Mixed Media - Offering To America

I thought I would share a couple images of the process for this piece I am working on right now. I have never taken a class or even read anything about how to do a mixed media painting so these are amateur directions!

This image to the left is basically where I started. The canvas is wooden cradled canvas that I got from a fellow artist's website. Her husband hand makes them and they are just great and I was actually able to afford them - these can be very expensive at an art supply store. If you are interested you can get them at
http://mountainlaurelfolkart.blogspot.com/


I did a basic drawing getting a feeling for broad shapes. Then I went over it with a black sharpie so I would be able to see the lines and shapes through the tracing paper.


Next I traced the basic lines onto tracing paper and then cut out shapes. I traced these shapes onto the different papers I wanted to use and then cut out all my colorful shapes. This is the fun part - I think - you get to look at all the different patterns and colors and feel out what should go together. Next I kind of placed the papers on the canvas working on a flat surface like a table or if my knees can take it the floor. It's sort of like making a quilt but better because you don't have to sew - you glue. If I mess up with my color balance I just fix it at this point or later with paint and/or papers.

Then I paint the glue on the back of the paper and press it on the wood. When I first started doing this last year I used regular Elmer's glue but it didn't work very well. I don't know what other artist's use but I have been using Modge Podge and it's worked great for me so far.

Since I was working with unprimed wood I next primed the bare areas and used a little acrylic paint to tint the primer so I could remember my initial lines and shapes.



Then I modge podged over my paper cutouts that are pasted on the canvas - coating the top of them for extra adhesion but I was careful not to get too much on the other areas so I wouldn't have problems with the paint adhering to the parts of the canvas I wanted to paint. I let it dry overnight although I often don't.


To be continued................



As you can see the process can be a bit messy. This is only a fifth of all the stuff I have circling around me when I do the mixed media pieces. It is messy but it is so much fun.