New Growth Collage is a piece that I had an idea for in my continued series of art with recycled materials. I have in the past relied on materials that are not organic but had saved some pumpkin seeds that I had roasted to long for them to be edible.  I loved the idea of using them in a collage but I also knew that I would have to use some strong glue and not the usual adhesive I use when attaching one dimensional materials.  Tacky glue was the adhesive that came to mind and I made a trip to my local craft and hobby store to buy some.  Hot glue did not seem like was a  good option because of its susceptibility to adverse temperatures.  An item that seems to be attached well can suddenly fall off with a very hot or cold atmospheric temperature change.

Before I glued down the pumpkins seeds and other materials, I first prepared a gallery board by painting in the background.  It usually takes at least two coats of paint.  Once the application of the collage pieces is begun, it is more difficult as you progress to go back and change the background. It is better to make sure of the  position it before you start to glue down the other materials. I did not really have a plan for this piece before I started not any other materials in mind but just decided to go with what my imagination gave me.  I did realize that it would be more practical to use the pumpkin seeds whole and not try to cut them up.  I started with some pieces of painted tissue paper that I had left over from another art project.  I added colors as I thought it needed it mostly for the color value.  Arranging the materials on the gallery board first, I always try to get a definite idea of where they will go because once they are glued down there is no turning back.  The pumpkins seeds were a big decision for me as to where to place them and I changed the placement a couple of times before I glued them down with the Tacky glue.  Some of the other recycled materials I use were fabric, ribbon, paper table cloth, and old compression bandages. Some of the fabric I unraveled to get the desired effect that I wanted.  My artwork, New Growth Collage was a fun project and I enjoyed it. Working with the pumpkin seeds was fun but a little difficult to get them to be flat enough on the surface to make them sturdy when glued down.  There were a few challenges, but the important thing is that it was a learning experience.