Interpretations of an Oak Leaf - exploring collage and mixed media

I love working creatively with groups - where each participant gets to create a unique piece of work, based on a specific theme which contributes to a larger collective finished artwork.

I've worked this way with kids and adults of all ages, in schools, hospitals, and community settings over the years. The outcome is always visually stimulating and appealing and often more rewarding for the group than if they had been working alone.

With the onset of Autumn, I thought I'd share this 'Oak Leaf' group project, produced as a commission several years ago at Arts for Recovery in the Community (I'll provide a link to this wonderful mental health organisation at the bottom of this post, well worth a visit)

Above, we used the idea of exploring a simple oak leaf, using all manner of materials, in a cd sized square - as you can see, the final piece of work was composed of 24 individual artworks.

Let's have a look at some in detail and the types of materials we used......

simple leaf printing - paint the freshly picked leaf - acrylic works well - turn over and press down firmly on cartridge paper

we used a photocopied leaf print, cut out oak leaves from black and white paper, stitched the leaves onto handmade paper and added beads 

This collage uses corrugated cardboard as the base, with photocopied and stitched leaves and string to create several layers of imagery

Torn paper leaves on brown parcel paper. The leaves are stitched with copper wire and finished with beads and outlined with wool

we cut an oak leaf stencil and worked over a page torn from an opulent interiors magazine

this collage comprises metalic papers, embroidered chain stitch, copper wire, paper cut outs in an oak leaf shape

using a sepia ballerina image cut into an oak leaf shape, embellished with string and copper wire stitching on a black background

a beautiful oak leaf embroidery exploring the colours of Autumn / Fall

Matisse inspired cut outs of oak leaves and acorns using textured papers

a face, partially covered with silver metallic paper and stitch detail makes this piece quite delicate

Arc, Arts for Recovery in the Community commissioned me to facilitate this project.
I've been involved with them for over 10 years now. Take a look at their wonderful work.
Arc is Stockport’s specialist arts and health charitable organisation, harnessing the power of creativity with people to rebuild their self-confidence and fulfil their potential as healthy and resilient citizens.


I've been working on some new Autumn free printable worksheets, just click here to have a look.

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