One of the problems with working on collage on your table, is that you don’t really SEE it fully. It is a great way too start building a collage, but after my first pass, I put it up on the wall and get back from it.
A whole new level of image emerges. The dominance of your elements shifts with distance. My rule is that it has to work up close, and it has to work far away. My close view is usually easier to get working because I am at the table and surrounded by possible elements.. For the far view, I break out the restickable gluestick so I can work at the wall.
Smear a little gluestick on the elements you want to be able to move around and they will, for awhile, defy gravity and let you refine your composition in a vertical position. I use this particularly at the end, when I am ironing out the last details of the piece.
Once you have your decisions made, go ahead and remove all the gluestick from your surfaces. It leaves lumps if you just glue over it, but it is easily removed with a Gum eraser.
Also note that these sticks do not last well in storage. They tend to dry out over time so you cannot really “stock up”. As they get drier they don’t smear on very well, lots of clumps, and then you throw them out. But a VERY handy little tool to add to your arsenal.
To a beautiful week,
Melinda
p.s. Interested in being with other artists who are interested in abstraction and/or collage? My artist community, Yum City, has just been reconfigured to include a free membership level, The Pavilion. From The Pavilion you can join our premium community, City Center, or take courses at Yum City University. We will be offering courses for the Fall SOON. I am just grabbing these last vestiges of summer and holding on tight!