Found Objects for Mixed Media Painting

 

When it comes to mixed media painting, using paint brushes is only the beginning of the process; there are SO many objects you have around you that can make create tools to make impressions in your mixed media painting.

Michelle shares a few of the found objects she uses regularly in her mixed media paintings, in her altered book and for painting art journal backgrounds.

 

We would love to hear what you think! Do YOU have any thoughts on what you would like us to show you?

Leave a comment below!

OR email us at CreateMixedMediaArt@gmail.com ~ we read ALL of our emails!

Happy creating.

corks, sequence scrap and bubble wrap are all great for mixed media painting

Gloves Off for Mixed Media Painting

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Stacy Steinborn has taken her gloves off to create this vibrant mixed media painting with coffee filter flowers and water colour paints.

This article is written by Stacy Steinborn from Flooded in Light

As a mixed media artist it is to your benefit to release old habits and experiment with getting your hands dirty.  I remember as a child I loved squishing mud between my finger, the wet almost slimy feel of finger paint, putting glue all over my hands and letting the gooey white substance dry just so I could peel the flaky stuff off, and sculpting with gritty wet sand at the beach.

I attended an art class recently and the instructor put gloves on because she didn’t want to get her hands dirty.  My inner child wanted to scream “that is part of the fun!!” By no means do I want to insult anyone who prefers to wear gloves or who hates to get “dirty”.  That is not my intentions.  However we are taught as children to not get dirty and to color inside the lines.  I hope to challenge you to take the gloves off, and connect with your art with the sense of touch.  Feel free when you create.  If you have been at an artistic lull, maybe you need to break down some barriers.  Do what you were taught not to do…get your hands dirty and color outside the lines.  Experiment with not being perfect.  You can create harmony with imperfection.

mixed media painting

Before I started this piece I had no idea what to do.  I had old coffee filters I started painting dots on with water color…they started looking like flowers, flowers of the Orient…thus inspiration.  With the back ground of the canvas I wanted to create water but with movement.  Layers of greens and blues were not enough.  I sprayed rubbing alcohol and baby oil to add to the affect of ripples and movement.  And for the center I pulled out my old sketch pad. Thumbing through old sketches.  I had old sketches of a few koi fish.  I took tissue paper and traced one image with a sharpie(be careful not to bare down to hard, it will bleed through to your sketch).  After the back ground of water had dried I applied a clear gesso and flattened the tissue image to the painting allowing it to dry over night.  I then took warm water and lightly scrubbed the tissue away from the painting leaving bits of the tissue on the painting for texture.  The ink image had transferred onto the painting.  Then the perimeter of the painting was like decorating a cake.  I added all the coffee filter flowers with a powder based glue mixed with warm water.  After completely drying I added contrast with black paint and random oil pastel for details.

mixed media water colour paints

This painting is a series of old sketches, dabbles of water color on up-cycled coffee filters and the need to get my hands dirty so I could feel the piece coming to life.  Most importantly the release of not being perfect by smearing glue, oil pastel, rubbing alcohol, paint and ripped paper “outside of the lines”.

I hope you are inspired by creating harmony and approaching your next work like a fighter, gloves off and no fear.

Flood your art with your inner light…

Stacy Steinborn

coffee filter water colour paintings

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More of Stacy’s work can be found on her Flooded in Light blog.

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Tips for Painting on Watercolor Paper

Welcome to our first Mixed Media Art Tips Video

We would love to hear what you think! Do YOU have any thoughts on what you would like us to show you?

Leave a comment below!

Happy creating.

youtube video tip

Santa Fe – New Mexico

This article is written by Gloria Malouf-Marsh

This scene captures a Spanish/Mexican feel.  The countryside has rolling hills, scenic mountain sides and glorious vivid and bright colours of the rich culture of life, fire, and courage.

New Mexico is a Spanish colonial living history site. It boasts beautiful parks, river valleys, scenic mills and historic buildings dotting the countryside. It is so scenic… ranging from Westerns to Civil War sagas, have been filmed there.

Santa Fe – New Mexico Acrylic PaintingI started this composition using crimson red and I used a sponge dabber, which managed to spread across the whole canvas. I found the base, red colour off set the blue clouded sky and enriched the breadth of the frame.  I deliberately did not use perfect cloud formation in the sky, as I wanted to create my own shading and composition.

At first, I sketched a rough outline of my subject matter, the mountains where they started. The shadowing of the mountains added perspective. I concentrated on the two houses, the road just off the middle, and last of all, the fence. The fan brush was used to create the grass spikes. This added more depth. With the fence wires, I applied a silver fine pen to the wires so the fence line would be a feature of the painting.

Bright colour brings boldness and character to any subject matter and also reflects the rich colours of the countryside. These colours enliven the artist within and shape takes form.

The foliage of the trees and colour combined, orange/yellow, brown and gold were dabbing effects.  I used the deer brush for this application. I felt this brought a sense of balance and especially the semi-circle shape below the mountain range and undulating hills. The two houses had a hacienda feel.

Acrylic painting is ever so forgiving. I believe this is the way to go if you are a beginner. I take more risks now. I begin a painting with a bright coloured background and kick starts the imagination to take risks.  This boosts one’s confidence. I have been amazed with the outcome and end result.

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My name is Gloria Malouf-Marsh. I live in Brisbane, Australia, in a very leafy suburb called Indooroopilly.  I live with my husband Greg and my daughter Salwa. Among my many interest are, singing, playing the piano, cooking, doing voluntary work and studying Ayurveda and Taoism.  I’m a Yoga Chi Gung Teacher.

In December of last year, our beagle Cassie died from cancer.  She’s sorely missed by us all, but I do very much miss our times together when I’d be painting away.

Beagles are very loyal, loving and caring dogs.

My husband and I have not long returned from three weeks in Vietnam.  The highlight of our trip was Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a UNESCO Heritage site, and is surrounded by limestone mountain formations. We went on a cruise for 3 days, and I was in awe of this amazing place. We had a wonderful time. It really is a special place to visit.

The weather in Brisbane is glorious in winter. We are very spoiled with sunny days, clear blue skies, and the weather is very conducive for applying the brush on canvas.

I have enjoyed painting this art contribution of Santa Fe very much.  It’s amazing how much confidence we acquire after practicing daily with the brush, doing any form of Mixed Media art creations.  Motivation is the word of paramount importance for me, in being creative. I, sometimes find excuses with trying to always be creative, working my imagination, tracing, stenciling, drawing, etc…So, I say there are no excuses, but to continue and prod dry patches. I’m the one to encourage myself not to lapse into excuses.

Enjoy and create something from nothing.

Emails are welcome

My email is: gloria@radiantpathways.com.au

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