Meet soolip creative arts workshop instructor mary neville

In this 3-hour workshop on November 2nd, Mary Neville, a mixed media collage artist based in Ojai, California, will dive into the interplay of color, form, and texture, and show how to harness these elements to convey personal expression and meaning.

“As a mixed media artist, I've always been drawn to using a variety of materials, but my deep interest in paper began around 2020. Over the past four years, I’ve found myself increasingly incorporating it into my work. There’s something uniquely tactile about paper that I love—it adds texture and touchable layers to a piece, transforming it into something dynamic. But what intrigues me most is the fleeting, almost ephemeral nature of paper. It’s fascinating to use something so impermanent to capture ideas and sentiments that carry significant meaning.

For me, working with paper is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. I find a meditative rhythm in layering shapes and patterns to create compositions from seemingly unrelated pieces. It’s about allowing a natural coherence to emerge.

In my upcoming workshop, "Paper Alchemy — A Collage, Mixed Media Experience," I hope participants will experience that same sense of discovery. I want them to leave with fresh ideas, perhaps a creative breakthrough, and a renewed sense of excitement for stepping outside their comfort zones. Together, we'll explore new techniques in abstract collage, learning to trust our intuition and find beauty in unexpected combinations.”