06/19/2025
Today we will get to know our current artist Susan Wakal , through this interview and a few photos she’s shared.
1. The Artist
2. Artist Studio
3. Strong in the Face of Chaos, 6” H x 4”W
4. Back When Travel Used To Be Fun, 30”H x 27”W
5. Neighbours Worldwide, 14” H x 10” W
TG: Is this your first foray into making tiny art?
SW: No, I’ve made Collaged Artist Trading Cards for years. But, also Inchies, 4” x 4”s, and small assemblages in Altoid Tins. This is my first time working on circle shaped substrates, using entirely postage stamps. It’s been a fun challenge and I’m pleased with the results. My mind is swimming with further ideas to try as a result of this.
TG: What do you like about working small?
SW: Most of my collage work is larger, but I always have smalls on the go as well. They are a great way to use up extra images and off cuts. Having small format substrates at the ready, means being able to pop into the studio anytime and make use of small windows of time. Collaging keeps me on an even keel emotionally, and goodness knows we all need that these days. Working small is also a great way to experiment and practice new techniques. It speeds up the learning process, as you can try an idea, theme or technique over and over in a shorter period of time. You are not treating each collage so preciously and as a result you give yourself permission to play and experiment … which is always the quickest way to develop skill, find out what you like and don’t like, and come up with creative ideas.
TG: Do the pieces in the exhibit relate to larger work you have made?
SW: The process used to create these small postage stamp collages is the exact process I use to create my larger pieces; it just uses smaller source material for the images and backgrounds. So instead of book and magazine pages or painted papers I’m using postage stamps.
TG: Why do you make this type of art?
SW: For starters, I love postage stamps. Postage stamps are miniature pieces of art, so perfectly crafted that you can’t help falling in love. I’ve worked in many different media, but always come back to collage, as it continually surprises me. There are always unanticipated twists, turns, reveals, and synchronicities that show up during the process!
TG: Does your art tell a story?
SW: Collage is very uncanny in the way it brings back memories that you didn’t know you had, so yes there are always stories, but they usually reveal themselves slowly. Sometimes you don’t realize until weeks later when it all of a sudden it dawns on me, what my subconscious was trying to tell me. One of the greatest rewards for me is when viewers share their own interpretations, memories and stories. I think collage is quite unique in the way it talks to people.
TG: What inspires or motivates you?
SW: Oftentimes it’s the found materials that inspire me. I love to work in series, so any images or papers that come in multiples light me up with ideas. The worldwide community of collage artists also inspires me. They are caring and collaborative … with online classes, challenges, open calls or trades get my creative juices flowing and spark new ideas.
TG: How do you make your art?
SW: My preferred technique for assembling collage is dry adhesive, meaning all papers are coated both sides with acrylic medium, dried, cut and assembled in layers, then fused together in a heat press. I like the images to be joined seamlessly … to bring disparate pieces together and look like they’ve always been together. I like to use a combination of curated, carefully selected images, in combination with more happenstance off-cuts. This allows my rational mind to get out of the way. My subconscious mind knows better than my rational mind!
TG: What advice would you give your younger self?
SW: Make time to create art. You’ll be happier and healthier and you never know where it might lead!
Thank you Susan for sharing this glimpse into your art world!
