Use Found Objects in Artwork
Incorporate Interesting Things in Creative Mixed-Media Art Projects
Mar 25, 2008
Found art and found-art objects are viewed by some as trash and others as treasures. While some found art is good enough to stand-alone without adding anything to them, or add them to anything there are some pieces that work great incorporated into mixed media art pieces.
Here are some examples of found objects:
- Receipts
- Playbills
- Wrappers
- Napkins from businesses
- Business cards
- Tokens
- Game pieces
- Labels from interesting packages or bottles
- Charms
- Foreign stamps
- Letters
- Lists
- Announcements
- Tins
- Sea glass
- Maps
- Bottle caps
- Corks
- Shells
- Stones
Here are some suggestions for found object incorporation:
- Assemblage paintings: Using a strong adhesive (typically found in the craft section of most craft stores and discount stores) for weighty pieces, attach found objects directly to the painting’s canvas. In some cases, additional paint or glitter can be added over the found objects.
- Mixed-media paintings: If you find flat found objects to incorporate into art, consider using them in a mixed media painting. The painting can blend around the object, it can be embellished as the painting’s central theme, or it can be altered to look as though it is part of the painting.
- Altered objects: When altering objects, like a picture frame or a box, addition of found objects give it more interest and dimension. There is a lot of opportunity to create something that is not only eye catching, but to completely change an object from one thing to another.
- Altered books: Found objects that lay flat can be successfully incorporated into altered book page spreads. In addition, you can create very interesting altered book covers. This is also true for those who enjoy handmade book binding with unique cover designs.
Anything you think is interesting will work in found art object mixed media art pieces. If you take a trip somewhere, keep your eyes out for interesting objects in parks, on pathways where there are a lot of shops, and outside of restaurants. If you are running errands, make it an opportunity to find interesting objects in the parking lot (you would be surprised how many really interesting bottle caps are lying around in some of these parking lots).
Have fun with this! If you have children, involve them. Not only will this give them an excellent lesson in recycling and keeping a litter-free environment, it will teach them that art supplies do not necessarily have to be store bought.
Note: A very strong adhesive is necessary for affixing weighty items to your mixed media pieces. Experiment with glues that are available in bottles, as well as hot glue guns. In some cases, gel medium will provide a strong enough hold. This is true particularly for flat paper objects.
