American artist Fred Tomaselli creates psychedelic paintings that explore human perception and the vibrant complexity of the natural world. Tomaselli is acclaimed for his collaged works incorporating unconventional materials and depicting surreal scenes. To build his collage-based works, he gathers images from field guides, nature books and other sources, and assembles them into vibrant figures and geometric patterns.
Lets get started!
The materials that you need are:
- Magazines, coloured card & paper
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Paint
- Pencils
- Small stencils
- A4 sheet of paper, card or small framed canvas
How to create:
- Begin by painting the paper or card black.
- When the paint is dry use a pencil to draw shapes onto the card with the small stencil.
- Next cut up magazines, coloured papers, stickers and using glue stick begin creating your collage. You can also use paint, sequins or beads to add texture.
- Tomaselli uses layers of paint, leaves and cuts out images of butterflies, flowers and birds to create an explosion of colour. He wants the viewer to get lost in the work and transport them to another world. You can have great fun creating your own pattern and it can be as simple or intricate as you like.
Make sure to look up other works from Tomaselli and see just how mesmerizing his work is!
Always take a photograph of your creation when you’re finished! And please, share your results, your experiments, and artworks with the hashtag #ExploreratHome
