Tarpaper Collages

I made my first tarpaper collage in 2012, two years after moving the shop and home to Tukwila. I was interested in finding a way to add texture and tone into the work in a process that would include random and unplanned areas, colors and marks. I had been experimenting with adding painted chine collé pieces into the prints I was making and I liked the results. I decided to try incorporating a similar process into the painted works on paper. I’m not sure what lead to the use of tarpaper as a support. The soft dense color of the black, the flexibility and heft of the material and the utilitarian nature of the material all contributed to it’s appeal. Also, it was inexpensive, allowing for unfettered experimentation. Shown above is my first effort which I still look at everyday. To see more works go to Duwamish River Collages.

— Sheila Coppola

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