do successful image transfers. If anyone has a suggestion about where to go to learn this technique, I would really appreciate it.

No. 2 in the Creation mini series

Earth Music

5 x 4 mixed media on 300# watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

I did this small collage several weeks ago, but forgot to post it. This one was inspired by an erupting volcano. I used tissue paper, hand made paper, altered newsprint, red and gold foil paper, and old sheet music.

Altering paper with paint

I have been having almost as much fun altering paper for my collage work as I have been creating collages and visual journal pages. Above are parts of four papers. The papers on the left and right are done on watercolor paper. The green one is on shiny palette paper. The red is a page out of a newspaper. I have used all but the red, which I just created, in my collage work. I have decided that one can never have enough papers for collage. The best thing is I can use paper I have anyway from magazines, newspapers, grocery bags, and the list goes on. Wonderful way to learn about color and paint application. I used sponges or old credit cards for each of these.

Mini collages

Tag bookmarks

mixed media

by Miki Willa

I have had these tags for many, many years. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them until now. They are great for making mini collage bookmarks. I can experiment with different papers and things from nature. I can try out different color combinations, and use background paper I don't think I would like in a larger size piece. They will make great little pick-me-up gifts. I have many more tags and many more fun ideas. Glad I hung on to them.

Working in layers

Tranquility and Happiness

6 x 4 mixed media on 300# watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

This is an example of a work that designed itself. I started out with a simple composition in mind. It got more complicated with each new element I added. As I layered the papers, some hand made and some from magazines, I felt it was getting too busy. I decided to unify it a bit with titan buff acrylic and a sponge. At this point, I was really liking the layers and textures created by the different papers and the sponge application. When that all dried, I chose some dark purple acrylic and rubbed it in selected places to highlight some of the texture. I also added the kanji for tranquility and for happiness, because the colors reminded me of both emotions. There was a point at which I was pretty sure this was going to be a throw-away. I am so glad I listened to that little voice inside me that told me how to make it work.

The Seer

The Seer

5 x 7 tissue paper, handmade paper, magazine image on card stock

by Miki Willa

I decided to use some of the tissue paper I found in a box in the closet. I had carefully folded and saved these papers for a few years with plans to use them for wrapping presents. I think this is a much more exciting use. I tore the paper and overlapped it in places to create different shapes and values. I love the paper with the really open weave. It gives such great texture. I am not sure whether or not this will become part of the creation series. Time will tell.

Creation series #1

The Firmament Awakens

5 x 4 hand made paper on 300# watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

I have set a goal to create 13 collages for the international collage exchange next year. I realize this is an ambitious goal for someone who just started in this medium, but I believe it is a worthy goal. I have decided on a creation theme. To begin, I am creating a series of 4 x 5 collage "sketches" in preparation for the larger pieces. This is the first one in the series.

I will be using my favorite palette for the series: ochers and blues with some greens. The ochers come in colors from ecru to deep orange and red. There are golds, yellows and browns. These are total earth colors. The blues represent the air and water to me. The greens represent living things. I am excited about the series and will post them here as I finish them.

Split Compliments - red, blue-green, yellow-green

Bamboo

9 x 6 mixed media

by Miki Willa

The idea for this collage came from the red and gold paper. I found a half-page fancy monogram in the red and gold that I tore into strips. I knew I would do something with them that was more Asian in look. When I decided to work on a series in split compliments, this is one of the first papers I pulled out.

I have been trying something new with my creative energy lately. At night, just before I go to sleep, I put creative questions in my head, and the rest of the universe some would say. When I wake up, just after prayers, I focus on the questions to see if any insights planted themselves in my brain. So far, it has been interesting. Last night, I was thinking about this collage. This morning, I had a better idea of what I wanted to do. I remembered some of the other papers and ephemera I had in the folders. When I finally found time to work on it, I was able to find the papers easily and start the composition. I even knew I wanted to do some painting on the surface.

The best thing is that I did this in my new collage work space. I didn't have room in the pastel studio, so I have been working on the dining room table. It was a great place to work, but it meant we couldn't use the table for eating. On Sunday, we went to IKEA and bought the parts for a great table. My wonderful husband put the table together yesterday while I was taking care of my granddaughter, and when I got home, I set up the new space in a spare room that has great afternoon sun. So far, there is a place for everything, and I can use the table for sewing projects when they come up. I am a very lucky woman to have such a supportive husband in all my creative endeavors.

Midnight Sun

Midnight Sun

3 x 5 mixed media on watercolor paper

by Miki Willa

Here, again, I decided to work with split complementaries. I really like purples and blues with oranges, golds, and yellow ochres. The feel so rich to me. For this mixed media collage, I painted with acrylics first. I played with wet on wet, which I haven't done since my watercolor days. I like the lines that happened as the colors dried and showed where they bled into each other. That was especially true with the yellow. After the paint was dry, I glued down the papers in a pattern I had worked out ahead of time. After I got the lavender oval in place, I decided to do some dry brush with burnt orange in a circular pattern. I am pleased with the results. I have never seen a midnight sun, but I think this is what they should look like.

I think I am going to work in small formats for a while. My goal is to get comfortable with the medium before I jump into something bigger. Right now, I am quite happy with my learning curve.

Imagine I can do a collage

Imagine

7 x 5 collage - photos, magazine images, paint samples, acrylics

by Miki Willa

I have finally jumped into the world of collage. I posted my first one on my Pastels and More blog. I decided I wanted to separate my paintings from my collage art in the blog world. This is all very new to me, and I wanted to freedom to experiment in a different format.

I fell in love with collage recently after finding Mary Buek's work at What if I . . . . Through her site, I found Leslie Avon Miller at Textures, Shapes, and Colors, Painting On with Margaret Ryal, Laura Lein-Svencner at Lonecrow Art and Collage with, and Kelly Kilmer. I started out by learning about visual journaling with Kelly on her Prompt a Day monthly online classes. That has really helped me become familiar with acrylics, glues, gloss mediums, composition, and a host of other techniques. I have been studying other collage artists and learning what I like best about collage. I will continue to paint my pastels, but am really excited about expanding my creative self.

For this collage, I decided to explore color. I took my color wheel and worked with split compliments. I think I will work in this area for a while. I chose images I find inspirational, placed them in a way that pleased my eye, and used a sponge to apply the acrylics after the glue dried. I am pleased with the end result. As I learn, I will use a variety of images, but as I progress and learn more about photo transfer techniques, I will begin to use only my own images.