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.

Cheiron Brandon is a mixed media artist and card maker who lives in a tiny house, on a tiny farm in New Jersey not too far from the shore. She works in the financial district by day, but loves to play with stamps, ink, and paint at night in her studio—she aims to create something almost every evening.

She started making handmade cards over 15 years ago, and over the years she has fallen in love with mixed media techniques and loves incorporating those techniques into her card projects. Rainbow is her favorite color, and you will see that expressed throughout her work! "I love color, the brighter the better!" She has been a designer for many companies in the craft industry, including Tim Holtz, Ranger Ink, Simon Says Stamp and more.

Cheiron has been a star Fodder School student for several years now, and after I was thoroughly impressed with her work so many times, I'm so glad she accepted the offer to become a teacher! For those of you not familiar with her work, Cheiron is a master cardmaker—although her cards may look complicated to create, she'll help you make it a breeze!

In her Fodder Challenge 2025 project, you will make a set of these uber-adorable heart cut-out cards! Cheiron will be using a new medium in Fodder School: Alcohol inks on Yupo Paper (if you like what you see, make sure you get these materials in advance, Cheiron's Fodder Challenge will be the first one dropping on October 1st!). Once you make a set of gorgeous paint-splatter papers, you can either die-cut or fussycut hearts before Cheiron will provide with her expert guidance on float-mounting on cards.

In Fodder School 5, Cheiron will show you how to make an adorable set of mini chunky quote collages. Her lessons will be releasing in December, so these will make the perfect stocking stuffers/other holiday season gifts to share with loved ones! I just absolutely adore how vibrant Cheiron made hers, but her process makes it so versatile to adapt to your own unique aesthetic.

In December, Cheiron will first warm you up with some color washing and mark making fodder before diving into the fun of her assembly line process. Using this fodder you made with her (or any you have left over from the Fodder Challenge!), you'll cut up, reassemble, and harmonize these fodder scraps and tie them all together with a quote you love.

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