Travel Escapes: Rouen 19 - New Mixed Media Collage Artwork

Every once in a while, a piece of art feels like both a memory and a new adventure. That’s exactly how Rouen 19 came to life — the very first piece in what I’m calling my new art collection, Travel Escapes.

This mixed media collage was inspired by a trip I took in June 2019 with my brother and sister-in-law to Rouen, France. If you’ve ever wandered through Rouen’s winding streets, past medieval architecture and cathedral spires, you’ll know it has this atmospheric, almost cinematic energy. I wanted to capture that feeling — not just the visuals, but the emotion of being there — and translate it into a richly textured collage.

Inspiration & Materials

The starting point was my own travel photos. I converted a handful of favorites into black-and-white and printed them onto tissue paper. Then I built up layers with hand-painted papers created using my Gelli plate, stencils, and a palette inspired by Rouen’s colors: rose pinks, turquoise blues, deep golds, warm bronzes, and the occasional pop of violet.

I even pulled textures from unexpected places — junk mail envelopes, sewing pattern tissue, deli paper — because why not turn everyday scraps into something beautiful? That’s one of my favorite things about collage: mixing the ordinary with the personal to create something entirely new.

The Process

Here’s how Rouen 19 came together:

1. Canvas Prep – I repurposed an old canvas by painting over it with layers of white gesso.
   

2. Photo Selection – Dug into my Mac photo library and converted Rouen travel shots into black-and-white.
   

3. Photo Printing – Resized them in Google Slides and printed onto tissue paper.
   

4. Paper Play – Created hand-painted papers with my Gelli plate, stencils, and a mix of acrylics in gold, bronze, rose pink, turquoise blue, prism violet, and more.
   

5. Composition – Loosely arranged the photos and papers on the canvas until it felt right (snapped a reference photo just in case!).
   

6. Collage Time – Glued everything down with matte medium.
   

7. Details & Embellishments – Added drips of acrylic fluid ink, dots of metallic paint pen, and playful strokes of white crayon and gelato.
   

8. Finishing Touches – Sealed it all with two coats of satin varnish for a luminous finish.
   
   

The Result

The final piece feels like a visual diary page — part memory, part imagination. Rouen 19 isn’t just about the streets of France; it’s about slowing down, layering moments, and allowing a place to live on in a new form.

This is just the beginning of my Travel Escapes series, and I’m excited to dive in and transform another destination I visited into an art travel collage!

Note: Rouen 19 is not for sale yet — it’s the first piece in my Travel Escapes series. Once the full collection is complete (hopefully by year-end), the artworks will be available on my website.

If you’d like to be the first to know when the collection is available, make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter!