Many of us have been to a craft workshop or a “paint party”. At best, You imbibe some wine and paint a tropical sunset. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really cool arts and crafts workshops out there, but I believe collage workshops are the best.
What is a collage Workshop?
Generally speaking, a collage workshop is an event that includes a collage lesson and all the necessary materials to create a collage is provided. At the end of the workshop, you bring home a completed collage, some new skills, and a smile. What makes collage workshops different from the same old paint parties you see on Facebook?
First, let’s think about why people like arts and craft workshops in general:
You learn a fun new skill.
You get out of the house on a weekday and mix things up.
You attend the workshop with a friend and have a good chat.
You leave with something tangible that you made yourself.
You have a glass of wine and hum a Bob Dylan song.
These are all things that make you feel great. So How is a collage workshop even better?
You can make impressive artwork with zero artistic talent.
OK, I got that out of the way, here are some more subtle reasons you may not have thought of:
Collaging is a cheap and accessible hobby: Learning how to make a collage is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Its a bold statement but that's how I feel. Why? because collage art is a hobby that anyone can do. You most likely already have all the things you need to make a collage at home. Which brings me to my next point:
Other workshops often require special equipment. Great, you learned how to make a melted glass wind chime. How are you going to make that at home?
You can enhance your own hobbies with collage: Almost everyone has ephemera saved up from their other interests. This is something I learned while hosting one of my own workshops. I always provide all the materials necessary for collage, but one of my ‘students’, Nelly Marie (@nellster on instagram), brought in her own vintage hotrod magazines and made this fantastic collage:
4. Your finished artwork is entirely your own vision. Everybody Leaves with something different. As I said before, most people leave a “paint party” with the same looking painting. At a collage workshop, everyone’s artwork looks totally unique.
A collage workshop is a guided lesson in collage making.
I am sure that there are many other reasons why collage workshops are a blast, and I am sure I will discover many more reasons as I continue to host them. If you are a workshop host, please share with me what you like about hosting workshops and what works for you!
At the end of the day, a collage workshop is all about learning something new and sharing your vision!
If you would like to up to date on my blog or attend one of my workshops, feel free to sign up for my email list, and I will keep you updated! I host about 2-3 a month in the Buffalo and Western New York region.
Thanks so much for actually reading this!
-The Red Wizard