Collage Emotions and the subtleties of facial expressions, particularly those associated with the eyes have served as an inspiration for my work since childhood. “There’s an unspoken language that most of us use on a daily basis. For example, a quick right glance could mean approval/disapproval, flirtation/disgust, don’t ask me again/say something, or any other number of communications. This is the language which I typically use within the context of my collage portraits…eye language.”  *Collage – to glue or paste down objects to a surface. The Process My materials and tools are often recycled paper, fabric, scissors and glue which are sometimes used very methodically.  At other times the same materials may be applied more fluidly with a palette knife, resulting in a more painterly look of collage. On some occasions dry watercolor sticks, oil pastels or even colored pencils may be added for highlights. “One important goal that I’ve continued to work at over the years is discovering new ways to merge paper and cloth within the collage work itself. In these pieces there’s something exciting that happens when the two come together.”  Mixed Media The term “mixed media” is used when visual art combines more than one media (type of art) in the same artwork.  An example would be my “Urban Warrior Dolls” which use collage, digital art, fabric, plus paints on wood and other surfaces. Fabric Art The fabric art pieces allow me to collage with fibers and bring other elements into play such as machine and hand stitching, beading and found objects. These art pieces are designed to hang directly on the wall unframed. “Making art can best be described as satisfying an inner craving of my heart to create things.” - Wepa Copyright © 2011 Art By WEPA. All rights reserved.