Collage Your Life by Melanie Mowinski

Collage Your Life by Melanie Mowinski

Overview

Collage Your Life is a surprisingly versatile book about the craft of collage, not just its final form. Mowinski presents collage as a way of looking at the world, a new lens. From the basics to in-depth theories of making a point with your art, Mowinski covers the gamut with cheer and skill. Here you’ll find “artist statement” pages sprinkled throughout as proof of the variety of style and approaches. The sheer artistry of this beautiful, full-color book alone will nudge your inner artist to give collage a try.

if you, like me, haven’t stepped into glue-and-scissors mode for decades, this book is a gentle and forgiving foray. Mowinski spends a full third of the book making/assembling/collecting pieces for future use before individual prompts begin, and this seems more like an invitation to see the world through an artist’s eyes than any extra pressure. There are 55 prompts in all formats, beginning with very scripted steps, helpful for beginners who aren’t sure where to start. Other prompts focus on topic, substance, size or materials. The wide variety makes it easy to find something personally appealing, and the beautiful sample images that bookend each idea showcase other artists’ work and serve to further inspiration.

If you’re still unsure about whether this type of art is for you, follow #GlueTogether on Instagram to learn more about the author and collage in general.

To DO:

Maybe this won’t be how everyone starts, but “It is Solved by Walking” prompt (page 124) will be my quickstart into collage.

Who is this book written for?

Are you one of those people who thinks art might be good for them (I mean, everyone says so!) but the hardest part is thinking of what to do? This book serves as a springboard for both creative souls without much time to play who like prompts + already-artists who want to deepen their craft with more thoughtful arrangements.