Mixed Media

On the Web: DIY Picasso

Upon hearing that Jackson Pollock had his own DIY website, Pablo Picasso decided that he needed one too. Give Mr. Picassohead a try.

Book Report: page 8

This is the final page of my mixed media book. As the pages have evolved, so have my thoughts and plans on the binding. I will be completing the backs of each page as well as the binding this week and will post pictures of the complete book soon.

An Open and Shut Case

Handmade box - a skill first learned from Carolyn Chadwick at the New York Center for Book Arts.

On the Web: book autopsies

It seems increasingly rare to find something new and completely different in the area of book arts and altered books. However I think Brian Dettmer's work falls into that category. His book autopises take altering to a new level and are mesmerizing. A few of his pieces are illustrated below. You can find many more here.

Mixed Media

create harmony

Book Report: page 7

Here is another page in my mixed media book. The second picture is a detail from the page and highlights an altered, original, vintage handwritten letter from Italy. Please click on the photos to see each in larger format. One or two more pages and I will be finished with the right half of the book. I will then bind that section and show a photo on my blog as a work in progress.

Mixed Media: botony

On the Web: DIY Jackson Pollock

For a fun,participatory art experience, go to this site and create your own Pollock masterpiece. Move the mouse to draw and click the mouse to change colors. Press the space bar to clear the canvas. You can even print it out.

Mixed Media

Fragments: part one

When I look at any artwork, I take in both the whole image as well as the smaller details. I have noticed that I am always discovering new elements within the art that I love the most. This is especially true in mixed media work. Sometimes I even think that just one small section of a larger piece would have made an amazing creation on its own. That got me thinking about my own art and got me started on a hunt for the favorite fragments from some of the pieces I have made myself.

Mixed Media

This is a mixed media postcard that I made using an image that I photographed, found and altered paper, and acrylics. I like the movement captured by this piece, almost as if the wind is blowing the components of the postcard.

Book Report: page 5

One more page for my mixed media book. I had fun making this one. It was almost like a puzzle, putting together all the small pieces of altered paper that make up the whole. Please enlarge for more detail.

Fat Book Page: fly

Paper Quilting

I was recently involved in an A to Z Technique round robin through a great group on Yahoo Altered Arts Fat Books. I joined late and ended up with the letter Q. Hmmmm. I chose quilting with paper. The process took a long time because of the design I chose but it is actually very simple. First select a pattern and your paper. Cut out cardstock sized to each individual shape. Glue batting foam to the cardstock. Then wrap with paper, mitering the corners if you have squares to create a finished look. Arrange your design on your mount and embellish.

Book Report: page 4

Work on my newest mixed media book is moving along. I have finished another page and am happy with the direction it is taking. Unfortunately, this picture is not the best but I hope to replace it with a better shot soon. As always, click the photo below to see the page in more detail.

Image Transfer Daguerreotypes

Several years ago I took a class at The Ink Pad, a rubber stamping store in New York. We were taught not only the basics of packing tape transfers but also the use of metallic leafing pens to create daguerreotype like photos. The process is very simple. Make a transfer using a black and white photocopy and packing tape. Then use a metallic leafing pen to cover the sticky side of the tape. Once the leafing drys, adhere the transfer to cardstock or directly onto your artwork. The final image takes on a distressed and aged look. The three samples below were taken from my own photographs of frescos and statues from Italy.

Book Report: page 3

I am including some interactive elements in my mixed media book. I think there is no better way for a reader to become part of abook then to open a flap or pull something out of an envelope. The photos below are of the same page, with flap closed and flap open. Please click for greater detail.

Photography: m. antoinette

These mannequins in a London shop window reminded me of the excess and style of Marie Antoinette. Pure eye candy.

Book Report: page 2

Here is another page from my current mixed media book. Click the image for more detail.