Fifties Woman ~ torn paper collage

12x12 torn paper collage on gallery wrap canvas done yesterday after working on it 2.5 days. An imaginary face that reminds me of women in the 1950s, the nostalgic hairstyle and clothing. COPYRGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Big Red Rooster

12x12 torn paper collage on wrapped canvas done today that was my studio class demo.  This whimsical rooster was drawn with black felt tip marker onto clean white gessoed canvas, then various colors of torn paper were adhered with matte medium.  Tomorrow it will be finished with gloss medium varnish of several coats.  No photo references used.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith           Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal           Cost:   $295

Coffee or Tea - torn paper collage

12x12 collage on wrapped canvas using torn paper collaged on with matte medium, started over the weekend and finished yesterday.  Using a line drawing I tore, not cut, scraps of slick magazine piece colors and put into place with the medium.  Avoiding using any straight edges such as page sides, patterned paper was put over the wrapped edges.  I will varnish several times using gloss medium to give this cute mug a special shine.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Red Amaryllis WIP torn paper collage

 After 2 hours yesterday this is as far as I got with the amaryllis flower and leaves.  Paper scraps are torn and adhered with acrylic matte medium onto dry canvas, then the medium is brushed over the top.  Stay tuned to this work in progress collage.

Initial line drawing from life with black Sharpie on 24x20 wrapped canvas begun yesterday; this icy weather was perfect for the subject matter to do a torn paper collage.

The Ones That Got Away - male collage figures

30x22 torn paper collage over gouache and watercolor, a design composition I've gone back into.  Initially, this one was watermedia and drawn in charcoal and it didn't work, so I used torn paper and collaged the central guy with a cigarette.  Still it was off, so this weekend past with 3 days off, I tackled it again, applying more torn magazine pieces adhered with acrylic matte medium to the two side men.  Some areas around the main guy's white shirt were refined.  Each guy represents those hunks that 'got away', so I was laughing and reminiscing.  Phrases such as Snake Charmer, Control Freak, Grow a Pair, honeymoon, the ones that got away, etc., can be seen incorporated into various areas.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Terrible Tuna

22x15 mixed watermedia collage on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper.  I first laid a Big Spring Herald newspaper sheet and adhered it to watercolor paper, rolling with a brayer, to remove air bubbles. When dry, I put long strips of masking tape over in a random pattern and pulled that off which removed some of the printed text. Then I sketched tuna fish with Caran D'Ache watersoluble wax crayons and painted inside of the fish. Using a 1" wet brush, I spread the colors.  Next I used various cool colors plus white gouache to go over the entire background. After all was dry, the tuna was too terrible and boring, so I outlined him in black India ink then began adding torn paper collage. I did leave a few areas untouched and think the fellow is ready to eat.

Gentle Giant Elephant

20x16 torn paper collage on wrapped canvas started yesterday (see the first phase posted below) then finished up today.  Using various heavy paper magazines, colored pieces were torn by hand and applied with matte medium both sides.  When totally dry I will varnish with gloss medium and sign it.

Most of the elephant was done yesterday in about 1.5 hours, although with this work in progress, I had to go back and correct values today.  You can see the black marker lines on the gessoed canvas where I drew background and foreground grasses.  This work is now SOLD.

Happy Pear

8.5x7 torn paper collage on matboard, a demo I started for Monday evening art class, and finished up today.  Using slick magazine pages and matte medium, tear colors needed and adhere to a black marker line drawing.  When dry coat several times with gloss medium varnish for a shine.

Scarlet Macaw - torn paper collage

10x10 torn paper collage on wrapped canvas, my demo from yesterday's class.  I drew the parrot with black felt tip permanent marker after gessoing the canvas, then began tearing, not cutting, paper from quality magazines and adhering with matte medium.  Today I spent 2 more hours getting him done.  There's a frog, a paintbrush, a butterfly, bracelets, rooster, red jalapeno pepper, steamer pot, trivets, a green colander, apple, chair, etc., within the square composition.  Tomorrow I'll apply varnish medium to seal it and make it shiny.

Apple - torn paper collage

10x10 wrapped canvas, a torn magazine paper collage applied with matte medium after drawing an apple outline.  This is my daily painting for today.  An iPhone is hidden somewhere within; can you find it?

Caviar Chef - torn paper collage on canvas

12 x 12 torn paper collage on canvas done today at Suzy's class held at my studio. From his Hershey's hair to his caviar on crackers coat buttons, to his Denali/Yukon headlights for eyes, I think he is too cute! What do you think?

Paris Hilton Cupcake - collage

10 x10 torn paper collage on wrapped canvas, a daily work of art from my New Mexico studio, using magazine pages, advertisements, and various papers.

Chocolate Icing collage

18x18 torn paper collage on gessoed matboard of a chocolate cupcake oozing with calories and happiness for the viewer as well as the foodaholic.

Pick Your Own-Watermelon torn paper collage

Finished!!! After 6 more hours today and messy fingers it is finally done. I hope it reads okay now and values are corrected and shapes simplified...I have a tendency to add detail when painting, so thought it would hold true for collage and yes, it does. Last chore to do was to tear tiny black ovals for seeds and get them adhered to the gloss varnished areas as well as check all 4 edges that they're covered, too. Fork and knife in foreground rest on a white napkin for a little genteel touch in this country still life scene. Total fun and takes many hours but is well worth it! If you have never done this type collage I'd encourage you to try.

Collage WIP - Watermelon steps 3&4

I'm continuing on with the background starting upper right and down that side then working across left and down to foreground. I can tell already that some areas need simplification to read as solid instead of so choppy and detailed...tomorrow will tackle that and adjust values as the purple grapes aren't showing up too well.

Collage WIP Watermelon Still Life

Now you can see what all I got done in 2 more hours today, all of the melon and its pieces, and even going back to adjust values here and there. I thought the red zinnias were a nice touch.

Collage WIP Watermelon next steps

Yesterday I began adding torn red paper from magazines to the meat of the melon and will show values from light to medium to dark in red tones. Today I did its rind, the yellow lemons, and all the grapes. Stay tuned for more as it progresses.

New Collage Watermelon Still Life WIP

16x20 line drawing on wrapped canvas, ready for doing collage today with torn paper, a work in progress.
So stay tuned!

Collage - Next Step: More Glue!

The "white" background and inbetween spaces is now collaged with white, off white, and other neutral values of torn paper. Some areas still need to be covered again as I don't want the grays in the watercan to have conflicting values. It needs to be prominent, at least until all pansies are done. Most of them are in as seen here and hot pink one needs to be more pale for contrast. All in all, a fun time and I'm learning more as I go along. Susie advised to add light white acrylic to the background if needed.

Collage Beginning Stages

The canvas is slanted but maybe you can still see its beginnings of the line drawing and adherence of torn paper scraps in dark gray for the metal watering can. Next I tackled the background which was to be white. Susie taught us that white paper needs to be white on both sides and she uses some photo paper that she scribbles or doodles on. At upper left mine is too gray and is the wrong value for white so later had to collage over that.