Here is the process for a collage I just finished.

Some blues and white for sky and yellows for the background of my vacant lot.

I used a stencil I made to populate the vacant lot with some orange cats. Then I used Crafter’s Workshop Templates 12-Inch by 12-Inch, Flower Frenzy stencil to add some orange and red flowers.


Then I painted a layer or 2 of grass over the top. I had cut a serrated edge on an old credit card that I used to spread the paint. It gave a nice grassy look and allowed the colors from underneath to show through. I used some blue, black and mostly white acrylic paint spread with a brayer onto bubble wrap cut into a cloud shape to make some clouds.

I used the city skyline from this book, Stencil Me In to establish the horizon and a background for my cityscape. Then I positioned my “skyscrapers” I had cut out from some pretty papers and some painted book pages. You can see the flowers and the paper I painted to use for leaves are here on the table, too. I also used a white pen to add some Tibetan Buddhist inspired details to add some definition and movement to the clouds.

One of the side effects of always having migraines is that things tend to fall through the cracks. I was getting this collage ready for a show that is opening this coming weekend. In the rush and relief of getting it done a little early I forgot to take a picture of the finished collage! So, I will have to get a picture of it at the art center when I remember to! I call it Almost Vacant Lot. You still see hints of the cats in the lot if you know where to look.