How To Differentiate Your Collages From Others

Wyanne Thompson has been creating art for as long as she can remember, but has been a full-time working artist for the past fifteen years. As a young child, Wyanne preferred creating over playing with toys and dolls and to this day cannot imagine her life with being able to express herself through art. To Wyanne, "creating is like breathing" and if she couldn't create, she'd just "shrivel up and die."

Over the years she's had many successes, including being able to financially afford a working studio/shop of her own this past year, but when she thinks about true success only one thing comes to mind: overcoming her own thoughts, thoughts that can sometimes be very limiting; for it's when we stop putting limitations on ourselves that we can really soar as artists, as parents, and as human beings. Discover why Wyanne believes that a true collage artist knows how to include a little bit of herself in her art, why there will always be someone who doesn't like your art, and why rubbing alcohol will always remain a fascinating medium in her art.

There's a lot of mixed media collage work on the market these days, how do you differentiate yours from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?

When you have been doing this for as long as I have, you tend to develop a style that other's recognize. I keep it pretty simple... I find inspiration in everyday occurrences, and then create whimsical, colorful, happy, paintings. Now that the Internet has brought our world so close together, I use video and my blog to further convey my inspirations. These things (artwork, video, and written words) combined are very powerful and help differentiate my work from others.

Collage can add interesting and unexpected elements to a painting. It is very important to me for the collage work to be just a small highlight in a finished piece, or if it is a larger focal in a painting, for it to be very unique. I sometimes use bits and pieces from my 7 year old daughters writing or drawings. But most importantly, I try to paint more than I actually collage in a piece. I believe when I paint or draw something by hand, energy transcends from my soul to the work.

As you know, art is very subjective in nature. What some people like, others do not. I'm sure you've received both positive and negative feedback in your career, but what I want to know is how you handle the negative criticism, especially when it hurts deep down within your soul?

There were plenty of times in my life when I didn't handle the negative criticism very well. I'd crawl into a hole and sulk. Or worse, I would think that I wasn't good enough, and needed to paint like another "successful" artist to be positively recognized. I believe that if you create something that truly makes you happy, then that positive energy is passed on to the viewer. Yet, I've learned over the years, that there will always be someone that doesn't like it. But, that's okay because there are always 10 others behind that person that do like it. When you create art truly from your soul, it surrounds you like a protective blanket. It's always warm, cozy and safe.

What's the coolest art tip you've ever received?

Alcohol with watercolors. If you drop regular drugstore alcohol on wet watercolor paint, it reacts by "fighting" with the watercolor paint. It moves the watercolor paint and creates organic shapes. It's a very basic concept, but I am still fascinated by it after all these years and use it in almost every painting.

Visit her at http://wyartjewels.blogspot.com/ or stop by http://wyanne.com/ to sign up for one of her classes.

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