Art Diary - A Platform for Expression Through Art
Artist
Background
mindincollage.com
This website is dedicated to the personal art journey of Leia Madden.
Based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, I began creating collages regularly in March 2024 after attending a gathering for International Working Women's Day. At this event, I was instantly drawn to the collage table, which they aptly called the "Political Sign Area." After this experience of collaborative artistic endeavor I wanted to bring the practice of collaging to my community—sharing the process of collage with friends has been one of my greatest pleasures in the past year.
My process of collage began with recycling. At this time, I was already obsessively saving all paper products to be recycled. My city has a gutted recycling program where those who wish to recycle need to take their recyclables to the recycling plant and sort it themselves. After a bought of depression, a large pile of paper products was taking up a corner of my living room—it was great timing to start collaging.
In addition to the pile of miscellaneous mailers, paper packaging, and free magazines I had found around town, I went to my local thrift store and bought a handful of magazines that caught my eye. I also thrifted all my supplies, first, being a couple of Elmer's glue sticks, scissors, colored pencils, and a Crayola watercolor paint set I hadn't used since I was a child. I tore up some cardboard and didn't look back.