Service Description

Travel Collage is a six-week hands-on course that moves through the full arc of collage as a creative practice—from historical context to finished keepsake. We begin with the roots of the form, drawing on the work of artists like Hannah Höch and Romare Bearden alongside the long tradition of travel journals, then move into the techniques and decisions that make collage a living practice of self-discovery: layering, tearing, cutting, transparency, stitching, and the varied methods of adhesion that change what a page can hold. Each week includes a writing prompt, a short lecture on the week’s topic, a guided art activity, and open studio time to apply and experiment with what we've explored together. The prompts and activities are designed to work in tandem—language and image-making deepening each other as we ask: How do we capture the essence of a place, a journey, a dream? We work with found text, erasure poetry, blind contour drawing, wax resist, watercolor wash, window-and-frame techniques, and the incorporation of ephemera—ticket stubs, pressed flowers, fabric, thread—turning sensory memory into a conscious compositional expression. But like travel itself, the course has a way of becoming its own kind of adventure. Students arrive with a trip in mind—a journey already taken, one being planned, or one only imagined—and often find that what they uncover in the making is as much about themselves as about any destination. Past students have commemorated specific journeys as gifts to those they traveled with; others have used the six weeks to explore what they call the journey inward. As with any art that strives to hold the ineffable in material form, process and discovery bring a transformation that may transcend the product. What students are saying: "Enjoying the journey with each step designed by a master teacher and discover yourself in experimental ways." - Tamara "At a macro level, I loved how Leigh structured the themes for each class in the course, from establishing our intentions to building our foundation in core techniques, then expanding into other ways to express ourselves and tell cohesive stories. Altogether, Leigh does a masterful job taking students on a journey of exploration inwardly and outwardly--beyond mere linear instruction." - Chris "Leigh encouraged me to think about art as something I could keep doing." - Tom