Mixed Media Artist ~ Laura Thykeson

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Our Mixed Media Art community is a diverse bunch; from all around the world, with different interests, reasons why we create and a wide range of skills.  Over the next few weeks we will be featuring a range of mixed media artists to tell their stories and share their artwork.

Laura Thykeson is our featured artist this week.

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Mixed media art journal

Hello!

I am Laura Thykeson, and I have been totally immersed in mixed media art for many years. If it will “take paint”, I have probably painted on it! I discovered altered books and art journals about a year ago and have been hooked ever since!

I am 50, married to a wonderful man named Kris, and live in Granbury, Texas USA with our two rescued dogs and two rescued cats.

I have always loved mixed media art because of the variety and the “no rules” aspect! I get bored easily, and although I started out a fine art oil artist, I soon transitioned into my own line of wearable art, purses and jewelry, along with decorative items for the home. I have both owned my own art shop, as well as working from home and selling my items to wholesalers in Texas and Colorado in the past.  I have done many of the art shows when I was younger, but my health keeps me close to home these days.

I am attaching photos of my altered book that combines my own unique style with my own original poetry. My style is a bit different from many that you see, as I live rich color and a lot of contrast. I did all of the pages with a coat of gesso, some collage, and then acrylic paints, finished up with Sharpie markers for some vibrant color (love ‘em, especially for the price…!) and added in a computer graphic of the latest poem I have written. This has been an ongoing project for the last year, along with the 8 other altered books with altered text I am working on, as well as various other ongoing artistic projects! I always stay busy, that’s for sure!

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Mixed media art journal

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Mixed media art journal

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mixed media altered journal art

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Thanks for sharing your art with us Laura.
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Use your crafting time effectively – Pages ready to go

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Trying to fit mixed media art into our everyday activities can be challenging – there will always be other things vying for our attention… but when we do finally get that scrap of time together – or even find ourselves with a few unexpected hours ahead of us – how do we use that time effectively? This series of articles will look at tips to help you hit the ground running when you have that crafting time.

Part 4 – Journal Page Ready to Go

Needing to start from scratch with a journalling page or altered book when you have time can also be daunting or frustrating. If you need a background and then need to wait for the paint to dry, time can quickly slipped by and inspiration with it. Having two (or more) altered books or journals on the go can help.

Mixed Media Art

By having two books, you can be working in one while the other is drying. Get into the habit of guessing a page at the end of your crafting session. Then the layout is ready to go when you are.

Mixed Media Art Journal

While the gesso is out, also add a layer to a few pieces of cereal box cardboard.

Mixed Media Art

Once the backgrounds are ready, you can jump head first into the fun part as soon as your crafting time starts. Now you can create  your layout with adding colour and papers and images and journalling.

Happy creating!

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Use your crafting time effectively – Art Journal

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Trying to fit mixed media art into our everyday activities can be challenging – there will always be other things vying for our attention.. but when we do finally get that scrap of time together – or even find ourselves with a few unexpected hours ahead of us – how do we use that time effectively? This series of articles will look at tips to help you hit the ground running when you have that crafting time.

Part 3 – Sketch Book or Art Journal for ideas

If you are finding that all of your ideas flee when you finally have the time, I suggest a sketch book or ideas book is the way to go. I find inspiration strikes at the strangest times and you need to capture those thoughts – even if it is a colour combination or card layout. A sketch book is good to have handy for a quick sketch (even for those of us that can’t draw) with notes about what colours or textures or materials you are thinking of in that initial flash of inspiration.

Mixed Media Ideas journal

Your sketches don’t need to be brilliant – only you will see them. They just needs to be detailed enough to jog your memory or to create a new thought when you do have the time to create. During your crafting time, you can also add offcuts of paper or the colour pencil or paint you used, creating a fantastic future reference if you need to create a similar piece of work again.

Mixed Media Art journal

Many great artists have used sketch books, including grand masters like da Vinci, who made wonderful sketches of elements of his paintings, like fabric drape or his subjects hands. Over time you will have collected a book full of ideas that may turn into wonderful art or be used to fuel other ideas – who knows where it will lead?

So when you get the time and the table is tidy, reach for your book and get started on your next creation.

Happy Creating!

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What is Mixed Media Art?

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The term “mixed media art” is a broad definition that covers many arts and crafts, including collage, assemblage (both 2D and 3D), altered objects, including books and boxes, handmade greeting cards, artist trading cards (ATCs) and tags, art journalling and book making.

Hanging Art

Hanging Art

The “mixed media” used includes paints, papers and board of all descriptions, glues, buttons, fabrics, found objects, photos, metal bits, fibres, things from nature, inks, pencils, crayons, markers, pastels and polymer clays, to name a few.


What materials do I need to get started?
The beauty of mixed media art is the flexibility to start with things around you and expend from there. To get started you need a substrate or base. This could be a clean sheet of paper, sketchbook, a cereal box or anything else that may be sitting still.  Then, if you are heading down the collage path, you’ll need something to stick with (glue sticks are fine to begin with) and something to stick on (coloured papers, newspapers, catalogues, and anything else that grabs you).

If you are heading down the drawing / painting path, then once you have your substrate, you’ll need something to make a mark, whether its pencils, paints, crayons, markers or pastels.

Any or all of these are all you need to get started. Just use the things you have around you

What skills do I need to get started?
Another attractive feature of Mixed Media Art is that you don’t need fine art or drawing skills. That doesn’t mean you are excluded from mixed media art if you do have these skills, but it opens up a world of creativity for the rest of us who like to make things but “Can’t draw”.

The skills you need to get started are as simple as being able to use a pencil, scissors and glue. These skills will expand and develop with practice, depending on which “branch” you follow.  More complicated skills of mixing paints and developing your “artist eye” will happen as you expand your own creativity. Specific skills for particular media or art types will present themselves as you move into these areas. As with many things in life, the techniques and teachers will appear when you are ready.

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