Monday Madness (bwaaaa haaaa haaa!)

Wow!  It's so warm, it's like summer here today.  I think it's actually 1 degree above freezing.  I even went so far as to crack a window for a bit.  I just hate stagnant, sticky, old air.

Following the Mixed Media Monday theme of something new, I decided to do a new collage prompt page, and share the idea with you.  I wish I could say this is my original idea, but it's not.  I also wish I could tell you where I got the idea, but....  It is a very useful tool though, so I decided to share.  Besides, it's fun!

This is for when you are feeling stuck creatively, or if you just want some creative play.  Cut up some bits of heavy paper or card stock, and on those bits you are going to write down prompts, steps you might take when making a collage or other mixed-media type work.  Write down things like: paint, draw, add one color, scratch, erase, pen, scissors, emboss, stamp, gesso, staple, glue, paper, something shiny, wipe, charcoal, oil pastel, etc, etc, anything you can think of.  Put all of these in a bowl or a box.

I came up with this part all on my own;)  I took the color chart pages from an art supply magazine and cut out all the little color squares.  You could also just cut out squares of color from magazine pages.  Put these in another container.

I have an altered book I use for my creative play.  You can use a book, paper, piece of card stock, card board - any surface you want.

I like to start out by putting down a good, thick layer of gesso.  It makes the pages sturdier and able to withstand what I'm about to do to them.  Let it dry.

Next, reach into your prompt box and pick out a prompt.  Do whatever it says.  My first one said "scratch".  Actually my first one said "erase", but since there wasn't anything to erase, I put it back.  I used an X-acto knife to scratch.  Next I picked "draw" and then "surprise".  There was a burnt match on my desk, so that was my surprise.

Just keep going.  I picked: paper, window, pattern, tear.  For the window, I tore out another page from the same book, cut a window in it, and glued it over the eyes.  For pattern I glued down some polka dots.  BTW, whenever I use the hole punch, I save the leftover dots for just such a purpose.  I glued down some paper, and I tore the window flap.

Next I picked "add one color".  This is when I reached into my box of color prompts.  I like using this, because I have a tendency to get into color ruts; this technique forces me to use colors I don't normally use, plus to mix combine colors I wouldn't think of mixing combining.

I picked one more, "paper", added that and decided I'm done for now.  I want to come back later after it dries and add in some larger, drawn circles to repeat the circles I have in the pattern.  That sunlight falling across the page reminds me that it's getting late and I have many more things to do today!

P.S. Whenever I have leftover acrylic paint or gesso from a painting project, I pull out an old book and use the paint up by prepping pages for future altering.