No matter what genre you choose, arches are a lovely way to play around with paper collage, to learn new techniques, and to incorporate your favorite ephemera and charms on your latest project.

Arches 

   The term Gothic arches can be rather deceiving. While many artists choose to create with a Gothic or Industrial or even a Shabby Chic approach, there are many others who strive to use their own styles, perhaps even merging two or three. No matter what genre you choose, arches are a lovely way to play around with paper collage, to learn new techniques, and to incorporate your favorite ephemera and charms on your latest project.

   A lot of paper crafter's and mixed media artists, who are uncomfortable with ATCs, enjoy the larger size of arches. Whether vertical or horizontal, arches can be of any size. In fact, one of our editors made two four-feet tall arches made out of dark cherry wood and hinged together to make an Asian themed screen. (It’s simply breathtaking and we’ll share pictures with you in a future issue.)

   Happily, the only requirement of an arch is that it be in the shape of an arch. I think the Gothic nature of arches is why so many have turned to a Gothic style, but as mentioned, you can go Clean and Simple, Modern and Graphic, Eclectic and Freestyle, Pretty and Chic, or any type your heart desires. That’s the beauty of creating art. If there are rules, it’s fun to break them and if there are no clearly established rules, then it can be a stress reliever to give yourself permission to create and follow your own rules.

   This is especially true of beginners. Collage in any form, whether it’s on a 2 1/2” x 3 1/2” ATC, 3” x 5” Skinny Card or a 4 1/4” x 6 1/2” Cabinet Card, can be intimidating. Where do you begin? How do you start with a blank slate that is smaller than you’re used to?

   The first step is to select a theme and gather your supplies. Arm yourself with a wealth of eye candy. This will help get the creative juices flowing. Inspiration can be gleamed from everyday objects all around us to the poems we read, the songs we listen to and the places we live. As you progress, you’ll find yourself eyeing everything keenly and thinking of ways to incorporate them into your arches. This is a lovely way to inject your personality and express your artistic visions.

   The next step is to decide on a focal point. This can be anything from imagery to a piece of text or even a beloved trinket. As the beauty with any piece of art, sometimes bending the rules is a great way to launch your new project. Instead of using only one focal point, you can find a way to use more than one and lead the viewer’s eye into a preset pattern. This is a fabulous way of creating a cohesive spirit to your arch and another opening to a series of arches, if you so choose.

   Once you’ve decided on the materials and the focal point, it’s time to breathe life into your arch. Creating symmetry is akin to creating harmony. Just as with a finely tuned symphony, all the parts of your collage should come together in a pleasing manner. You can do this via the theme, a selected color palette, or by adding complementary textures and mediums.

   Let’s move on to balance. This is the arrangement of your elements whether they’re images, textures, ephemera, colors, shapes or even your chosen technique(s). There are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Technical terms for very simple ideas.

• Symmetry is achieved when the same or like items are mirrored on each side of your arch.
• Asymmetry is created when items are positioned unevenly or randomly about your work.
• Radial is around one item, such as your focal point. All the other elements appear to radiate from that one special image.

   No matter which design principle you choose to follow, just follow your instincts. Your personality and what pleases you will come out as you create and experiment and play. The following are arches made by our dedicated staffers. Each has a vibe all its own, from bright and dynamic to mysterious and full of life.

   As we delve deeper into mixed media, we’ll explore all sorts of structures to play on, including arches, inchies and twinchies, tag art, collage on canvas, and much more. We look forward to starting our new journey with you and hope you’ll enjoy making arches (and other mixed media items) as much as we do.  

Lady and Lace by Anne House Supplies Cardstock: Bingo Card; Patterned Paper: Graphic 45; Stamp: Serendipidy; Ink: Ranger Alcohol Inks, Embossing; Embossing Powder: Ranger; Flower: Handmade by Pam Sandy; Pin: Creating Keepsakes; Other: Twine

Just Believe by Lucy Chesna Supplies Cardstock: Bazzill; Photo: Internet; Other: Trim, flowers, pearls, snow flakes

Timeless by Margie Higuchi Supplies Patterned Paper: TaDa Creative Studios; Ink: Ranger; Embellishments: Twisted Papers

Monalisa by Tami Bayer

I Love You Just the Way You Are by Cheryl Nyboer Supplies Patterned Paper: Graphic 45; Journaling Stickers: 7 Gypsies; Ink: Ranger; Other: Brads, cardstock; Tip: I cut the template from cardstock and then covered the front and back of the card with patterned paper. You could also use heavy, double sided patterned paper for the base of your card.