Description

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those cool vintage family photos and documents piled in your basement? Wonderful old photos of your Aunt Lillian and Uncle Henry can be turned into pieces of art to enjoy and pass down for years to come. That’s how Judy Vogland got started years ago visually composing family photos into a narrative following the lineage of her personal history. You will learn how to present your personal history by layering images that display the epic tales and childhood memories in a unique way. In just four days, you will craft and compose two substantial finished pieces, constructing intricate surfaces and devising architectural spaces capable of
showcasing petite family treasures.

About the Instructor

Oregon painter Judy Vogland has been narrating and building the secrets, stories and lies of people’s lives through mixed media collage.

Oregon artist, Judy Vogland, explores Personal History Collage through the magic of mixed media while combining vintage family photos and treasures. Vogland helps students select and sort family photos that best narrate and compose the personal family story. Focusing on complex composition and clever points of view, students will make two large finished histories telling the story of their past. Students will focus on tricks to age the surface and create the illusion of TIME PASSING.

Learn More
www.judyvogland.com

Materials List

You will need to bring:

Bring piles of family photos, preferably BLACK and WHITE!

  • Individual and group shots are encouraged. Think vintage—the older, the better!
  • Getting ready for this fun, deep-dive workshop is like going on a scavenger hunt. Be detailed and adventurous—use your car as your art locker!

What to bring:
Big box full of gathered family photos, such as beach trips with Aunt Myrtle and the kids, etc.

  • Don’t eliminate photos ahead of time! It’s best if they’re not presorted or selected—just toss them into a box from the attic or basement.
  • Photo albums are okay, but bring plenty to choose from once in class!
  • Photos with large backgrounds, old torn photos, big vintage photos, or tiny group shots are all valuable.
  • It’s a LONG drive back home to get more photos, so don’t be shy about bringing the family stash!

Avoid:

  • Present-day color photos or staged school photos—too predictable!
  • Instead, bring photos that are unique and tell a story.

Other materials to work with:
Interesting documents that sit in your drawer or cool old papers that have personal meaning, such as:

  • Maps
  • Old book text
  • Handwritten letters
  • Oregon treasure maps
  • Family-related documents—authentic and original!
  • Dirty, greasy, dusty recipes, relatable articles, or fabulous family secrets (stories, lies, etc.)

Background images of locations you love or notable time periods. For example, I’m a cowboy fan, so desert images, old west architecture, etc., work for me!

  • You can get these from old books, calendars, or even antique malls.

Paper materials:

  • Stack of images torn from magazines, newspapers, or books that are fun, engaging, or speak to the times.
    Other cool stuff from your past that could become part of the wood panel piece.

Other Materials:

  • Golden Brand Acrylic Medium “Gloss” (not matte) – 1 quart
  • Wood panels or substrates (1.5” profile) – Suggested sizes:
    • 12”x24”, 15”x36”, 20”x30”, 24”x36”
    • Purchase from Blick or Matt McCalmont (artsubstrates.com, 971-222-5710)
  • 2 plastic containers (like cottage cheese type) with lids
  • Brown Kraft paper or 4 large grocery sacks
  • Decent trim scissors (soft-grip 5” Fiskars)
  • Retractable razor blade
  • Roll of blue tape
  • Clean spray bottle for water
  • Small 1oz bottle of Higgins Neutral Black Ink (if you can find it!)
  • Acrylic paint of your choice, including Golden Brand Shading Grey, Carbon Black, Titanium White, Payne’s Grey
  • Ruler with a good edge
  • Brushes for acrylic paint:
    • Filbert top #4
    • Royal Soft Grip WC 1/2” (Amazon)
  • Push pins
  • Ebony pencil
  • Black Sharpie (fine point)
  • Small box of brass nails or escutcheon pins (3/4” or 1/2”)
    • Available at ACE
  • Needle-nose pliers (if you have them)

Be sure to bring plenty of materials and don’t hesitate to bring your entire family photo stash—this is your chance to get creative and explore your personal history!

Provided by instructors:

Wood glue

Paper clay

Screws, braces and brackets

String for wrapping handmade papers

Soaking trays

Adhesion tapes

Museum board

Wooden trims