I began my collage a couple of days ago as a response to one of my paintings that I didn’t like (see Rescued Blunder).  I used glue to tack the torn pieces onto another, pre-glazed watercolor sheet. I abandoned my plan to flatten the torn paper, and let them curl.

Pictured below is the first iteration of this composition:

Blunder Collage
12″x16″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

The space in between the paper scraps is an important factor in this study. For the second iteration, I darkened this space with the same colors originally used for the first glazing of the background paper.

Here is the second iteration:

Collage – Intermediate Version

The original orientation didn’t seem to work, so I arranged it in landscape format, which I like better. In the final version, the maze-like space between the scraps are highlighted with black ink, with faux shadows under some of the curled paper.

Collage – Final Version
16″x12″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block