Collage: The Original Cut-and-Paste

If Instagram had been a thing back in 1772, Mary Delany might have posted a reel sharing her new technique for making botanically-accurate paper flowers.  Instead, she shared her new artwork with her family, friends and, eventually, an illustrious network of botanists and royalty.  “In the autumn of 1772, she wrote to her niece, modestly stating: ‘I have invented a new way of imitating flowers, I’ll send you next time I write one for a sample.” reports author Ruth Hayden in her book Mrs Delany: Her Life and her Flowers.
The idea first came to Delany when “Sitting in her bedchamber…she noticed the similarity of colour between a geranium and a piece of red paper that was on her table. Taking her scissors, she cut out the scarlet paper and, using more coloured paper for the leaves and stalk, she created a picture of a geranium.”  When her friend and hostess entered the room, she “mistook the paper petals for real ones. Modest as she was, Mrs Delany considered her paper flowers to be a mere ‘whim of my own fancy’” but her friend encouraged her to pursue the new artform.
Shown below is Delany’s first paper flower collage—a Scarlet Geranium commonly known as ‘Bloody Cranesbill’ (bottom left).  The bloom on the right is a Lobelia Cardinalis.
Delany “referred to them as ‘paper mosaicks’, and to her collection as her ‘Herbal’ or ‘Hortus Siccus’ … which is a collection of dried flowers. Such collections were popular at the time and it was typical of Mrs Delany’s originality that her hortus siccus should be composed of paper flowers.”
The British Museum article, Late Bloomer: The Exquisite Craft of Mary Delany, elaborates “By cutting minute pieces of paper and sticking them to a solid black background, Delany could build up each part of a specimen, sometimes using around 200 paper petals per flower.  She used smaller pieces layered over larger ones to create shading and depth, and sometimes enhanced parts with watercolours. The glue used to stick the pieces together was likely egg white or flour and water.”
Delany’s paper collage flowers’ resemblance to their real-life counterparts is stunning!  Shown below is a primrose, Primula Vulgaris Acaulis, which is native to the UK.  Delany’s paper collage version is on the left while photos I took of the real thing while walking through the woods near Sissinghurst, UK are shown on the right.
The story gets even better!  Not only did Delany invent a new artform but she was 72 years old at the time!  Granted this was not her first attempt at creative pursuits.  Hayden explains “Through her needlework in particular, she had shown a love of plants combined with a superb sense of design and meticulous attention to detail. …she built up a large store of botanical knowledge and appreciation. Her skill, her knowledge, her experience, and her artistry, reached their fulfilment in her flower collages. At an age when most people’s powers are declining, she created over a period of ten years a collection of nearly one thousand pictures of plants, made from paper, of botanical accuracy unsurpassed in that medium.”
Closer inspection suggests Delany refined her technique over time.  For instance, in her 1782-piece Tulipa Sylvestris, Delany demonstrates a masterful use of color and shape to depict the beautiful detail of the tulip’s petals (see inset below).
Delany created “a series of 985 extraordinarily detailed floral collages”, organized into ten albums, called the Flora Delanica.  Delany’s extraordinary collection was bequeathed to the British Museum in 1897.  Only a few examples of Delany’s paper mosaics can be viewed in person but the rest are readily accessible via The British Museum Collection Online.
Delany’s botanically-accurate, paper collage flowers are just one example of collage.  Collage is “an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface” says Merriam-Webster.  There are an endless number of ways to create collages as I learned while researching this blog post.  Check out my latest Pinterest board, Collage – FanningSparks Favs, for a wide variety of examples.  Here’s a sneak peek.
I recently had the opportunity to attend a Collage and Composition Workshop with Eileen Driscoll.  It was great fun!  My fellow students and I spent the day learning the basics and getting lost in our creations.
I like the way author Brian French explains the process in his book Principles of Collage, “Keep the idea growing, so that the thinking and making develop together. Possibly, the materials you are arranging may suggest something further. Don’t be afraid to alter what you have done so far. … This thinking and making in parallel is most important, as one aids the other. That the thinking should be immediately related to the maker of the collage is vital. This necessity for individual thought is what makes art so infinite.”
We started by selecting images from magazines, brochures, maps and discarded books.  Here’s my work in progress.
As we considered our compositions, Eileen gently guided our work with explanations and examples of her own work.  You can see her callouts, “Composition Structure Triangle, Isolation, Texture, and Contrasting Color” on her gorgeous Heron collage below.
Shown below, I am carefully considering the placement of the various elements in my collage.  Special thanks to Eileen for taking this photo.
Here’s how my collage turned out!  Obviously, it won’t end up in the British Museum with Mary Delany’s work but I’m pleased with the outcome.
This collage is meant to capture the energy of travel and adventure.   The story is anchored by the lady on the swing which is the focal point of the piece.  The strong diagonal lines of the swing’s ropes add movement to the overall piece while calling the viewer’s attention to this element.   French explains, “generally we can say that diagonals are active, horizontals are static, curved linear ones are more flowing.”  I chose to emphasize the swing’s rope with braided, black-and-gold, embroidery floss which I stitched to the piece.
Surrounding the swinging lady focal point are travel photos torn from magazines.  At the bottom right, there’s a lady in traditional Japanese dress standing in a bamboo forest which looks exactly like the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest I saw in Kyoto last year (see Postcards from Japan #3).  At the top center, there’s a woman at an easel painting the rainbow-colored canyon walls which surround her.  It reminds me of the Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia (see The Stunning Scenery of Providence Canyon).
On the left side, tulips bring to mind my wonderful visits to the Netherlands (see FanningSparks’ blog posts from the Netherlands).
Throughout the collage, there are special elements from my travels including the gorgeous gold and black paper from Japan and the dried flower on handmade paper from Thailand.  The map in the top corner is meant to be a reminder of home.
The brilliant sunset-striped rectangles were created with watercolor paints.  I started by painting two vibrantly striped, 4½” x 6” rectangles—one in blues, purples and greens (which I set aside for another project) and the other in pinks, yellows and oranges.
At first, I simply inserted my sunset watercolor under the swinging lady but it seemed off.  Eileen kindly suggested several alternative approaches.
In hindsight, I see how this advice from author Brian French also applied to the situation: “At the same time that you are developing your composition with areas, allow colour, line, and texture to come in. Ask, … if a colour/shape is too dominating, shall I make it smaller, alter the shape to a quieter one, or lower the impact of the colour? Could I make it just an outline shape or a simple textured area? What if I softened the edges? If none of these work, can I strengthen the other areas? Let your mind work like this; with some experience you will develop the ability to think simultaneously about colour/ texture/ line/ shape, in relation to your composition/ idea. This is an ability to foster.”
In the end, tearing the sunset watercolor into several smaller pieces made it less dominant and the torn edges helped to soften the boundaries.  Including small sections of the same sunset watercolor in other areas of the piece helped to strengthen those areas.  And, finally, echoing the vibrant oranges and pinks with squares of paint samples brought back the overall balance.
One final thought before I wrap up, making collage artwork is a great way to repurpose magazines, discarded books and other paper products.  You can, of course, also add specialty papers and found objects.  The only additional supplies needed are a good glue and a protective coating (UHU Stic and GOLDEN Regular Gel, in Matte or Gloss, are recommended).

More Info

Check out my newest Pinterest board, Collage – FanningSparks Favs, with over 200 examples of collages from an array of artists in a wide variety of styles.
To learn more about Mary Delany and her amazing paper collage flowers, check out:
. Mary Delany art in The British Museum Collection Online
. Mrs Delany: Her Life and her Flowers book by Ruth Hayden which is available here on Internet Archives
. Late Bloomer: The Exquisite Craft of Mary Delany article by The British Museum.
Principles of Collage, a 1969 book by Brian French, was consulted in the writing of this blog post.  It is available here on Internet Archives.
Previous blog posts mentioned in today’s blog post include:
. Postcards from Japan #3
. The Stunning Scenery of Providence Canyon
. FanningSparks’ blog posts from the Netherlands.
The Collage and Composition Workshop with Eileen Driscoll was held at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), located in Watkinsville, Georgia.  OCAF offers a variety of workshops which are usually listed on the OCAF website (under construction as of Feb 2024) or on the OCAF Facebook page.  Keep an eye out for more workshops with Eileen Driscoll—you’re bound to enjoy a fun day of creating.  Special thanks to Eileen and my classmates for a great day in the studio!

Today’s Takeaways

1. Collage is “an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface” Merriam-Webster
2. As demonstrated by Mary Delany, it’s never too late to try a new creative endeavor.
3. “Keep the idea growing, so that the thinking and making develop together.”  Brian French