The Thrill of Collage

A set of collage ATCs made at one 2-hour workshop
by Phillip Hoyle.

When I was thirty years old I began doing artwork for myself, something much more than simply planning activities for children in the various programs I was running related to our church. I wanted to hang on our apartment a rubbing of a petroglyph, a rubbing I had made with crayon on newsprint, but when I got them out they seemed ugly. I knew I would have to do something artistic with my rubbings in order to hang them for display. So I bought boards and markers and paint and glue and carefully began to construct collages with these materials. I was rather pleased, even surprised at the things I thought up to do. 

When I ran out of rubbings I still wanted to make collages and so turned to magazine pieces. I worked in many different ways and eventually even looked in books for more ideas. That went on for quite a few years. And then I began painting. Oh the works often involved collage as well as paint. I learned from teachers and improved my ability to do this work.

When I began making Artist Trading Cards about four years ago, I found my favorite approach is to make tiny collages. I use scraps of paper, cuttings from magazines, ephemera, paint, markers, pencils, pens, on and on. And these 2.5 x 3.5 pieces of art work inspire more freedom of design. They often become design work for larger pieces using different materials. And people like to collect them from like I enjoy collecting theirs as well. 

Give it a try and then find someone to trade cards with.

Denver 2016