MixedMedia Monday

Monday mornings are usually quiet. That is the time to get creative. 
Most of the time my hands are getting the itch to do something. I don't know, it is kind of constant nagging of I have to do something.
Let me share with you some ongoing projects.

First a project for the coming christmas:

It is a paper bag. But, it is a mixed media project as well. It look s like this on one side:

Did I mention it is if got christmas?

The back I did some butterflies.

Then I am working on a photo. It is almost finished. 

The last one is a greeting card with heart on it. 

The heart itself is a mixed media work with paint , fabric crochet, embroidery and bead. I will show it closer:

It is not finished yet. You can see the wet paint. 

 Bindu

Story of the tree: Mixed media project

The tree just came to me. 
What the tree wants? 
Tree wants a lot of sunshine, a lot of green leaves and give a lot of shade. The tree want to have flowers. It also want to live peacefully with the plants around it. It don't mind staying in one place and feeling the surroundings without seeing it. 
It didn't talk to me much. It was not seeing me. I felt like the tree is meditating.When I try to meditate, thoughts comes one after another. I felt the tree is trying hard to empty its mind. I felt the unrelated thought pieces wandering through it's mind. 

The Process

I used mixed media paper and started with Gesso. Used first layer as light blue, mixed with white to make it even lighter. Over that I painted watered down beige.
Pasted a piece of leftover patterned paper using fiber paste. 
I didn't make much texture . Just a crocheted sun.
I used the stamp made from foam sheet on the tree to give it some texture. 
How do you like the tree? I hope, the tree can stay there without being afraid of getting cut down by humans.  

Bindu Designs

Collage Greeting card

I was really trying my hands on collage. Remember this post?

The  Bio Art Girl suggested I should have a focal image on the collage.
So that is what I did.

I cut out the picture of a cat from an old calendar. ( I love cats and dogs. But, I don't own one)
It looks so cute on the collage back ground. 
I can't wait to put the cat on something. So I placed it on a blank greeting card.
Now, I have a cat greeting card. 

It is pretty as it is, right? I am thinking of making it a birthday greetings.

Bindu Designs

Trying collage on Index card

I wanted to try my hands on collage making. 
There are some magazines, which needed to be recycled too. I am not ready to commit on a large project. So, I chose an index card. 
I wanted to try triangle shapes . 
With a glue stick and cut down triangles from magazine pages, I am ready . The triangles are chosen for their textures. A wooden cutting board, an avocado, a bowl of pasta...Textures are everywhere. Then combined with some painted papers from my stash, I got this one:

It is fun and easy. This can be used in some other mixed media projects, I guess. I am not sure is there any theories for making collage. This is pretty basic, i am thinking. 
May be I can add a focal image on this one to give it some more importance. 
Any suggestions for collage making? I appreciate all kind of suggestions. That is how I learn more. So, please help me with your suggestions.

Bindu Designs

Story of Sue: mixed media on Cardboard

Sue loved books. Sue loved poetry. I caught her staring on the tree branch sometimes. She said, the leaves were doing dancing for her. She finds so many things interesting, which normal people don't even care. 

Sometimes the girls in the class called her "the writer". She doesn't seem to care. But, looking back, I think, she was trying so hard to fit in., trying hard to look ordinary. Still, she was sticking out, somehow. I am not sure what was it... 

Let me present Sue:

Do you have a Sue in your life? 

Bindu Designs

DIY Stamps for Mixed-media art

Many mixed media artists are using stamps to add texture in their work.
 The other day, I went to Deserres, I saw many pretty ones. The  ones I like (kind of patterns big enough to go on my work) were expensive to me. 
 So, I was thinking of making something to add textures. Yes, I tried to cut flower shapes and added them before. 
Then, I found these foam sheets in my stash. Then I felt like I wanted to try something.
So, I draw  simple spirals on the foam with a blunt pencil. (I tried a knitting needle, but it was too sharp.) 

I used a paper punch to make holes on another sheet. I folded the sheet to punch circles all over it.

I tested them on the new piece I am working on.

Can you see the spirals on brown colour? The purple dots are made with my punched foam sheet. 
I am waiting for the paint to dry completely to take another photo. 
Since the DIY ones are unique and the pattern ideas are endless, I think, can try making more.
Do you make your own stamps and stencils? How you make them? 

 Bindu Designs

Index card : first trial

You have seen many people are doing Index Card a Day project.
Index cards are not great paper to hold mixed media art work.
Index cards are small and budget friendly. So, i need to give a try.
My index cards are ruled ones. But, the opposite side is blank. Aha! I can do with that..So, my briglhty bright Crayola pip Squeaks washable markers get to work. ( FYI: I am not paid by them)

My lovely niece gave me a beaded necklace to upcycle. I used the beads to stitch around the card.

The drawing was inspired by the Rosebank Park, in the beginning of the spring. (Which was not mowed and full of wild blooms and green grass).
The card can withstand the stitching. The markers are great on it. Guess, I will try few more without being scared of ruining anything expensive.
Do work similar small scale projects?

Bindu Designs

A quick greeting card

Just got an idea and had to test it out:

Thanks Card: How it is made 

The blank card is from Michaels I believe. 
Cut a circle from styrofoam tray. Punched holes with a steel crochet hook.
Went around the disc with embroidery floss. 
Draw with Sharpie marker
Glued on the card.
What went wrong


The drawing is more to the left of the disc. 
Could have used more color. The floss must be more thicker. 
I could have used yarn.

Bindu Designs

Another mixed media Work in Progress

When I started I was thinking of following my heart.
So, that is what I start with
I stitched on a piece of cloth. 
Added some acrylic paint on it.

Now, it is not going to be fast because, the paint need to dry. Then I need to add more pint and some other things. 
Embroidery kind of disappeared with paint. So added the dimensional fabric paint along the stitched letters. It is my handdrawn words. It is not the way I was thinking it going to be. So, the "following" needs more tweeking. After two hours gone by, I need to stop and get back to chores now.

I am in need of more colour... Flowers? leaved? Geometric shapes???? Or just leave it like that?????
What you think? I can't figure out now.

Bindu Designs

Another step in exploring mixedmedia art

I started off today's multimedia art  project with watercolor paper. There is no particular reason to think of watercolor today.

 I wanted to sit and and complete one piece. That was all in the mind. As usual, started with watered down glue as the first layer. Then some water color paints, which my hubby gave me. Then all of a sudden, i have the urge to incorporate some fabric in the work.

I cut a piece of the above fabric. Actually, I torned it out. Then, I really wanted to add few embroidery strands on it. Nothing fancy, just straight stitches with a long needle...
Then glued the piece down to the paper. Added some patterned paper, paint, stamped flowers.. it is not visible that much though.
The pattern on the fabric is lovely. So, added some acrylic paint to highlight the yummy prints.

 I am kind of getting the satisfaction...

I want to leave it for now. It is going to hang on the wall, Ithink. A little more added to it...May be, but that is for the next week. 
I can't decide what to call it. "Feathers" or "My Dream".

What you like to call it?

Bindu Designs

Exploring Abstract

Since I am exploring the mixed media and painting to learn myself, I wanted to make something in my altered journal to practice it. 
Few days ago, I came across this site, Art Is Fun. The site is created by Thaneeya Mcardle.
If you are trying to learn by yourself, like me, then this is a good site. Many articles explain the method of doing art work. I decided to learn about Abstract.
Thaneeya provided her artwork and how she created it in one article. So, this one is inspired by Thaneeya.

 I began the project with Kelly Donovan's suggestions. So, used white glue diluted with water to prep the page. Then used acrylic paints on top of it. I dried each layer before adding the next layer.

 Once the page is prepped, I started playing with paint and brush.Kind of made some shapes, added few details. It is not great like the colorful work Thaneeya showed. Can I actually say this is inspired by her?
The left side page I used to dry the brush. I followed Kelly's advice and didn't want to waste paint. 

 The below one is the finished page in another angle. I am taking the courage to put it on the web.

What you think? Good, bad or ugly?

Bindu Designs