Playing with collage

During the month of May I participated in "30 days of Collage" - an online class by the amazing Stephanie Levy.  I had no experience with collage... My reasons for doing this class was two-fold.  

This year is the year for me to challenge myself to keeping a sketchbook journal. To be visual in the remembering of the moments that make up my life. So I thought that a collage element would be lovely to play with in my sketchbook journals.

The other reason why this class seemed like the right thing to do is because I will be flying of to Berlin early September to participate in one of Stephanie's live collage workshops! I cannot wait!

During our "30 Days of Collage" online class Stephanie gave us an huge amount of info on collage, with a blog post every day! Some 20 different inspirations for collage making  as well as 10 guest interviews with collage artists!

The first collage prompt I followed was the 'black and white' collage...

After playing around with different images, I made my very first collage...

Then I tried the "Warm color" collage...

...which ended up looking like this...

After visiting the Skinny Laminx shop in town, I started playing around with off cut fabric pieces I bought there...

...the end product of my 'Fabric' collage...

I love all things vintage! Thus the theme got me going on a collage playing with the idea of women gathering in Berlin for tea and playing with collage elements such as glue and scissors...

I loved the challenge of playing with all the random papers that were any way piling up in my studio... ;)

Sketchbook skool!

At the beginning of April Sketchbook skool started!  I joined in mainly because I would love to make drawing an every day experience.  I have been keeping a journal filled with words for a very long time. Yet I began to crave the idea of also filling a journal with sketches.  Although I am a total beginner at sketching I believe that anything is possible if you set you mind and heart to it! 

So on 6 April I made my first sketch...

Danny Gregory was our first teacher and he prompted us to sketch some of the new art supplies we bought.

Another challenge was to draw our breakfast...

As we were encouraged to draw from our life experiences and the things around us... I got intrigued with drawing a piece of spine - as I was starting at that time to experience recurrent back aches...

I work very long hours in a hospital laboratory... thus the following drawing...

Koosje Koene was our second teacher... she challenged us to work with color pencils... and a friend at work gave me a beautiful pear to draw...

Then along came Prashant Miranda as a teacher who inspired us with his beautiful watercolor washes. On a lovely sunny autumn day my husband and I went sketching at a beach nearby with a clear view of Table Mountain...

Jane LaFazio was our fourth teacher encouraging us to explore the use of grids... 

Next was Roz Stendahl - what a teacher!! She shared her passion for drawing animals and prompted us to visit a museum or draw toy animals as to practice before trying your hand at real animals...  On a very cold day I decided to visit the SA museum in Cape Town and managed to draw an Aardvark and also a close up gesture drawing of his feet... before running off to the coffee shop for hot chocolate ;)

A toy animal, as well as a drawing of a wood sculpture of an antelope followed...

So after 5 weeks we were introduced to the wacky Tommy Kane, our last teacher for this first semester of SBS.  Tommy was all about seeing the detail in everything!  Taking your time and always finishing off what you started...  He mesmerized all the student to the level that before long every one was drawing him! ... so I just had to too :)

Sketchbook skool was an amazing adventure!  And after 2 months I have almost filled my very first sketch journal!  My husband is also totally hooked, so we have been off to quite a few places over weekends with our sketch books :)