Exploring Mixed Media - Small Abstract Landscapes

Following on from my inspiration book, the second workshop by Laly Mille was about using the inspiration book and creating four small abstract landscape collages.  We were shown the process step by step and I took lots of notes so that I could remember what to do!  I cut the watercolour paper and backed it on cardboard to make the pieces easier to work with and then stalled.  

However, I decided one afternoon that I needed to get on with them.  I drew in the horizon line with a watersoluble black crayon and then smudged it with some matt medium. I began by making four bundles of collage pieces - the same one for each picture.  These were then stuck down on the four pieces and I was off!  I tried to make different shapes with the pieces. Once the collage pieces were in place, I had a cup of tea and a break. 

The collage pieces were a mix of paper scraps, tissue paper, printed papers and  gel press prints.  Once theses were dry, I could begin adding colour and texture.  I used texture paste, acrylic paint, white gesso and watercolour crayons.  

The finished pieces are more blue than the teal I had envisaged, but I used my inspiration pages to find contrasting colours and darker colours and I like the colour mixes.  I think I like the one on the bottom right best as it reminds me of standing stones, although they could also represent trees!  I haven't done anything like this before and I really enjoyed the whole process, once I actually got going. 

The third workshop was creating a mixed media canvas.  I haven't done this yet - I am thinking about it a lot though...

Exploring Mixed Media - Inspiration

I recently took part in an online mixed media art workshop with Laly Mille.  I really like her mixed media work and this was an opportunity not to be missed.  It was a free course to celebrate her ten years as a mixed media artist. 

 The first thing we needed to do was to create inspiration pages in a book - either a sketchbook or journal.  The pages could be filled with images from magazines, colour, our own pieces of art work, images that we liked and which appealed to us in some way.  My pages came together really quickly and I was surprised at the amount of images I found with a similar theme - in this case, colour.  I raided my scraps box and also my gel print stash.  

I knew there were certain colours I was drawn to, but hadn't realised how many things I had which were these colours, collected without thinking about this. Above is the teal/blue page . These colours have been a favourite of mine for many years.

The next page was all about the rich jewel colours - pinks and purples.  Again, another favourite but also a surprise at just how many images and pieces of gel prints and papers that I had already got in these colours.

The third page was one I was more concerned about - neutrals.  I am not really a 'beige' person and have no clothes in these tones.  However, again I was surprised to find lots of images with these colours, beige, grey, cream and some light purple, which appealed to me and which I had kept, thinking they would come in handy.  The owl feather was sent to Chris from someone in America, as part of sendsomething.net.

So far, just three double pages, but they were so enjoyable to put together.  

The next part of the workshop moved on to using the inspiration pages and finding small bundles of collage to add to four small pieces of art work.  More to follow... 

Autumn leaves - real ones this time

The garden has changed a lot over the last couple of weeks, with the wind and rain.  Autumn colours are coming and going.

Clematis Wyevale has suddenly lost all the colour in its leaves.

Hydrangea Merveille Sanguine is putting on a lovely show.

The blueberries are looking wonderful. but it won't be long before their leaves fall.

A joyful celebration of autumn colours.

The lilac and magnolia leaves are carpeting the path.

The hydrangea at the bottom of the garden is providing lots of interest.

The miscanthus in the border is slowly turning golden.  Colours in the garden have changed more since I took these photos, but I am enjoying the display.

More autumn leaves - made from paper and cardboard

I recently bought a new Sizzix Bigz dies called Tattered Leaves.  I noticed that my seasonal tree was looking a bit sparse, so  decided some extra mixed media leaves would be just the thing.  I cut them out of greyboard which was recycled from a posting envelope.  I decorated them with book pages, kraft card, inking around the edges with red or orange pigment ink and a bit of gold gilding polish for a touch of richness.  On one, (top right in the photo), I covered kraft card with gilding flakes. 

I used a leaf vein embossing folder to give the backs some interest and the inking and gilding wax too.  I am really pleased with how they turned out and they have livened up the seasonal tree.

They go well with the felt leaves I made, using my own felt, a few years ago.  You can also see the November ATC in the middle of the tree. 

I am joining in with the CountryView Crafts Challenge - 'Anything but a card' again! 

Artists' Trading Card (ATC) - November

Here is the penultimate card in my monthly ATC project.  It is again a little more literal, with a simple stencilled background to suggest the breezes and tumbling leaves.  The gemstones I have chosen also reflect the more muted colours of autumn, with oranges and browns.  They are red agate, golden rutile quartz, Tiger's eye, grey moonstone, black rutile quartz (x3) and smoky quartz.  The gemstone of the month is topaz or citrine and I have gone for citrine.

I stamped the leaves, painted them with gouache then cut them out, stuck them on and applied glossy accents to give them a shine (you can just about see it shining on the leaf on the left).

 The back reflects the front, with stencilled leaves this time.  One more left to do and the project is finished.

I am entering this in the Country View Crafts Challenge - 'Anything but a card' - wish me luck!