Things I want to remember from Elizabeth St. Hilaire's September
painted paper collage
workshop in Sacramento
Elizabeth's YouTube on how to paint an apple is great. I used it to make my underpainting, and liked the result so much that I really didn't want to collage on top of it.
Google Elizabeth St Hillaire. Go to videos. It’s her longest one, about 25 minutes.
2. Paint paper
Elizabeth's technique involves torn paper. She likes rice paper and deli paper -- plus all kinds of other paper -- book pages, music, letters, etc. Print, stencil, paint these to match your underpainting. She does not use magazine or other shiny paper.
3. Rip the paper to mimic paint strokes
Directional ripping: Pull toward yourself with your dominant hand. The dominant hand will hold the piece with no white fringe.
Tear pieces in shapes like brush strokes.
Vary size and shape.
Make the pieces follow the form of the apple -- curved one way on the left and another on the right. (not too big, though. Elizabeth says anything bigger than a 50¢ piece will wrinkle.)
4. Glue with Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium
Press glued pieces down three times. in one minute,
Lay background first -- at least around the main object. Work back to front. Overlap as you come forward.
Work from both sides to the center.
Thick, chunky paper comes forward.
Use bigger shapes as you get to the center.
Use papers that relate to your subject matter.
Layer with tissue to mute.
For a mosaic effect leave a little of the base color around the torn paper.
You can have a painted background and only collage the main subject. (That's what I did with my apple.)
5. Varnish finished piece with Satin
Matte dulls colors.
Varnish two coats-- wait 6 hours between applications.
Brush slowly
Brush evenly
Don't shake the varnish
Don't over-brush-- it will either get cloudy or bubbly.
Materials Elizabeth recommends
Clean brushes with Murphy's oil soap.
Utrecht mixed synthetic brushes
Frames she recommends (wood gallery frames)
https://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-essentials-wood-gallery-frames/
Take plexiglass off and don't use it.
Collage artists she recommends:
Derek Gores (magazine collage)
Sean Callahan (Key West artist with his own gallery there)
Ellen Lindner, Florida quilt artist
Elizabeth St. Hilaire
My underpainting
My finished, framed collage
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