Category: Collage & Mixed Media Art

When I first saw this concept in the movie, Crimson Peak, I didn’t think fore-edge book art was anything mainstream… ever.

Now, I’ve learned that it’s a legitimate book art. (How did I never hear of this, before?)

It’s something I’m considering including in my altered books art, and perhaps other projects.

Another example, from 1801:

Here’s a 1947 video showing one way fore-edge art was added to books:

And here’s a modern artist working with this concept:

For more historical insights, this 28-minute discussion explains the fore-edge tradition and practice in more detail:

Are you art journaling with mixed media and ephemera?

Do you struggle to collect and organize collage photos, papers and ephemera?

Here’s the system that works well for me. It might help you, too.

Art journaling – and mixed-media collages – can require lots of images. And, to remain “in flow” as you’re creating a new journal entry (or embellishing an older one), organization can be vital.

Here are some tips to keep the clutter under control.

Step One: Sort collage elements by into groups

Start by deciding how you think about your collages.

• Are you primarily color-focused?
• Or, do you choose images by themes, such as Nature, Anime, Steampunk, Skies, and so on?

For me, all of my art – including my collages and art journaling pages – is often about color.

So, I organize my loose images into the major color groups (red, blue, green, etc.) and then expand (lime green, turquoise, etc.) as my collection of saved images becomes too large for anything simpler.

Usually, I store them in individual manila folders, based on the main color in the image.

Then, when I want something blue, I open my “blue” folder and I’ll see my primarily blue magazine images, but also blue tissue paper, maybe some bits of blue ribbons or fabrics that I intend to use in collage, and so on.

However, I’ve also started folders that say things like “skies” and “green plants.”

Think about how (and what) you look for elements and ephemera to add to your collages as you work on them.

Also look at your existing collages. Your categories might be “faces” or even more specifically, “women’s smiling faces,” etc. Or, “nature,” “dark-looking castles,” “cute cottages,” “kissing,” “fast cars,” “vintage images,” or whatever.

Create categories that work for you and your creative process.

Step Two: Keep those folders tidy.

Having a bunch of folders, no matter how well they’re filled with juicy, colorful images, is the just the first step.

Then, they need to be accessible.

For me, that means a standard file box with hanging files.

All the blue-related folders (turquoise, sky blue, navy) go into one hanging file. All the photos of forests, from travel magazines and National Geographic, go in another hanging file, along with a folder that’s gardens and another that’s houseplants. And maybe honeybees and butterflies.

Optional Addition: Bins.

As I work on a collage and tear off pieces, I’m often left with shreds and shards of paper that are too good to throw out.

When that happens, I put them into small bins. In my case, I’m recycling plastic sandwich meat containers from Target. (My family’s favorite ham comes in those containers.)

I have one for blues and greens. One for glittery ephemera. One for ribbons, feathers, and so on.

You get the idea, I’m sure.

When I’m just NOT finding the collage element I need, I open those bins and usually find the perfect element.

Either that, or – looking at those bits – I have an “ah-HA!” moment, and know where to look for the element I need. Usually, that’s a magazine or travel brochure from my stack of unread future collage resources.

Why to Stay Organized

If you’re like me, you create your best art when you’re “in flow.” Anything that interrupts can affect the journal page or collage that I’m working on, and not in a good way.

So, the more I can create systems that work intuitively for me, and keep everything organized, the happier I am as an artist.

Find (or create) systems that work for you and keep you organized.

I know that can be a challenge for artists, but it’s also essential for us to create our very best work.

A composition book art journal is any journal that’s kept in a composition book. Those are generally school-type, saddle-sewn (along the crease) notebooks with cardboard covers… similar to exam/test booklets, but a little more permanent.

Composition books are inexpensive, so many people like them especially for informal journaling. It feels less intimidating to use a journal that doesn’t cost much, and is familiar from our years in school.

They’re so affordable, you can buy several. Put one in your car, one in the baby bag, one by your bed, and so on. Then, you’re ready to create a journal page when you have some free time. The journals are so inexpensive, you can rip completed pages out and bind them into your more formal artist’s journal.

(“Binding” the loose page can be as easy as taping it into your other journal. Or, you can glue it, sew it, staple it, etc.)

Composition books have lots of lined pages in them… as many as 100. They come in a variety of sizes, but the traditional ones are about 8″ x 10″ or so. The traditional ones often have a b&w cover that looks sort of marbelized.

You can also find composition books with red covers, plain manila covers, green covers, and so on. You may want to choose one with a color that reminds you of your childhood. (But, the color may not matter if you’re going to cover it with art anyway.)

Also, it’s easy to embellish the cardboard covers. I’d still use something (such as fusible interfacing) on the back so that threads don’t pull through, but you can sew through the cardboard with a crewel needle. Then, you can embroider on it, add beads & buttons, etc., in addition to other embellishments.

(For more about sewing on your journal pages and covers, see Sewing on Journal Pages.)

Paintbrushes are important for many artists.  I have lots of them for all purposes.

I use bristle-style brushes for my oil and acrylic painting. Also, I’ll use soft, hair-type brushes when I’m painting with watercolors.

However, for me, one-inch foam brushes are most useful for art journaling.

How I use foam brushes

When I’m creating collages, especially torn-paper collages when I’m art journaling, I apply Yes!Paste with a foam brush. That’s my favorite adhesive for magazine images, tissue paper, and so on.

If I’m using gel medium to seal my art journaling pages, I’ll apply that with a foam brush, too.

I’ll use a similar brush to add glittery paint and to apply gold leaf, too.

Also, I use foam brushes to apply cheap, vivid, cadmium red paint (acrylic) as an underpainting when I’m working on an art shrine (that I’ll also paint) or a fine art painting.

I generally get at least three to five uses from each foam brush.  I wash them thoroughly and promptly after using them.

Some foam brushes are better than others

I used to buy my foam brushes at Michael’s. Recently, to get the best price, I had to buy a package of assorted foam brushes.

That was a mistake. Some of the brush sizes were useless for my work. In addition, the quality wasn’t great.

Now I buy brands that I trust, like US Art Supply’s 1-inch brushes. And – for now – I order through Amazon. It’s convenient. If a product is disappointing, it’s easy to return it, but so far, these brushes have been fine and the price is very good.

Note: If you use the kind with wooden handles, the wood can be recycled in a variety of projects.  (For some of my cloth dolls, that handle is the perfect size to reinforce the doll’s neck, as the wooden dowel will extend from the head through the neck and then into the torso.)

After arriving in Tennessee from Arkansas, it was time to continue Alley’s journey.

During the final phase of Alley’s adventures, she reached Winchester, Tennessee.  That part of her trip inspired the next two pages in this round robin artists’ journal.

This transformed this journal into a true mixed-media artists’ journal, as Alley included actual cotton from Falls Mills.

These are her pages, larger:

After Arkansas, Alley and her husband were on their way to Tennessee.  The map in this collage shows the route that she and her husband took as they headed toward Memphis.

Paper ephemera illustrates their journey.

Here are her journal pages, larger:

Click here to see the last two pages of Alley’s section in this round robin journal.  They cover the conclusion of her trip as she drove from Dallas (TX) to Winchester (TN).

From Texas, Alley’s adventures continued through Arkansas.  That part of her journey was documented on the next two pages in the round robin journal from the Yahoo Group, Artists’ Journals.

Here are those pages, larger:

Click here to follow Alley’s next step of the journey, as she and her husband drove from Arkansas toward Memphis, TN.

After I finished a quick pair of collage pages, Alley Hauldren from Texas took this round robin journal on an adventure, driving from Dallas (TX) to Winchester (TN).

Here’s her first two-page addition to this journal:

Here they are, larger.

Her next two pages cover the second segment of her vacation.

Click here to see Alley’s journal pages about her adventures in Arkansas.