I'm participating (in a sporadic and random sort of way, lol) in #collactober2026 a fabulous month-long celebration of collage on Instagram, hosted each year by @prism_voyager and @lofficinedenative whose collages you definitely NEED to go check out; also you should stop by and see what @smilynstef has been making, because her entries are also outstanding! (And I'm not just saying that because we got to make some of our collages together at my house two weekends ago, but we did and it was awesome!)
Day 4: Seeds
This collage started out quite sensibly with this sweet urban gardener posing next to her crops and yet... are there SEEDS of discord on the horizon? We see noted Garden Guerilla, P. Rabbit, at the bottom of the frame; not to mention a rather suspicious helicopter guy at the top, who is mysterious checking out the scene, and even more mysteriously, keeping a hat on despite what must be considerable wind turbulence. The background is part of a NJ Transit train schedule, some Gold Bond trading stamps, and part of a map. These were all chosen basically by color... but I confess I like the shapes and structure they add to the scene.
Day 17: Seer
Some of my collages are verrrrrrry tangential, but this one started out pretty literally! I've got tiny tarot cards and a Chinese Zodiac; also, I think it's pretty clear that cat can see into a fourth, and possibly even fifth, dimension. The frog can see the cat... ok, it's getting a little less literal now, lol. That torn map was sitting on my worktable, having been used in an earlier collage; the crocheted flower kind of matches the pink of the map; and the Kanada text and music pieces are neutral but sort of line up nicely with the rest of the background. All of the above is probably as close as I can get to explaining my process; I'll be inspired by a prompt or idea; grab some "key" images; and then after that I just play around with structure and composition.
BTW, the gorgeous, whimsical cat and frog illustrations are by my friend @ginaisarty and can be found in her clipart book, available on Amazon and one of my very very favorite sources of collage images.
Day 7: After the Storm
Apparently, we've arrived to this collage a few minutes too early, as clearly the intrepid Vikings are still in the midst of the storm; but I'm sure they're looking forward to calmer seas. (Well, aren’t we all?!)
Day 13: Homecoming
Once again I’ve found some very cute Richard Scarry characters; vintage trading stamps (thank you @smilynstef for building my hoard!); a bit of map; a mileage chart; and an oversized flower sticker. Technically these illustrations were not related or intended to be together, but I do feel like the bunnies are specifically waiting at the window to watch their cat friend arrive home.
Day 6: Joy
What could be more joyful than Richard Scarry characters taking time to relax and read stories in a fanciful flower garden? That little mouse brought his own ladder so he could join the fun!
Day 10: Mending
I combined a Renaissance dude on crutches; a picket fence (“mending fences”); an embroidery diagram (sewing more than mending, but...); and then a bunch of randomness (like green stamps, a map, ledger paper) in the background. And a pterodactyl. Obviously.
