TRY IT THURSDAY - May 21, 2020

It’s nice to have the sun shining and the promise of spring in the air (finally) – with a long weekend ahead for lawn mowing and garden weeding and house cleaning…OR maybe trying something fun that’s actually fun!

Collage artist Leah Hawley suggests a way to recycle old pictures, parts of magazines and interesting scraps of paper, refreshing everyday objects around the house and having some creative fun :

Here's an idea for folks stuck at home. I decoupaged the top of my clothes hamper...boredom is a serious thing 😊 I used pics from sales promotional catalogs that we get way too many of through the mail so it's basically a free project - most people have white glue or modge podge at home.

You cut pictures or words out of paper (or tear pieces - some people do that if they're just working with shape and color). Use a paintbrush or foam brush to put white glue mixture (3 parts glue to 1 part water) on the paper piece. Put it on the surface you're planning to cover and smooth it out. Then brush more glue over the top of it once it's on. Repeat several times with new coats after each previous coat dries. *Trick with decoupaging is to use thin layers of the glue mix, otherwise it bubbles up and wrinkles. Perhaps decoupaging the hamper was a bit over the top – but this technique works on wood or plastic tabletops or boxes or trays…whatever you have buried in the garage or back shed. It’s something you can do while binge-watching yet another episode of your latest favorite streaming show or while listening to music or audiobooks. Why not give it a try? For those of you not familiar with Leah’s work, she creates unique collage pictures from recycled postage stamps. It takes good eyes, teeny tiny scissors, an impressive organizational system for stamp colors, pictures and themes and infinite patience. The results are well worth the effort and Leah’s work is popular both in the Flick Gallery and in her booth at the Keuka Arts Festival. See more of her work on our website, www.artscenteryatescounty.org