Deepening through Collage
A "Food for the Spirit" Project
Several years ago, during the month of Bahá'í fasting, I began making collages using the following method and have found it to be a very relaxing, contemplative and often insightful exercise. It can be completed in an hour or in a month, it is up to you how far you want to go with any one topic. I hope you will try it at least once using sacred text that you find meaningful. I have some of my Hidden Words collages at the Gallery of Captured Light.
Preparation
The first thing I do is to say a short prayer, and clear my mind. I remind myself that whatever I create will be for my own enrichment and pleasure and is not meant to be held up to public scrutiny (unless I choose to show the completed piece at a later time.) I do this in order to be more free while I work. (This might not be a necessary step if you are a person who does not overly criticize your own work in progress.)
Next I choose the text I wish to ponder and reflect upon, something I wish to "deepen" on, attain a deeper knowledge of. I recommend choosing one word, such as an attribute of God like "justice" or "mercy", or an excerpt of sacred text, something short and easy to memorize. I especially like The Hidden Words revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. Each short stanza is rich with deep meaning.
Read over your selected word or quote and then read it again. Try to memorize it if possible so that you do not need to refer back to it while selecting images.
Now it is time to gather together the wide range of images, ideas and materials you will need to draw from when working on your collage. This is the stage of the process which partially determines how long the project will take. If you have appropriate materials and images on hand you can complete this step quickly, if you don't, or if you feel you do not have enough to work with, you will need to go out and search for good materials. My girlfriend, Clyde, puts on some music in the background at this point. I like that idea.
Look for images and other items that you feel fit in with the theme of your quote. I happen to have a couple of boxes full of images saved from magazines and catalogs so I go through them first. (This takes me a couple of hours.) If you are artistic you can draw images and cut them out. Rubber stamps are sometimes a good resource if they have a simple graphic image that can be repeated onto different paper types-- you can then either use the stamped paper whole or cut out the stamped motifs, or both.
As you sort through your images repeat the word or quote in your mind, look for any free associations that occur. Set aside anything that you feel goes along with your theme, a certain shade of paper, a certain word that pops out at you from an advertisement, a large landscape, a golden candy wrapper. Set aside these things until you feel a shift, a gut feeling that you have enough and it's time to get to work.
Clean your work area. Put away all the materials you have not set aside. Make yourself a cup of tea or cocoa, sit back, and slowly look at all the materials you've selected. Read your quote again and decide which of the items you really feel fit together with the quote and with the other items. Cull the things that you do not feel strongly about. But, keep them close at hand in case you need just "one more" element to complete the collage later.
Lay out a nice sturdy piece of illustration or cardboard, something appropriately sized based on the images you intend to use. Decide if you will "treat" the board in any way by applying paint, an overall background image, or sheet of solid-colored paper. While initally arranging your images on the board, think about whether or not you intend to place the text of the quote on the finished collage and where you would want it.
Do not glue anything right away. Keep arranging the images and items until you feel happy with the final look of the piece.
When you are happy with the placement of all your elements, lightly trace with a sharp pencil around each one. This way when you have applied the glue to the back of each element you will be able to place it back where you intended it to be. Of course you must place the background elements down first and layer the other elements on top. You might also apply other decorative items at this point like small pieces of fabric, glitter, yarn or thread, small 3-dimensional objects, or 3-D foiling glue (a glue that drys tacky and remains raised up from the surface, gold or silver foil is rubbed onto the surface and remains only where the glue is applied.) I use a glue stick for paper elements and a strong tacky glue for heavier items. I sometimes attach all the paper items to the board using an acrylic medium (available at art supply stores in a gloss or matte finish.) I will also coat the finished piece with a layer of the same medium as a "varnish". This not only gives the piece the look of a painting, but it protects the surface as well. If you decide to finish your piece with this method I recommend that you "varnish" before you attach any heavier, not paper, items.
Give your finished collage a title and make sure to write it, along with the date completed and your name, on the back of the board.
If you liked this activity, consider starting an image file of your own. In addition to a box of cardstock, typing paper, greeting cards and board, I have my boxes of materials divided into the following sections: animals; backrounds; borders; children's items; floral; full shots (photos that tell a whole story); holidays; illustrations (full shots of paintings and drawings, etc.); landscapes; miscellaneous; objects-small; objects-medium; objects-large; patterns/design elements; people; personal (personal momentos); projects--(things I'm collecting for over a long period of time. Right now I am collecting interesting images of letters of the alphabet and coordinating images to create an alphabet book for my child;) spiritual/religious; text (quotes, typeface, text graphics;) valentines (hearts, lace, and stickers, etc.;) wrapping and special papers.
Fork in the Road is a collage I did for my husband. It represents his artistic life and our family.
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