MIXED MEDIA IN PAIRS

NUMBER #

Mixed Media - 8x8 Canvas Panel

Purchase Info

When I am working with mixed media - acrylics and collage - I often work in a series. Once you have certain colors of paint, collage materials, stamps, etc out it is easier to go ahead and work on several pieces at once.

NUMBER 5

Mixed Media - 8x8 Canvas Panel

Purchase Info

For these two acrylic collages I used a strong magenta color, some turquoise, black and white with a little bit of yellow. I happened to have patterned tissue paper with the black flowers and used bubble wrap and a round cap to stamp large and small circles. The end result are two paintings that complement each other with their own, unique personality!

MEMORIES - Mixed Media

MEMORIES

Acrylic Collage - 12x12x1/2 inch canvas

Purchase Info

I have painted with watercolor for over thirty years but I also love to experiment with acrylics, collage and mixed media. For Memories I began with a photo of a window with flowers and glued it on a 12x12 canvas. 

I painted the background with acrylics and enhanced the flowers with paint. I stamped with bubble wrap and a swirl stamp using blue acrylic paint and used white gesso around the window. I finished by stamping the numbers to hint at an address. So much fun

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE - Creative Challenge - Oil Pastels

ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

Watercolor - 11x14

Purchase Info

The beauty of watercolor is that you can easily combine many other mediums with it. For English Countryside I used oil pastels (not the chalk like pastels) for the wildflowers in the foreground. The oil pastel will resist the watercolor paint which allows you to retain your light colors when you paint over them with darker colors. I used a white, pink and yellow pastel for this mixed media painting!

MEMORIES - Mixed Media Photo Art

MEMORIES

Acrylic Collage - 12x12 gallery canvas

Purchase Info

Memories is a big departure from my regular practice of painting watercolors. I began with a photo of an old window and flower box and collaged it on to a painted stretched canvas. I then began adding acrylic paint around and on top of the photo to enhance it and integrate it with the painted background. I used stamps - swirls, checks, dots and numbers - to add even more visual interest!

The gallery wrapped canvas is ready to display on the wall, propped on a bookshelf or on an easel.

CABIN FLOWERS & Oil Pastels

CABIN FLOWERS

Watercolor & Pastel - 11x15

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Watercolor is wonderful by itself but it is magical when you combine it with other mediums. Oil pastel is especially fun to use with it because you can apply bright, bold colors to the paper with the pastels and it will 'resist' the watercolor as you paint over it. This is a great way to get whites and yellows in among darker colors.

Etsy Shop Mixed Media and an Altered Photo

MEMORIES

Mixed Media Altered Photo - 12x12 canvas

Purchase Info

Watercolor will always be my go to favorite medium but I also love experimenting with acrylics, mixed media, & collage. For MEMORIES I began with a photograph of a window in an old building, glued it to a 12x12 inch canvas and used acrylic paint to add color and texture to the piece. I also used stamps for added interest and for the numbers.

I just revamped my Mixed Media section in my Etsy Shop and I invite you to view it here

Create Like No One is Watching

SPRING GREEN

Mixed Media - 9x12 canvas board

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 'Create like no one is watching!'

I think we are our worse critic and it increases when we are around others. Whether we are in a class, in the studio or at home it is easy to get caught up in the worry of what others will think of our artwork and then we forget to relax and enjoy the process. We need to put blinders on and create like no one is watching us!

 I have been a watercolor artist for years but lately I have enjoyed experimenting with mixed media. I often feel like I am in uncharted creative territory but I keep telling myself to relax and just play with the paint, collage papers and bright colors and see what happens. Everything we try does not have to be masterpiece  - the artistic journey is the real reward!

Mixed Media Makeover of a Shell

VOICE OF THE SEA

Mixed Media - 18x24 canvas

Purchase Info

I painted this watercolor of a large shell years ago and have always liked it but decided it would be fun to give it a Mixed Media Makeover. I first trimmed the half sheet to fit evenly on an 18x24 inch stretched canvas.

Then, I looked up quotes about the ocean and started stamping on 'The Voice of the Sea - Speaks to the Soul' with acrylic paint. I used watercolor and white acrylic to add some depth and shadows to the lettering.

I looked through my stash of collage papers in shades of blue and glued torn pieces on to the edge of the canvas.

I mounted the painting to the canvas and sprayed an acrylic sealer on top for protection.

I love the final result and am happy with my Mixed Media Makeover. It is always a little risky to take a completely fine painting and start messing with it - there is always a chance that you will completely ruin it, but that is also part of the creative fun!

When is the last time that you pushed yourself to take a creative risk!

Mixed Media Mess

Once you open the door to mixed media and collage you start to look at the world around you a little bit differently. Anything and everything is a possible addition to your mixed media stash - collage papers, napkins, ticket stubs, junk mail, paints, buttons, fabric, scraps, stamps, inks, lace - the possibilities are endless. And that is just part of what makes mixed media art so much fun!

New Stamps Beware!

There is something about buying a nice new fresh stamp! I just love them - all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs. I have boxes of them and seldom use them but I still have to check out the stamp section when I am in the art store. I picked these up after the holidays because they were on clearance - can't beat that!

With my new year art goal of experimenting more with mixed media I am determined to put all of those stamps to good use. I also picked up an ink pad on sale and forgot to see if it said it was waterproof - turns out is was not as you can see by the stamp that ran when I put a wet brush over it. Oh well, off to the store to buy new ink.

Mixed Media Mess!

Having fun with my Mixed Media Mess!

Mixed Media ROSE & BICYCLE

ROSE and BICYCLE

Mixed Media Collage - 12x12 canvas

Purchase Info

This was such fun project, combining patterned papers and paint with a charming photo of a bicycle. I painted more flowers in the basket, stamped paint on the papers and added the large rose for that final design punch!

Blooming Flowers and Patterned Paper

BLOOM

Acrylic Collage - 10x10 Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Purchase Info

I usually begin one of these mixed media pieces with some acrylic paint on the canvas and then collage on random pieces of patterned tissue paper so I am ALWAYS on the look out for colorful, fun tissue paper. Hobby Lobby, Target, Tuesday Morning and the Dollar Tree are a few of my favorite stores to hunt down collage papers.

Mixed Media and a Bird

SOAR 

Mixed Media - 10x10 Gallery Wrapped Canvas

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I think if I could be any animal I wanted I would pick a bird so that I really could soar!

Mixed Media, A Bicycle and This Month's Newsletter

RIDE

Acrylic Collage - 10x10 gallery wrapped canvas

Purchase Info

Here is another mixed media piece on canvas where I combined acrylic paint, collage and ink to create a whimsical painting. I alternated between applying paint in a random fashion and glueing decorative papers to create a fun and colorful bicycle. Yellow rice paper to suggest the sun and the word 'ride' stamped were the final touches!

You can read more about my art adventures in this month's newsletter here.

Mixed Media - Working in a Series

NUMBER 3 

Acrylic Collage - 8x8 panel

Purchase Info

I find that it is often helpful to paint in a series when I am trying something new.  Working on more than one painting at a time takes the pressure off of trying to make everything perfect. I feel freer to experiment and change things up a bit.

I used the same color palette, collage papers and stamps for both pieces but tried to change the composition up a bit. I have found that working in layers is the key for any mixed media collage piece. This was a total departure from my watercolor painting and so much fun!

NUMBER 5

Acrylic Collage - 8x8 panel

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Mixed Media Monday - MEMORIES

MEMORIES

Acrylic Collage - 12x12 canvas

Purchase Info

I had so much fun with this mixed media piece. I began with a photo of a window and flower box in an old building and glued on to a 12x12 inch gallery wrapped canvas. I then used acrylic paints on and around the photo to enhance details and blend it into the painted background. Some more stamping, scraping and texturing and I was done. I was so excited with the finished piece - something new I had been wanting to try for a while now!

Mixed Media Monday - SUNSHINE LACE

SUNSHINE LACE

Watercolor Collage - 9x12

Purchase Info

I have been having a great time experimenting with different mixed media techniques and ways to incorporate my watercolor paintings. For Sunshine Lace I collaged and painted a decorative background on a canvas panel and then mounted sunflowers and leaves cut from one of my original watercolor paintings. I also added some hand painted rice paper for added texture in this mixed media piece.

This collage painting was created on a 9x12x1/8 inch canvas board and is ready to display as is on an easel or will easily fit a standard size frame. 

Acrylics, Collage and Spring Flowers

TEXTURES OF SPRING

Acrylic collage on canvas - 16x20x1/2

Purchase Info

For Textures of Spring I decided to do something a little different and combined acrylics with painted tissue and rice paper for a mixed media collage painting. Because i used a gallery wrapped canvas it is ready to hang as is or can be placed in a standard size frame.

You can see in this detail photo that the collaged papers really add a lot of texture and interest to the flowers and leaves. The beauty of this technique is that you can paint, collage, paint and collage some more until you are staisfied with the final piece!

Old Watercolors, Collage and Sunflwoers

SUNFLOWER DANCE

Watercolor Collage - 15x15

Purchase Info

I combined watercolor and collage for this painting of sunflowers. I used some old watercolor paintings on 140 lb paper and tore them into shapes for the petals, leaves and stems of the flowers. A great way to reuse those failed painting!