Mixed Media Collages by Elana Bloom
My name is Elana and I’m natural dyer and visual artist based in Tucson, Arizona making illustrative cut paper collages from naturally dyed papers dyed with local plants. I love the the process of making a collage: I create an intricate drawing and then use tiny scissors and tweezers to piece my work together. My collages reflect my internal world and I often depict mountains, deserts, and canyons as a backdrop to explore concepts most central to me. I also dye silk scarves with plants. I also do commissioned collages of places and concepts nearest to the hearts of my clients.
DRAWING
Every piece begins as a line drawing the serves as the blueprint for the composition.
PROCESS
DYEING
I dye a variety of types of papers with natural dyes that make in my studio. Favorites include indigo and madder.
COLORING
I make inks and watercolors from plants and use those to further color papers and add depth.
PASTING
Sometimes I work directly on the canvas, other times I build collaged components out in sections to build layers.
