Once upon a time, I made collages with paper and glue by hand, every day for a YEAR. Yeah, glad that’s done. But I did love the hands-on connection, and how a collaged composition can kick-start my creativity. So these days, I usually have one, sometimes several, collages on the go. Something to ponder, stop by, add a bit, and ponder some more. Little did I realize, it’s taken me MONTHS to finish just 10 collages — what a difference from one a day! Now that I have a handful to play with, here’s what happens next:

1. When I decide the collage is finished, I scan it.
2. It becomes a printing plate for my press: I mix up an ink color and roll it right onto the collage.
3. I print an impression or two from the inked-up collage/printing plate.
4. Once those dry, I scan both the inked-up plate and the resulting prints.
5. The scans go into my digital cupboard for layering.
6. The prints go into my pile of fodder for MORE collages.

What’s fun is that the collage is often improved by inking! The collage at the top becomes a printing plate, left, which then gives me a print, right, perfect for digital layers, or elements of new collages.

But what about the inked-up plates? They end up being a little thick to send back into the fodder pile. I think they might work as framed or encaustic pieces, though… Hmmm! Either way, I get maximum use from my collage studies throughout their lives.