Hello! I’m Wendy Solganik, aka @willa.wanders on Instagram. If this is your first time here on my blog, welcome! I’m pretty excited that you found me and my little corner of the art world.

I’ve done a bazillion kinds of art in my life, and the thing that intrigues me the most today is Mixed Media Collage Art.

I’m such a passionate student of this form of art and I’m obsessed with making and using collage fodder (what the heck is collage fodder?).

I really want to learn everything I can about it. I created an entire online art school called Fodder School where anyone with an interest in Mixed Media Art collage art, handmade books and journaling can come and learn this craft from a variety of incredible instructors, even if you have never made any mixed media art before! At this point, Fodder School is about to enter its fourth year with no intention of slowing down.

If you are looking for a great place to start your mixed media art journey from scratch, can I recommend this $19 course?

In this blog series, I’m going to be introducing you to the instructors that will be joining us in Fodder School as Fodder School 4 instructors. If you want to know all about what Fodder School is, go here.

You can find Cathy Nichols’s studio in Asheville, NC, where she paints her colorful “stories in wax.” Cathy first fell in love with symbol and story while completing her MA in Literature, and she adores teaching others to use these tools in her workshops.

In her own art practice, Cathy specializes in colorful, narrative paintings created with melted, pigmented beeswax or acrylics and mixed media. Her signature folksy style includes highly detailed etchings combined with broader strokes of color that celebrate stories of love, hope and resilience. She is known for her delicately etched encaustic paintings. Encaustic is a process of painting with hot, colored beeswax that involves fusing each layer of color with a heat gun or blowtorch. Cathy then adds details to these waxed pieces by etching into them with a metal stylus.

If you're as blown away by Cathy's insanely gorgeous art style as I was when I was working with her to develop her lessons, you'll be shocked to know that Cathy makes learning to paint an absolute breeze. Seriously! When she pitched her signature floral style for Fodder Challenge, I was seriously doubting if even I could do it. But after following along her guidance, I ended up surprising myself with what I made!

In her Fodder Challenge 2025 project, you will learn how to make these beautiful fussycut zinnias with Cathy. She will guide you step-by-step how to find your source images, mix your paints, and break down the painting process so that you're not stressed and you're having fun! These fussycut zinnias are a magical addition to your art journal, or tucked inside a handmade card.

In Fodder School 5, Cathy continues with her easygoing teaching approach as you will learn how to make this breathtaking painted serving tray. We've never had a collage project like this in Fodder School, and I really do mean it when I say Cathy makes it easy.

You will start off by mixing a gorgeous array of neutral colors that you'll use in gelli plate printing with actual flowers and stencils. You'll also warm up your painting chops with Cathy's favorite freepainting technique, where you let go and just enjoy playing with color on the page. You'll put it all together by collaging and painting your tray one foolproof step at a time. The result? This stunning piece of homeware that you can actively use or hang up on your wall—it's seriously gallery-ready!

If you think that you aren't capable of creating incredible mixed media art like what you see here, you haven't been to Fodder School yet! We make it accessible. We make it effortless. We make it incredibly FUN!

check out fodder school 5