Oh, the joy of painted paper! What's even better, swapping some of it with other artists! Today I spent a great deal of fun with a few artists up at The Art Center at Lavretta Park hand painting large sheets of table paper to use in collage work. Imagine, art time in grade school, crayons, markers, paint, toys, you name it, we painted with it. 







Mixed media artists love some yummy papers, and collage artists collect painted papers from all over the globe. Painting large pieces of paper is a great way to try new techniques out on a large scale, loosen up a tight painter, and explore the wonderful world of color theory, all without rules or expectations. 



After the pieces are painted, they are cut up into manageable sizes, usually about 10" by 12", and stacked. These papers can then be used in all sorts of journaling, collage work, abstracts, and my favorite, paper swaps. 






When I arrived home this evening I found a package from the brilliant collage artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. Her collages are stunning, all made from hand painted papers, so enjoying a delicious bag of paper from her is a an extra perk for me! You can view her amazing collage work on her website, Paper Paintings. 




If you are a collage or mixed media artist, you might consider hosting a paper painting party for your group, especially if you all are running low on unique, color and patterned paper, You can always swap with me as well, just message me at ardithgoodwin@gmail.com! 

Happy Painting, Ripping, Tearing, and Collaging friends!