Easy One Sheet Mixed Media Booklet

Hi everyone!

Weeks ago I had prepared this blog post, but not quite finished editing it. So, it's been sitting in draft and then this happened. I've scheduled this post for today, but I won't be able to reply to any comments as I am currently in the clinic. Just fyi. 

Anyway, on to a happier topic!

I've been making these little mini booklets for years. They are a simple and fun paper craft with endless variations. All you require is one sheet of paper. I like using drawing paper of 160 gsm weight. I tried a heavier weight, but then it gets tricky when folding. Besides, since I apply mixed media techniques it's going to get a little fatter anyway. 

I started by creating a textured background on my A4 size sheet paper. I covered the entire sheet, alternating applications both vertically and horizontally for a non-directional result. For full instructions on how to fold this sheet into a booklet you can watch the video below. And if you're there, I would so appreciate a "thumbs up", as my channel that I have worked so hard to build hasn't seen much traffic since I've been absent.

Thank you so much 💕

I like to decorate my booklet covers with some collage fodder. I had some pre-made mushrooms in my stash which added a pop of color to the blue-green background. I created two tags to slide into the openings and used a simple binder clip to close the booklet. Now it's ready to be filled with journaling, photos, doodles, tiny art or whatever else you desire! 

Thank you for stopping by and reading along! And thank you for your kind comments re my health issues. I am doing everything in my power to recover and get better, so that I can get back to blogging again. Just know I appreciate all of you 😊 Hugs!!

Please pin / share this tutorial

Trying out the Studio Light Brush Markers

Hello lovelies,

It's important for an artist to grow. While I mostly paint with acrylics and gouache, every now and then I step outside my comfort zone and try a different medium. If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know about my love/hate relationship with watercolors!

But I actually want to feel at ease with them. The other day I came across a relatively new product from Studio Light. I think I've mentioned this Dutch company on my blog before. I have a couple of stamps and stencils which I enjoy using, as they have a unique design. 

Recently, they have expanded their product range to include water-based brush markers, called Aqua Markers. These markers come in sets of six in pre-made color schemes. The four sets I have are Disco, Sunset, Foliage and Sea & Sky, which I have swatched in my journal. Alltogether there are 14 sets available, however, I chose the above as these colors are ones I would likely use for my flower sketches, stamped images and background washes. All of the sets can be mixed and matched allowing for a customized color palette.

I stamped a flower image in my journal on 200 gsm hot-pressed watercolor paper. The markers are designed for drawing, coloring and hand lettering. They have two brush tips, one regular and one large to create varying widths. The larger tip is more flexible than the smaller one, in my opinion. The application is smooth and darks layer fairly well on the lights. I used a size 4 round brush to create the typical watercolor look, but I found it's best to use a brush with stiffer bristles, perhaps a watertank brush. Since these markers are water-based, they are odorless - an important issue for me.

These markers are quite "juicy", especially the green and blue ones. Another way to apply color, is to add pigment to a palette, spray lightly with water and either pick up the paint with a brush or place the substrate directly on the wet paint to create an expressive background, like I did here. The colors mix on the paper which gives interesting effects.

I am going to continue to experiment with them a bit more. My verdict: These brush markers come in a wide color range and are an affordable option for coloring stamped images or using them in coloring books. As mentioned, it's best to use a stiffer brush to pull out color to create the desired watercolor effect. They are best stored laying flat in their original box. I may yet warm up to watercolor painting after all :)

This is not a sponsored post. I simply like and frequently use different products from Studio Light in my mixed media artwork.

Thank you for reading along. Have a beautiful day!

Modern Abstracts

Hi everyone!

Every so often I feel this creative urge to paint wildly abstract. Abstract art has always been the style that I'm most drawn to, even as a teenager! You wouldn't have found any posters of TV stars on my bedroom walls at that time - instead I hung pictures with bold, abstracted images! I like that modern abstracts leave room for imagination and evoke an emotional response. When I paint abstract I try to capture a feeling and use color to tell a story. 

Below I'm sharing my recent practice pieces I painted in my journal. This is a useful exercise for when I decide to go large. This artwork was inspired by both nature and urban environments.

 

I've already heard some interesting interpretations of my artwork from people on another platform. I would love to know what you see when observing these paintings. Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely day!

Colorful Art Journal Page with Flower

Hi everyone!

Maybe I had summer on my mind when I created this page, as I was automatically reaching for the oranges and yellows!

In this beginner-friendly art journal page I have utilized simple techniques that resulted in a cheerful page with some pretty amazing effects.  

I used mainly acrylic inks for this piece plus color pencils to color in my stamped image.

You can watch the process in my short video here:

By the way, if you have any questions about the techniques shown or tools and paints used, don't hesitate to reach out to me via the comments below or on my YouTube channel. Speaking of...I have a new YT banner! What do you think?

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week where ever in the world you may be!

A fun mix of Artworks [Part 2]

Hello everyone!

I'm glad I decided to participate in this year's Mastering Mixed Media event. Two amazing weeks of learning, creating, painting, drawing and paper crafting! I appreciate the tips and advice that the individual teachers/artists offered in their respective classes. It was also nice to be part of a global community, sharing artworks and receiving lovely feedback. 

Here are my works from Day 6 through Day 14. As mentioned, there were too many to complete them all. However, I am still working on the final one. I kept this for last, as it is a bit more time consuming. I have linked to the teacher below each photo.

Lesson: Messenger of Joy by Ida Andersen Lang

Lesson: Layers of Play by Jenny Grant

Lesson: Playing with gouache & oil pastel by Tamara Luc

I do not have oil pastels, but hard crayons work also. Those marks on the pit of the avocado are supposed to by highlights, but I did not have the appropriate white color.

Lesson: Mixed Media Pattern Play by Jessica Swift

Lesson: Enjoy the Process by Susanne Rose

I hesitated when this lesson came up, as watercolors aren't my favorite, but I wanted to try the flowy style of painting reminiscent of underwater environments.

 This is the best I could do!

Lesson: I can see clearly now by Kerstin Svensson

The original class called for an abstract portrait on a large size paper. In hindsight my small art journal was probably not the best surface to work on, as very bold brushstrokes with acrylic paint were required. Also, the original had a lot of squiggly marks across the face. I wasn't comfortable with that, so I just did some on her hair and clothing. This was by far the most difficult (for me) even though I work with acrylics daily! 

Doing the work actually helped me get back into my "flow" as I had been feeling uninspired lately. It was good to try out different styles and mediums. I hope to join again next year :)

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog.! Have a great day!

A fun mix of Artworks

Hello lovelies!

As I mentioned here I'm taking part in this year's Mastering Mixed Media event. Below are a few more artworks I completed. I like that these lessons leave room to experiment on your own and encourage you to add your own personal touches! These are from Day 2 through Day 5. If you're interested to learn more about each artist/teacher - click the links.

Lesson: impressionistic garden by Michelle Nyberg

Lesson: whimsical fantasy spirit animal by Andrea Gomoll

Lesson: Frolicking through the flowers by Tracy Verdugo

Lesson: Sketch, Collage & Create by Andrea Garvey

Lesson: Paper & Play by Holly Mclaughlin

As I am writing this I am about half way through the event and I'm excited to watch the remaining lessons! Once I complete another set of artworks, I will share those in a future blog post.

Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful week ahead!

Mixed Media ATCs with Collage Layers & Stencils

Hello lovelies,

My youtube channel turns two years old this month and I'm quite pleased with the way it's going, although this year I've only been able to manage one video tutorial a month. Apart from the daily errands, I've been busy with preparing for an art exhibition in June (more on that in a future post), as well as re-branding my channel to align with my blog. 

I did manage to squeeze in this fun and easy tutorial. Creating Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) is very satisfying. The surface is small enough to complete several cards quickly, and just like standard trading cards you can exchange them with fellow artists. Who doesn't love to receive happy mail?! 

To fill the background easily I used stencils with a variety of patterns. Create eyecatching effects by using three harmonizing paint colors together. 

In this video tutorial I use tiny paper scraps from my leftovers basket. I tend to keep those scraps that are the negative image that have been punched out with a punching tool or a shape that I cut out by hand. By layering other bits underneath you can create interesting collage art. 

Watch the short art tutorial from start to finish here:

Chunky acrylic paint pens are a playful way to add mark making. I have several colors, some with a round tip and some with a chisel tip. Tiny bits of washi tapes add texture.

This is a beginner-friendly project and very forgiving should you ever glue down a paper scrap in the wrong place (as I did 😉) due to the many layers! 

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading along. Have a great day!

Mastering Mixed Media ~ Learning new techniques

Hello everyone!

If you've been reading along for a while you've probably guessed that I'm passionate about all things "mixed media." The other day I came across this free online event called Mastering Mixed Media. It runs from May 1st until May 14th with daily art sessions presented by artists from around the world. Apart from being loads of fun, each session is in  a different style using a variety of mediums.

Even though I know I won't be able to do them all (40 lessons!), I endeavor to at least watch them. There's always useful information and valuable advice to glean from these types of videos. Here's what I have created so far.

This art session was presented by artist Laura Horn. It combined transparent watercolors with mark making in pen and pencil. While I find working with watercolors challenging and I rarely work with them, I did find this loose, abstract way of painting enjoyable! 

This lesson by artist Toni Burt was closer to my style. It incorporated quirky face sketching with graphite pencils - which I love - and bits of collage, which I often use in my art practice.

This lesson was taught by French artist Laly Mille. I was immediately drawn to this playful, colorful style with collage layers and whimsical elements. I added some butterflies that I had punched out from my gelli prints and I also drew a little wonky house. This took some time due to the many collage layers and drying time of the paint. 

This Mixed Media event is free while it's running. Once it closes there is the option to purchase the classes with life-time access. While we're on Day 4, it's not too late to join! You can still access the sessions from the previous days. Click here for more information and to register.

 

Have a great week!

Mixed Media Art Journal Flip Through

Hello blog friends!

I finally completed the art journal that I started last year. I chose a vintage-style theme, although I did sneak in a few semi-abstract artworks as you can see above.

I did a flip-through reel on instagram if you want to take a look at all the pages. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a beautiful day!

                                                                                                                                            

Colorful Abstract Artwork

Hi everyone!

Recently, I was in the mood to create abstract art. I did not have specific ideas, but when I came across digital images by UK artist Mike Deakin, it sparked something in me. So I went ahead and painted my version of an abstract portrait the traditional way. The face is intentionally quirky and disproportional with the focus on color and expression. There are rectangular pieces of neutral collage underneath the primary colors, which add depth to the portrait. Not too bad for first try!

The next two paintings are completely non-representational. Perhaps with the above portrait still fresh in my mind I continued with the angular shapes and lines. In the first one I worked with a limited palette and used mostly acrylic paints - brushing them on in some areas and using a scraper in others. To add dimension I made a series of dots and lines with acrylic paint markers. This piece could be described as a bold graphic.

The second painting is more colorful. I used acrylic paints, crayons and colored pencils. If you look closely you can see subtle details peeking through the multiple layers. Despite the angularity it turned out surprisingly cheerful.

All artwork was done in a 20 x 20 cm art journal, mostly using acrylic paints.

Often, I use art as a visual communication when words fail me. These three pieces are an example of my emotions needing to "come out". I almost always feel way more settled once I make those final touches to the artworks. 

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll note that my style differs from post to post. This is because there is no one style that I prefer and I've made peace with it 😄 

Thank you, again, for visiting my blog. Wishing you a wonderful day and weekend ahead!