Collage and Assemblages

Today I was inspired by one of my Pinterest pins, a collage by artist Michael Wilson. Its central element was a vintage family photo and the background reminded me of a package of card stock that I recently found at Goodwill.

I used a photo transparency of my grandfather's family (parents and siblings) as a starting point to create this weathered collage. Although my great grandfather had Swiss roots and my great grandmother was 100% English, the children they produced look like a U.N. conglomeration of ethnicities: my grandfather looks Irish, his brother definitely Scandinavian, the two older sisters appear to have Mediterranean and Mideastern roots, while his red-headed youngest sister looks somewhat Russian. Their combination of genes is fascinating!

I've also done more experimentation using embossed and aged foil tape. This "doll" assemblage uses the foil as the skirt with assorted metallic pieces, charms, and photo in a bottle cap to create the rest of her body.

Here is a Tim Holtz die cut embossed bird with Rub 'n Buff metallic accents followed by a birdcage ornament with hanging charms.