Freed from their previous incarnations, new and imaginative possibilities emerge from work destined for the recycle bin. Discover the flexibility and creative possibilities of collage and experience how repurposing artwork can kick-start new ideas.

In this workshop you'll be supported to experiment with a variety of papers – discarded artworks, doodles, handmade, printed or coloured papers, fragments from magazines, old books, photographs, posters etc – to explore your own imagery and create several collage works.

The workshop will be hands-on with plenty of time for participants to experiment with colour, texture, shape, form, line and structure to create expressive and playful works on paper. By accepting happy accidents you will follow a pathway to revitalised and potent imagery.

The day will include:

• Drawing and writing exercises to generate ideas.

• Small-scale composition exercises using a limited palette.

• Discussion of different artists’ approaches to collage – figurative, abstract, narrative based.

• Focus on technique (cutting, tearing, glues and pastes) and working intuitively to allow imagery to emerge.

• Basic drawing materials (eg pencils, inks or pens and eraser)

• Sketchbook

• Small box or manila folder of torn or cut scraps from discarded drawings and paintings to be used for collage elements and/or a variety of patterned or plain papers. Please include a few papers for limited palette exercises (eg dark, light and medium tones of 2 complimentary colours: yellow and violet, red and green, blue and orange + black and white). Additional paper will be provided.

• Glue stick or paste and brush

• Ruler (not essential)

• Scissors (large and small – nail scissors can be useful)

• If desired for fine work, a scalpel and cutting surface