This Weekend's Art

Mixed Media

I had a couple of Tim Holtz's Configuration boxes and have wanted to do some mixed media pieces with them. Graphics 45 has a Steampunk collection, though I don't think of it as much as steampunk as Art Deco, featuring the art work of my favorite, Alphonse Mucha. I bought the paper a while back since I couldn't resist it (wish I had more now). I worked on these all day yesterday, combining bits and pieces from my collections around the studio. I'm very pleased with them. I just need to figure out how to hang them. I added lots of pieces from Tim's collections - sprocket gears, light bulbs, bottles, birdhouse and metal wings. I also used distress inks and alcohol inks to color the metal and plastic chess pieces.

Configurations Box

Multimedia Boxes

Nothing like bringing in the new year with art, such a great start to the year. My friend, Tricia came over for an art play day on January 2. We both worked on mixed media pieces and had a great, productive time. I created three boxes. I had made the polymer clay faces previously, so I had them on hand. I painted the boxes, then the fun began, determining how to incorporate all the items. First I wire wrapped the faces, as I knew I wanted to add other metal accents. I ran craft metal sheets, metal mesh and screen through a Cuttlebug machine with embossing folders to add texture and interest to it. The lid surfaces seemed too plain, so I added decorative papers to the blue & turquoise one and rusted pattern tissue to the brown/green one. I cut the metal to shape, used heat to patina it and glued it all down. An old earring was the perfect accent for the blue box, while circles cut from craft foil attached to cardstock worked for the brown/green box.

Today must be catch-up time on my blog. I'm finally taking the time to post some of the items I've been meaning to do for so long. March gave me the opportunity to take another class from my favorite teacher (and friend), Lisa Renner. This time Lisa taught a lovely journal book. The moring was spent creating our papers for the journals and in the afternoon we constructed the books. Her technique for making the papers was so much fun that several of us got together again and made more paper to use in our art.

One of the egroups I'm a member of issued a challenge - Dolls with a Secret. This sounded like something I could have fun with, so I started to brainstorm. I'm not sure why butterflies in her stomach came to mind, but it did. I had fun creating this doll.