Mixed Media Antics

21/7/11: It's A Collage-A-Thon!



I had loads of really utterly urgent important jobs to do yesterday, so I decided to collage on an old type writer case (of course).

To be fair, she had been longing for a make-over for a very long time and she’ll be just perfect for all my haberdashery -carrying needs (don’t you just love that word).

Therefore, a perfectly appropriate use of time, (ahem).

And absolutely perfect for  the Poppy Treffry workshop in August! (I’ll just have to stop for a minute, take some deep breaths and have a quick sniff of me smelling salts as I hyperventilate with excitement at the prospect).

Any road up, so I had a good old rootle through my little cupboard of happiness: a lifetime’s collection of raffle tickets, ‘Mr.Chews’ wrappers , foreign stamps still perfumed with the exotic aroma of far away spices, (okay, okay, I’m getting a wee bit carried away here but I think you get the idea!) and many other such pieces of beautiful ephemera (other lesser beings may call it ‘old tut’ but they are my treasures of the most precious kind).

After spending far too long on the endless possibilities I came up with this, which was all based around this rather jolly stamp – I love his hat and cheeky grin (please don’t let him be an evil dictator from the 1960’s!)

Then it’s the fun part, just slap on loads of acrylic gel, (I use ‘Golden High Solid Gel Matte’, which, in my humble opinion, is the best) this acts as a really strong adhesive and also protects the collage’s surface. To neaten the edges I scraped off any surplus gel with a small piece of mount board.

I love the texture that the gel creates but you can smooth it down with a piece of rag if you want. When it’s dry, the textured surface looks great if you want to dry brush acrylic paint over the top (I’ll show you this in a minute).

Since I was now knee deep in aromatic stamps, treasures/ old tut and acrylic gel, I also whipped up a wedding day ‘card’ for me mate.

He actually delights in taking the mickey out of my collage antics, so what better pressie, eh!

 I hope that he appreciates the ‘Tunnock’s tea cake’ wrapper, (second only to ‘Mr Chew’ in the old tut beauty stakes).

5/10/11: Newspaper Happiness:

Thought it was about time to chuck in a little painting technique that makes me happy.

I cannot take credit for this little beauty, Alix and Charlotte (two of my wonderfully arty art students) shared this gem with me.

Unfortunately there is a rather nasty legal wrangle about copywright going on between them at the moment, so, to avoid a nasty law suit landing on my door mat, I shall give them both equal credit!

Charlotte and Alix's (or should that be 'Alix's and Charlotte's) Cheap as Chips Priming Technique of Happiness:

1: Apply matt emulsion to the piece of board/ paper/ canvas.

2: Lay a piece of newspaper over the wet paint.

3: Rub over the newspaper.

4: Gently peel away the newspaper and some of the print will have magically transferred! Woo! (Don't worry if some of the newspaper sticks, that just adds to the surface quality darling!)

5: Let the board dry.

6: Now use your beautifully primed and textured surface to create something wonderful!

I used this technique for a collage, I think a simple composition works best with this subtle effect.

Thanks Charlotte and Alix, (now leave Judge Judy alone ladies and shake hands!)