Wanderlust 2022: Weeks 22-28

Update time on how I am getting on with the online Wanderlust 2022 mixed media course. The last seven weeks have been concentrating on using craft acrylics. We learnt they are generally cheaper and less pigmented acrylics and have a large premixed colour palette. Then we learned how to use them in various ways to make our art journal pages. I have fallen behind in the course due to holidays and that hot spell (which made the paint dry too quickly), but I’m catching back up. Here’re my takes on the seven lessons:

Wanderlust 2022: Weeks 15-21

Continuing on with my art journaling course, Wanderlust 2022, we’ve been concentrating on using artist acrylics for the past 7 weeks. It’s been interesting to revise colour mixing and use ‘proper’ acrylics with their better opacity. There’s a self-portrait, a mini Gelli-printed art journal, a homage to my favourite artist and some collage and glazing. Here’s what I produced…

Wanderlust 2022: Weeks 8-14

For this section of the fabulous Wanderlust 2022 art journaling/mixed media online course, we’ve been looking at using modelling paste and image transfers. Each week we’ve been set a different theme with a guest teacher showing us their project ideas and techniques. My previous sessions are here. This section’s layouts are here:

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Creative Jumpstart 2021: The first week

I signed up to do Creative Jumpstart 2021 back in November. What with Covid and no studio groups to prep for, my creativity has had a minor slump and I’ve not even had the mojo to create for the fun of it. Creative Jumpstart has a daily 10-15 minute tutorial or inspiration video to watch and so far it has included monoprinting, art journaling, illustration, watercolour and collage as part of the ‘storyteller’ theme. I’ve had a go at all but one so far and it’s been great to challenge my prejudices against some media (watercolour!) and to try out new media. Here are my attempts at the first week of projects:

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Art Journal: Annus Covidis

Back in January I joined Mixed Up Creative Academy’s free art journal course which offered a theme and a technique video each month. I chose to work in a larger size than normal – a portrait A4 page – per month. I made my own journal from thick greyboard so that I could chuck all sorts of media at it without it buckling. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year, the course was pulled due to lack of tutors, so the last three months became my own. Over the months, I found myself moving toward Bible verses and each page became an example of how Bible journaling can move off the Bible page. I present my Annus Covidis journal:

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Altered Art: Chuck it all on

I’m a fan of Finnabair and her combination of collage and assemblage in her mixed media pieces. There are numerous other artists following the style, and plenty of videos on YouTube showing step-by-step ways of working. Silly old me – I watched one and thought I could remember it as I did my own… This wasn’t the case, so this is pretty much all my own work. It’s the result of a couple of hours work, including cutting out the various chipboard/greyboard elements with my laser cutter. I’ve chucked everything at it!

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Art Journal: Despite the dark

I’m a subscriber to Art Journaling magazine from Stampington, and every now and then a featured article catches my eye. Reading the fine print revealed that this particular journal was based on a mixed media class available online from Donna Downey (Metamorphosis).

Between TV shows I can normally fit in a couple of weeks for my own projects, subject to other calls on my time. This time round I managed to take some quality art time for myself, signed up for the class and completed my journal.

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Bas Relief Deco Rose

For February’s Studio workshop, we’re going to be playing with adding dimension by using paperclay to create bas relief centrepieces for your cards/scrapbook pages and mixed media projects. Here’s an example I’ve just finished:

Not sure if I have got the balance right between the vase and the roses, and may be an ivory card for the sentiment might have worked better too. But that, after all, is what playing is all about…

If you’d like to come to the workshop on 4th February, there are spaces available. For more details, see my workshops page, or email me to book your space.

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One Collage Challenge [Wanderlust 2016]

My Wanderlust journey has wandered off track recently… it has been a long time since I have checked in at each of the stops, and as the year draws to a close I thought I’d better check when I lost access to the class! Sigh of relief – I have a little longer to browse and save what I want to keep.

But in the meantime, I caught up with the One Collage Challenge. Every fortnight or so we were given a step, to take no more than 5 minutes, to build up a final collage. Prompts ranged from ‘add dots’, to ‘cover your page with a stamped image’, and the penultimate one – cover your whole page with gesso or acrylic paint.

Now collage isn’t really my thing – so the step by step was a good process. I didn’t really like what was developing, but that final unifying coat of gesso blended it all together into what turned out to be quite a pleasing piece of art.

Here’s a quick video showing each of the steps, and the impact they had on the building piece:

 

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Art Journal Page: Illuminating Letters

illuminated letter

The next art journal session in The Studio is on Monday, and this morning I’m prepping my samples. We’re going to attempt to create an illuminated letter. I’ve put together instructions for a basic Celtic arched lettering, but this is my take on a more Gothic Celtic style of illuminated lettering.

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