Hello! I’m Wendy Solganik, aka @willa.wanders on Instagram. If this is your first time here on my blog, welcome! I’m pretty excited that you found me and my little corner of the art world.

I’ve done a bazillion kinds of art in my life, and the thing that intrigues me the most today is Mixed Media Collage Art.

I’m such a passionate student of this form of art and I’m obsessed with making and using collage fodder (what the heck is collage fodder?).

I really want to learn everything I can about it. I created an entire online art school called Fodder School where anyone with an interest in Mixed Media Art collage art, handmade books and journaling can come and learn this craft from a variety of incredible instructors, even if you have never made any mixed media art before! At this point, Fodder School is about to enter its fourth year with no intention of slowing down.

If you are looking for a great place to start your mixed media art journey from scratch, can I recommend this $19 course?

In this blog series, I’m going to be introducing you to the instructors that will be joining us in Fodder School as Fodder School 4 instructors. If you want to know all about what Fodder School is, go here.

First up is Jack Ravi.

Jack is a collage and assemblage artist who creates with found objects sourced from the past and from nature. Particularly drawn to old black and white photos, Jack likes to add a sense of memory and identity to forgotten faces. As he puts it: "My work explores themes of loss, memory, and identity, evoking a sense of simplicity and storytelling around the campfire."

Jack prefers to work in vintage faded and neutral colors as much as he loves the earthy palette of nature, leading him to make work that feels spontaneous and organic. If you are drawn to these timeless hues and want to add some innovative techniques to your bookmaking and junk journaling toolbox, or you are interested in working with vintage photos to create Bottle Cap Memory medals (pictured below), keep reading to learn what Jack can teach you in Fodder School!

Born in Italy and later moving to the UK as a young adult, Jack's art is inspired by the land and the environment around him. He states: "My art taps into the collective unconscious, offering viewers a deeply personal and evocative experience. I hope to offer this year's Fodder School students an opportunity to play, while showing how to infuse work with emotional resonance, how to find beauty in discarded objects, and how to create art that speaks to the soul."

In the Fodder Challenge, Jack will teach you how to use antique photographs, old bottle caps and scrap fabric to make a Memory medal: a fun and textural memento you can use to embellish a textile book cover, accessorize your outfit with, make magnets with, or fasten to anything you can stick a safety pin through! Keep reading for more information about this year's Fodder Challenge and to find out how you can sign up today.

As a teacher, Jack has a very calming and inspiring voice and fosters an environment that feels more like a meditative retreat than a standard classroom. Through offering you his unique ideas and techniques, Jack hopes to show you a different way to look at objects, and at the world. You can learn more about his perspective on his website jackravi.com or see more of his art on his Instagram @jackravi.

In his Fodder School class, "The Alchemy of Memory", Jack will be teaching you how to make a fodder-filled book containing your stories, memories, and uniquely personalized marks. In addition to using some processes you might already be familiar with, such as page making, book binding, and using found objects, Jack will also be introducing you to a world of transformative mark making tools including rust dyeing, Sigil stamp-making, and Enso circles that you can use to deeply personalize your fodder. He will also be showing how you can add more texture and personality to your photography-based fodder using borrowed techniques from embroidery, painting, weaving, and Kintsugi (traditional Japanese ceramics repair). Jack would love to introduce you to this diverse world of disparate craft making practices, so keep reading to learn how you can sign up for Fodder School 4!

If you think that you aren't capable of creating incredible mixed media art like what you see here, you haven't been to Fodder School yet! We make it accessible. We make it effortless. We make it incredibly FUN!

Get all of the information about joining us in Fodder School by clicking this button below:

Want to listen to Jack and me discuss Jack’s journey with mixed media art? Tune into my podcast, "Show Up or Shut Up."

Currently available for listening on the Willa Wanders website here, or on Apple Podcasts, Amazon and Spotify:

XOXO,
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Where are you on your Mixed Media Art journey? Leave a comment and let us know!