Last Wednesday, I showed you some of my art I wanted to recycle.
This week, I want to share 10 recycling art ideas with you!
1. Cut It Out – you only have to keep the parts you like of a painting or a collage on paper. I cut out the collage I did here and reassembled it to create another collage on a gelli-printed yellow background.
2. Use Scraps in a Journal – I like to keep a baggie filled with collage paper scraps that I take with me when I go somewhere. I draw a square or rectangle in my 7″x10″ mixed media art journal and then using scissors and a glue stick, I paste them into the spaces I create. I write around the collaged areas. I find collaging this way to be really meditative as no one else sees it and I can experiment with color, shape, etc Plus it adds color to my journals!
3. Paint Over It – I had a watercolor experiment on this piece of hot press paper that I painted over it with acrylics and cut out a shape to use in a collage.
4. Turn It Over – Acrylics are great for painting the other side of collages or watercolors. Sometimes, I will use the other side of a piece to try out a paint palette or use up leftover paint on a brayer or brush.
5. Experiment – Use it to try a different paint technique or sew on it. Sometimes it is easier for me to play when I don’t worry about messing something up.
6. Create Cards with Positive Affirmations – I like using my painted papers to create cards for myself to write positive affirmations or Bible verses I want to memorize on the blank side.
7. Make a Copy of It – When I have an original that I don’t want to part with, I will make a color copy of it to use in my collages. The one below on the right side is the copy.
8. Take a Photo or Scan it – I find this is the best way for me to keep a record of my art journey. It really saves on space! Plus I can create an album on my phone or computer so it is organized.
9. Share with a Friend – I have exchanged some of my collage papers with a friend in the past. This is super fun! I also like to make my own greeting cards such as the one below I made for my mother-in-law.
10. Store for a Limited Time – I have a box of art that I am thinking about framing. I have decided to give myself a deadline like 6 months to either frame, re-use or discard it.
I hope some of my ideas may be helpful for you too when recycling your artwork.
Be sure to read all the other great ideas from your comments on my last post too!
Cheers! 😃