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Les Jones is a designer, street photographer, writer, artist, speaker and publisher. He is the founder of one-man, creative magazine, Elsie, and the international art publication, Contemporary Collage Magazine. As one client once put it...'Les doesn't just think outside the box, he lives outside the box'.
What if two days in a collage class could reshape a creative life? We sit with Les Jones to explore how a spark in lockdown became Contemporary Collage Magazine, a global artist network, and the first UK contemporary collage conference. Les contrasts the intimate, playful side of Elsie magazine which reached The Museum of Modern Art and the New York Library Journal with the rigor of building a commercial publication that now connects hundreds of artists across continents.
The stories are irresistible. A typed letter from Tom Hanks about lost gloves leads to a handwritten interview. An afternoon hunt for street posters ends with a single scrap of paper printed with “Les,” a wink from the universe to keep going. A lifelong admiration for Sir Peter Blake turns into an in-person interview and an original collage made just for Les. Threaded through it all is a simple rule with big consequences: when you do stuff, other stuff happens.
We go deep on the mindset that keeps the work alive. Les shares how to make for yourself first, why comparison drains joy, and how to find creative flow through tactile making. He offers practical tools for blocks and three street photography principles that scale to any craft: be receptive, be bold, and don’t be afraid to ask. If you’ve ever felt “not an artist,” this conversation hands you permission and a plan.
Please connect with Les using the links below:
Email: hello@contemporarycollagemagazine.com
https://www.contemporarycollagemagazine.com/
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