This is a drawing I did about the Japanese Teru Teru Bozu. I’ve used a variation of this character illustration for my printed cards and silk screened t-shirts as well.

Here’s a definition of from Wikipedia:

Teru teru bozu (Japanese: “shiny-shiny Buddhist priest”^[1]) is a little traditional hand-made doll made of white paper or cloth that Japanese farmers began hanging outside of their window by a string. This amulet is supposed to have magical powers to bring good weather and to stop or prevent a rainy day. “Teru” is a Japanese verb which describes sunshine, and a “b?zu” is a Buddhist monk (compare the word bonze), or in modern slang, “bald-headed.”

This project no. 10 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the February 2005 issue.

This collage was inspired by Hiroshige Hokusai’s Geisha wood block print. I loved all the layers of the kimono and creating the lines in the hair with cut outs, revealing the colour of the paper behind as the lines. I also had some liberties with my interpretation, for instance, I reversed the image, and used different colours and textures for the background and kimono accessories (this however was limited to what paper I had available from this issue).

This collage was a bit more time consuming and detailed than some of the previous collages that I have made, but the final results were oh so satisfying that I don’t mind that I spent my Sunday morning getting covered in glue and paper scraps.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

This project no. 9 is created out my old birthday cards given to me over the past 2 years.

I thought the bamboo was fitting since the paper came from a card to celebrate aging and bamboo are plants that are strong and rejuvenate quickly (what we all wish we could do as we age).

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

Pretty kitties.

This project no. 8 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the June 2009 issue.

This one was fun to do, I think I could of put so many more things into this collage, but at some point I had to tell myself the age old truth, sometimes less is more.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

It is an old illustration I did depicting me battling Crapzilla, who is composed of all the stuff that broke on me one year. I was inspired to draw this after watching The Story Of Stuff animation, which made me realize how materialism and addicition for consumerism was becoming a negative part, of not only my life, but society in general. I’m still guility of indulging (love my macBook… but that’s work related right?) but the process of sketching this helped ground me a little.

Dreamy.

This project no. 7 is created out of the Veer stock catalogue from the September 2008 issue.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

A little Japanese inspiration.

This project no. 6 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the October 2005 issue.

I have noticed that these older issues have more paper ads, I guess with the economic times being what they are advertising has decreased in recent issues.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

These were some totes I made from vintage pillowcases that I found in second hand shops around Toronto. I chose to mix and match two patterns together to make it more interesting, and finished the edges with colourful bias tape.

I also stenciled the Japanese word Kaizen on each tote, which loosely translated means “continuous improvement”. Which I thought was fitting seeing as the totes were an improvement on its former existence as a pillowcase, and secondly it serves as a replacement for such things as plastic bags.

There were only six totes made, and all of them sold within a few hours at the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts festival this past September. I am already scouting the second hand shops now for next years stock, or if i get my act together earlier maybe these can be this years Christmas gift? We shall see.

This project no. 5 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the August 2009 issue.

You can’t really tell from this scan, but the yellow bar like objects behind the wolf are actually made of this fantastic gold paper that reflects so well in real life. But you will have to just use your imagination.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

This project no. 3 & 4 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the December 2008 issue.

There were so many great paper ads in this issue I was compelled to make two pieces.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

This project no. 2 is created out of the HOW magazine paper product advertising inserts from the October 2009 issue.

I enjoy reading this magazine and often keep the issues for references. And one thing I noticed in every issue were these great paper company ads showcasing some great paper finishes, laser cutting and vivid images. But at the end of the day they were still advertising, so I thought since they are not an integral part of being a reference, I thought I’d give the paper ads a new life in my collage project. My rule is to only use the paper ads, seeing as they are the only ads that are two sided  and do not have articles on the backside.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.

This is my first posting for my Upcycle Collage Project. This project is where i take ordinary junk mail/paper/advertising and upcycle it into a 4×4 inch collage. My goal is to eventually take all my 4×4 pieces and put them together as a kind of upcycled paper quilt Art.

This project no. 1 is created out of the advertising inserts that I received in my swag bag from the Sony Style Fashion show and Market put on by Women’s Post Media.

Check out the rest of the collage pieces in the gallery so far.