Scrap to Treasure
Every artist has periods of time that are less productive, or simply less fun. My favorite exercise to get back on track is to make as many small low-stakes art pieces as possible, each from a different type of media.
No Pressure
First I assemble scraps that can serve as base materials: canvas, handmade paper, paperboard, and more. I cut each into rectangles, smaller than 4 x 6 inches in size. If they have resistant surfaces, I cover them with a layer of white gesso, making a large number (50 or more) or small potential canvases.
Next I dip into my scrap bins, full of junk mail, fabric leftover cuts, ribbons, and more. I cut them into shapes, sometimes well under an inch for tiny collages. Alongside I arrange my pigments: watercolor pans, acrylic tubes, and color pencils.
And then…GO! I take a base rectangle, hold it for a few moments, and decide what it would be in a miniature gallery. A tiny landscape painting? An abstract collage? A mini assemblage? There are no rules except every piece using different materials.
This is a perfect warm-up to get back into making my main art work, so these mini art pieces are rarely framed. Instead, I arrange them into a larger collage that acts as an inspiration board for other work.
Even if a practice piece doesn’t inspire a more finished art work, it still helps me learn new techniques and the properties of my art materials. Plus it is relaxing to sometimes just explore and have fun.
