Open-hearted

Do you sometimes allow your emotions to take over your project?
Do you create freely, without plan and let go?
Take a look at amazing canvas from Anai... detail, texture and colour... emotional freedom!

 
Have you ever wonder what's the most important thing in art for you?
For me it's emotion.
I want to feel - whether I'm exploring art or creating it.
Sometimes I'm creating art because I feel too much. And that's exactly the case in todays project. So excuse me for not saying too much about it. I'd like you to feel it more than think about how it's done or what does it mean...

The basic concept was pretty simple. I've created the background using gesso, lace, texture paste, crackle paint and modeling paste with a stencil. When it was dry I started adding color (mostly with Lindy's Stamp Gang sprays).

I have a special box in my creative space. It's full of strange old metal elements I bought online many years ago. Some would say it's garbage ;) I would say it's a box of treasures :)
I've made a simple composition with these elements. Simple and full of meaning at the same time.
I wasn't even sure which words to use. But while I was creating it suddenly I've though about "open heart surgery".
"Open-hearted" is obviously a word-play.

I didn't want it to be dark or depressing. I hope you don't take it this way...
I was just thinking about all this hard situations in life, when you struggle with your own emotions. When you have to cut, sew, add some wires and screws - just to be able to move forward still in one piece.
It can be messy sometimes. But I like messy. It gives me power and hope that everything can be fixed.

Products from Mixed Media Place:

Create Your Own Art

Art journaling and recycling?
Yes please! 
Perfect combination to achieve some spectacular effects.
Take a look at Janka's amazing journal spread and 'create your own'.
 

 

Hi everyone,

Do you pay attention to the jars and bottles that are finished? Those could be used not only as your storage but also as part of your journal. As you can guess today we will talk about recycling.

 

You can remove all the stickers from jars and their tops and use them to your project. Sometimes it is not that easy to remove it but steam will help you out. Jars are great as your small storage for paper flowers, gems, metal embellishments and more.

And those stickers? I use them as my journal background, sometimes I cut out the words only (soft, gold, basics, moon, transparent, art...)

I created art journal page where I used stickers from different art products - soft matte gel, modeling paste opaque, sticker from Lindy's Stamp Gang spray, Inka Gold, Micro Beads and Glass glitter.

That way we have no rubbish left :) Eco friendly journal.

Next time think twice before throwing things, old brush, paint tube, piece of tissue, chipboard leftovers. Those are the things that will make your art special.

Janka

Products from Mixed Media Place:

Trust

Gayle did it again !
Simple techniques turned into masterpiece! 

Hello lovely Mixed Media Place friends. 
I’m sharing an art journal page with you today; very simple techniques, ones that you would all be familiar with and minimal materials used…….art basics Gesso, art basics 3D Matte Gel, Distress Spray Stains in 4 colours, 3 stamps and a black stamp pad and some pretty floral patterned paper.

Art journals are fantastic to use for exploring new ideas; for practicing with new and unfamiliar art mediums; for experimenting; for expressing ideas and opinions and recording daily or special events.

But, they are also wonderful places to just relax and play with all your most favourite things……….the colours you love most, images you love, your favourite techniques and the materials or art mediums you feel most comfortable working with. I compare it to soaking in a warm bath, with a glass of champagne, listening to your favourite music…..an art journal should definitely be something to relax with.

 This page is made up of some of my favourite things…………..my favourite colours, my fetish with faces continues, I love working with them, some pretty stamps and fussy cutting of floral images. The face is an image transfer, a technique I love using. A detailed description of how I do it can be found HERE on Finnabar’s blog.The colour comes from Ranger Distress Spray Stain; the colours are so vibrant and I’ve used 4 of my favourites; Cracked Pistachio,Tea Dye, Wild Honey and Picked Raspberry. You can “layer” the colours, drying in between to intensify them or add water to dilute and soften them. Stamping is such a quick and simple technique and yet it can have a powerful and dynamic impact on a page. If you want your stamped images to be subtle, gesso over them; or, use a similar colour ink on your stamp as the background you are going to stamp on to. If you want the stamped images to be bold and stand out, emboss them. Two of the stamps used here are from the Prima “Treasured Memories” range. I can not imagine a creative world without stamps, so thank you to all the stamp makers and designers.

I always love to use some kind of floral elements in my work, I love to fussy cut and I love collage, so, all three things get combined here. The quote, from Dr. Frank Crane is not just about allowing ourselves to trust in others in order to grow, learn and succeed in life, but also to trust ourselves. Trust yourself with trying new techniques and new and different kinds of mixed media….you will never know how much fun and how much pleasure they will bring you unless you try them. Art journals are a perfect place to start.

Materials used:

Family First – Mixed Media on close second

Big art in small makes.
Riikka did it again! Fantastic background, wonderful colours, stamping and collaging. You will love this ATC's set.

 

I was demoing in an event some time ago and on that event a friend of mine showed some ATCs to me. One of them had this awesome parchment looking background that I immediately fell in love. I remembered seeing the technique in use at some point but I’m not sure if I’ve ever done it myself. So naturally I needed to try out that one!

I’m talking about background made out of masking tape pieces and then ink added on top. The texture created this way reminds me of crumbled paper or parchment but still the surface is flatter than crumbled paper. 

What you need to do is take small masking tape pieces and adhere them haphazardly to your surface. When you then add ink with an inking tool on top the ink will highlight the edges of the tapes more than the surface otherwise and the wonderful texture is created. Easy but effective!

I used this fun surface treatment in a series of ATCs called “Family First”. On top of masking tape and inks there’s stamping, Sharpie and collaging on the cards. The individual cards are called “Brothers”, “Sisters” and “Generations”. The old photos used in the cards are from a 7 Dots Studio die cut sheet.

Usually my ATCs are free for grabs but these all have a new home already. But please drop me a mail if you’d like a card from me or do a swap!

Until next time!

Products from Mixed Media Place: