COLLAGE: AS PROCESS, AS PLAY, AS ART FOR FUN

I cannot draw a decent stick figure. Yet more than once I have earned my living as a collage artist. Collage as an art form offers the non-drawing artista way to creatively and easily express yourself, an idea or a theme.
The process of collaging is fun and therapuetic. Itcan represent something as deep as putting together the pieces of your life,offer an exploration of beauty or simply act as an outlet, a way to visually express a day in the life of you.
Collagingcan be as simpleor as geplex as you chooseit to be. I have collaged an entire music room floorusing photos, assorted magazine clippings,newspaper articles and album inserts. The theme was a single performer: Prince. The floor was in my apartment (with my landlord's permission).
When I moved the landlord keptthe collage laying a purple and beige flower print area rug overit,allowing for just an edgeofPrince to peekout as a border. It was a selling point!
Collagecan also be small, very small. One of my okay items on auction ishand made scale 1" to 1' dollhouse accessories that put a unique touch on your diarama or dollhouse.I createminiature collage art and original paintings.
The tools for collaging can be as little as scissors, papers, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, posterboard, a shoebox or two, ruler, glues, sealant and remnants of "stuff". You can add more elegant tools as you go, including xacto knife, spray adhesive and fixative, and specialty design cutting edges.
This book is not about the specifics of how to collage. Thereis plenty of information on the web and in books about the how to.
This book is a creative walk through the many types of collaging, collage ideas for fun and profit, and the unlikliest sources for collage materials (and most everything can be found on okay!) So let's get started with some ideas about what to collage.
Here is a list of items I have personally collaged in just the past few years. I note if it was for made for personal use, shown as art, a gift, or made to sell. As you read the list you may find something so interesting you might find yourself gepelled to get up and start collaging right now.
End tables / side tables ~ perfect to collage to any theme for children's room, teen's room, game room, even living room. I have made them as gifts and sale using varied themes as Italian Renaissance Artists, penguins, Japanese gardens, cartoon characters and simply words using printed materials only. I have sold everyone I have presented for sale. There's always need for another small table and with personality the tables sell themselves.
Wall Art ~ When I first started selling my collage art I stayed away from wall art. It seemed that every collage I had ever seen, no matter how interesting or how much it captured my imagination, I just could not see it hanging up anywhere in my home.
Then I met an artist who used original photographs along with old window frames and pieces of clothes, toys, fabrics and with these items created a one of a kind picture frame / work of art tailored to the buyers house colors, design and personal likes.
This gave me the idea to make a few theme collage wall pieces to show allowing folks to either purchase the premade art or to order a specific themed piece where they are a part of the process. Together we choose the theme, size, basic color palette and set the tone for the piece.
I have been pleasantly successful selling these pieces by showing them once a year at the local art and crafts fair on the boardwalk. I sell all my premade pieces each year and take enough orders to keep me busy for months. The more I show and begee known the more referrals gee in as well.
Party Activity ~ Until my son turned 9 his birthday parties were at home with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cookie cuttered into dinosaurs, stars and circles. We played pin the tail on the donkey and had little red plasticbaskets filled with M