Michelle G Brown | Mixed Media Art

Inner Child Journal Inspiration

This article is written by Melanie Statnick

Summer time. Every child in the world loves summer break from school. Knowing that this is quickly coming up or is already in session for the at home mom/working artists trying to find something to keep the kids happy and busy can be a job in itself. It can also suck the creative life out of you. Face it, kids have high energy and they siphon it from you like little gas tanks.

Its late the kids are in bed, and you are out of mojo. Where do you get inspiration over the summer? From your inner child of course. We have all read articles on how to let your inner child guide you through art, talking to it, playing etc… But does it really influence your art? Can you really let go and just do some art play? For no reason but to just create?

I live in a different country then where I grew up and spent many summers enjoying the great outdoors. Thanks to the internet I was recently able to take a virtual tour of the streets where I grew up. The nostalgia was overwhelming. Remembering that little girl, playing in the yard, climbing the wall across the street and discovering new things, watching all my favorite TV shows, I was even reminded of the grape purple overalls I wore out running and biking around. I wore them everywhere.

This reminder of how much fun and new summer felt inspired me to get into the groove again. I took out my watercolors and just played. Doodling and painting all the wonderful things that made my inner child feel good. This is a great prompt to help you get started if you are stuck for journaling or painting.

Look through old photos of you growing up, where you liked to play, were you liked to play the most, the imagination you had to play house and make forts in trees, the fun friends you made over the summer. Summer vacation can look a lot brighter when you remember how to play like a kid.

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Melanie Statnickis a Published Artist out of North Carolina USA. Melanie creates art daily from her private studio. Her style is fun, whimsy and eclectic. Melanie is also an Art Instructor for local venues and community colleges for students of all ages.
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Filed Under: Mixed Media Inspiration Tagged With: art journal, art journaling, art journalling, summer holidays, summer vacations

Ten-minute art idea: “Tie-dyed” paper

By MMA Team 1 Comment

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This article was written by Katja Blum

I love paper marbling. The technique fascinates me, and while it is possible to apply the color to the water or sizing in a controlled manner, the outcome can still be a happy surprise. I love surprises.

However, marbling is somewhat time- and labor-intensive. Making the size, preparing the paper and paints, creating the marbled papers, rinsing… Enjoying one of those busy lives we all lead these days, I rarely find the time. That doesn’t mean I have to do without creatively colored paper or happy surprises. If ten minutes is all you can spare for a little art fix, how about faux tie-dyeing?

“Tie-dyeing”, or rather fold-dyeing, paper is a technique that requires few materials and no preparation. You can do it at your worktable or at the kitchen sink while making tea. On hold with the utility company? No need to get frustrated. Put the phone on speaker and make art.

You need:

Paper

Most paper qualities will work. I often use my son’s sturdy watercolor paper or rice paper. Since rice paper is fairly thin, it’s a good idea to take several sheets at once and use the stick or folded techniques.

Liquid fabric or silk paints

I like Dye-Na-Flow. If you have one of those tie-dyeing kits with the prepared paints for a summer projects with the kids, see that there are leftovers, because they work really well.

Gloves
Bowl of water (or the sink)
Wooden dowel and rubber bands (for the rolled technique)
Paper clips to hold folded papers together for drying

Fold the paper into various shapes. You can also crumple it up or roll it up on the dowel and fasten it with rubber bands.

Put on gloves, protect your work surface from paint spatters and apply random drips of fabric paint to the folded or crumpled paper and into the folds. Remember that too many colors might make mud – even though it can be very pretty mud!

You can use the paper dry or wet it before or while applying the color. Seriously, standing at the kitchen sink is a good way of doing this. When you are satisfied with the color application, secure the folded papers with paper clips and leave them to dry. Done.

Do resist the urge to unfold the papers before they are dry, because wet paper breaks more easily and there might still be wet paint in the creases that could run and cause streaks.

Once the papers are dry, unfold them carefully and enjoy the colors and patterns you have created. Some papers – the folded ones in particular – make terrific Rorschach tests. Let your imagination run wild and see what you can see. To smooth out the creases, iron the papers on a low setting or press them under a few books.

Of course you can use your tie-dyed papers as backgrounds for mixed-media pieces or as collage material – or display them as the pieces of serendipitous ten-minute art that they are.

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Katja Blum is a writer and translator from Tulsa, OK. As an artist, she started with yarn, fabric and papier mache (rarely together), branching out into collage and other paper arts about ten years ago. Her latest obsession is making soft stuffies and art dolls – to the delight of her toddler. She also likes to find creative solutions for ugly or broken things around the house – to the delight of her husband.

You can see more of her work with fiber, paper and words at www.thewaywardsheep.com

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Filed Under: Mixed Media Project Tagged With: backgrounds, fabric paints, Paper, patterns, tie-dye

Overcoming my Fear of Mixed Media

By MMA Team Leave a Comment

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This article is written by Anjuli Johnson

Having the courage to break into a new form of art can be tough. I remember my scrapbooking days and being fascinated with other forms of mixed media I would see around me. My scrapbook pages were one thing- the altered books and art journals I would see in magazines were on a whole other level. There are so many talented people who do amazing things with canvas, books, paint, beads, paper, and an infinite number of other mediums. I was inspired every time I turned around, it seemed. But the idea of actually trying to do something that didn’t involve preserving my own memories was extremely intimidating. How could I, just an ordinary woman, find a way to create such unique mixed media pieces? I wanted to learn these awesome techniques, but I didn’t want to just copy what everyone else created. The only thing I had that made my creative work unique were the photos I used in my scrapbooking. So, I kept my mixed media dreams in the back of my mind and stuck with what I was comfortable with.

Of course, then came 3 years of limbo. I moved across the country and couldn’t afford to bring any of my things with me besides the bare necessities, and it was that long before I was able to access any of my art supplies. To say I felt the absence of a creative outlet would be an understatement. By the time I opened those boxes and started organizing everything, I was starving for my long lost supplies, most of which I’d forgotten I had. There are few things better than unpacking boxes of art supplies. The creative ideas are like a flood. It was during this period that I finally found the courage I needed to start experimenting in unknown artistic waters, and as a result was able to develop my signature abstract collection that has been featured in several galleries around Raleigh and has led to some of my first commissioned works. I’ve have further in the last two years than I could have dreamed possible.

Throughout those months I realized the work I was doing was something I hadn’t seen anyone else do. My pieces were unique, not just because of my individual style, but because I was using tools and supplies in ways I hadn’t seen anyone else use. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized the infinite possibilities that are available to those who work in mixed media.

Most artists who work with quilling strips have a very different way of using them. Some of the things they create are amazingly intricate, but are less abstract in nature- less accidental than my pieces. It’s been interesting to see how my quilling is similar and yet different from most quillers out there, but that is an aspect of mixed media work that I love- the fact that artists can take different techniques and mediums and use them in brand new ways that people haven’t thought of before.

I don’t know to what extent other artists have struggled with the false idea that anything they create will be derivative; simply a copy of another artists work. In some ways, it almost felt like an excuse for me to not even try, despite being a legitimate fear. I do know that all artists wrestle with fear in one form or another. It is a daily struggle, but the more we create, the more we learn and the less fear becomes an obstacle. What art supplies do you use in a unique way? What pieces or collections have helped you overcome your fears?

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Author bio: Anjuli Johnson is a Mixed Media Artist from Raleigh, NC. She began her art career as a scrapbooker, and it’s been an evolutionary process ever since. She loves all things mixed media- paper, paint, pens, wire, gears, clay… the list goes on and on. She is constantly trying to push through her fears to discover and develop her talents, meet new people, and learn from those around her. To see more of Anjuli’s art and techniques, check out her website at www.thefarpavilion.com, her blog at www.thefarpavilion.blogspot.com, and like her Facebook page TheFarPavilion

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Filed Under: Mixed Media Art Tagged With: fear, Mixed Media, original, quilling, unique work

The Needs of the Artist

By MMA Team 1 Comment

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This article is written by Ann Strecko Koeman

In response to my previous article about collecting versus hoarding, a reader posted a very good question in the comments section. That today is the subject of my article as I pondered this inquiry and deemed it to be a good topic to explore.

A reader asked about how one goes about making mixed media art without over extending our financial capabilities and wasting our hard earned money on purchasing all of the fancy tools available in the arts and crafting market right now? Besides having a great amount of self control, it is difficult to not just cave in and buy all that is shiny and new! However, as I have been crafting most of my life I can say that it is doable. One needs to begin creating humbly.

To be creative it is not necessary to buy and own all of the newest and greatest that is advertised. The most important tool is ourselves. We need to believe in our own abilities and then just give it a try. Picasso said. “creativity has to find you working”, not that you must have a well designed and furnished top notch studio! Nonetheless, it would be hypocritical of me not to admit to personally owning a well stocked and probably over flowing creative space of my own.

I did not get to the point I am at over night. I have accumulated my inventory very slowly and creatively. I admit to easily falling in love all too frequently with the latest and greatest of supplies available online or in a brick and mortar store. I can stay away from the actual buildings, I can avoid going shopping online too! If I live like a hermit and completely off the grid then I am not tempted at all! But come on! Who can pull that off? NOT me!

In my own experience I have dealt with having zero funds to spending on my creativity to going into debt. Over the years my own priorities were tested and I have matured. Being a mother has definitely made me make some wiser choices. My priority is my family and my need to be creative and my answering that need made me a better mom. So how to pull this off? For one thing establishing some form of creativity budget is key.

By setting aside small amounts of money over the year and waiting for a few fantastic sales and using coupons enabled me to buy some things. Asking for specific supplies or gift cards from my favourite stores as gifts for my birthday or holidays is another. There is also the sharing of tools with other people that helps. Joining a club where we exchange ideas, learn from each other, trade materials and contribute to a group pot whereby each member has a turn to spend the money on tools or supplies.

Over the years I learned about the possibility of renting time and space in some stores such as scrapbook stores where I could work on my scrapbooks and have access to a bunch of tools and equipment that I could not afford to buy on my own. Joining the frequent buyers clubs at stores and getting loyalty cards (free ones) also contributes, although slowly, to obtaining free stuff. Working in a crafty environment also enables one to access things usually at a discount. If one works in an office don’t overlook all those papers and unused supplies going into the bins, ask first and it should not be a problem.

I joined some design teams which provided me with free materials. I have also written product reviews for companies that let me keep some products for free. My teaching means that I get bits and pieces and sometimes whole pieces or even tools for free. I also worked as a consultant for a few direct sales craft companies which enabled me to earn free products. I have done volunteer work where I was in charge of a creative project which meant that after the event had passed I could take home any unwanted and used supplies.

Which brings me to looking for FREE stuff! First and foremost let people know that you are creative and that you will take their unwanted trash (within reason) for your own treasures. For example your friend has an aunt that is downsizing and would like some help cleaning out the house, and in exchange you get to keep the old but still usable pasta machine that you can use to knead clay! Or the deceased husband of that same aunt had a set of wood carving knives in the garage, you can use those too. Oh, and what about that fabric the aunt had bought years ago to make a dress to go to some nephews wedding that never happened! You could use it to make some handbags!

Keep your eyes and ears open, there are people all around who need to unload items and you can use them. Getting stuff for free means it will cost you some time though. Another place to find free materials is in your own home; from the recycling bin where you can use good cardboard (chipboard) or clean empty plastic containers, to your closet where those outdated clothes have some nifty buttons that can be used in a necklace, and don’t forget to look in your children’s rooms for broken toys to use in a collage, or the garage (if you have one) for tools and supplies that can make great substitutes for the more expensive craft store tools that will do the same job.

If your own home is very modest, there are no children’s toys, and no garage to pillage you can always look to online recycling and selling sites. Don’t forget to check any local free newspapers, the bulletin boards too. I have found things for crafting on sites such as Kijiji and Free Cycle all for free or as a trade for something I had and did not need anymore. I see advertisements in local papers for free stuff too. There are also local businesses who gladly will give away what is useless to them but a luscious supply to a crafter. For example, stores often have tons of cardboard boxes and signage that needs to get out.

Sometimes my local hardware store would happily give away old wooden pallets and outdated paint samples. Hello, that is free wood and paint! The library may need to cull old magazines even books and shelving which equals more free stuff. There are many alternatives to spending money on tools and supplies, but this would require a series of articles or even a book. Sometimes it is not possible to replicate a certain tool and one needs to bite the bullet and shell out the big bucks or go without. But often it is in those situations that we artists show our greatest creative ability: Making do!

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Ann is a mixed media artist working and living outside of Ottawa Canada with her beloved family and cat that use up most of the family budget on food. Ann has had to find many unusual ways to stretch her crafting budget.

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Filed Under: Mixed Media Art Tips Tagged With: Mixed Media, mixed media art tips, mixed media supplies, recycling

Michelle G Brown | Mixed Media Art

Inner Child Journal Inspiration

Ten-minute art idea: “Tie-dyed” paper

Overcoming my Fear of Mixed Media

The Needs of the Artist

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