Sweet Collage Posies
Imperfect & sweet
collage posies
the camera is rolling!
My new class Flower Flow is finally on its way, yay! I have to say, I was hoping to start a good few weeks ago, but with builders in the house, it just wasn’t possible. I was starting to get a little panicky, but now that I’ve finally started, I realize that the timing couldn’t have been more perfect: this week we’ve had the first roses, the first strawberries and even the first baby bird hatching in the nest that redstarts built in our garage! The joy of spring is everywhere and I’m feeling so inspired. This is going to be a fun and uplifting class!
To be first to know when registration for Flower Flow will open, make sure to put your name on the waiting list:
sweet & imperfect
Each lesson will have two painting projects, around one main theme. We will start with a warm-up mini-series (you know how much I love those!) followed by a full-on, larger painting. I have just finished filming the first project of lesson one, and I’m excited to share it with you today! It is all about embracing simplicity and imperfection, and we’re going to create some happy, slightly grungy little posies…
“Just living is not enough, one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”
messy little doodles
It is so much fun to just play and loosen up, with no end result in mind. That’s why we start with a quick warm-up exercise, where we doodle some imaginary flowers with our non-dominant hand. Then we will choose a few favorites and turn them into something really cool! The bonus is that we will also end up with plenty of extra material to use in other projects (I can’t wait to add some to my art journal!)
I’m not going to share the whole process here (you’ll have to take the class!) but here is a sneak peek at the main steps:
First, let’s play the florist! We try out different groupings and compositions, and we also choose more collage elements to add texture and a touch of color: little bits of fiber, a vintage botanical image cut into small pieces… Then we glue everything to our mini substrates (mine are 5”x5” squares of watercolor paper). I already love them at this stage!
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”
coming together
After that, we keep layering with paint, gesso, mark-making and even more collage, until our little “posies” come together. Just like in any bouquet, the key is to mindfully balance the organic feel with a bit of structure. And finally, removing the masking tape creates those crisp, clean edges that really turn them into mini artworks! Aren’t they sweet? I’m going to mat and frame mine for my upcoming show in September, but I think they would also make lovely cards to send a bit of joy to friends and family.
“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”
embrace the process!
I cannot tell you how much fun I’ve had creating these! My intention when I started was to ease into the process, warm up, get in the flow, and embrace playfulness and imperfection. Well, it definitely worked! So well that I might have knocked down my vase of roses at some point… oh well… Now I’m off to tidy up this sweet little mess, and get ready to move on to the canvas, to create more shabby little blooms (like the ones I shared about here).
Flower Flow is going to be a beautiful, joyful and uplifting class, and I sincerely hope you will join me! If all goes well, I’m hoping to open registration in June, and release the class in July. Be sure to put your name on the waiting list to be first to know (seats for my classes are usually limited):
Until then, I’d love to know, which flowers do you love most? Tell me in a comment below!
And whenever you are creating, remember that imperfection is often where you will find unexpected beauty. So keep it fun and take it easy!