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Behind the Studio Door: Wings
Welcome back to the studio! Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on my latest mixed-media piece...
Wings Palette. I hope these will inspire your next creation.
Main Color
Shadows
3D Elements
Adhesive
Accent Color
Getting Started: Core Techniques & Supplies
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My Background Secret: To create my background, I use a variety of colors in very thin layers. I mix my paint with matte or satin medium exclusively and I do not use water. Mediums can make the paint thinner and translucent and keep the color true. This gives a beautiful way to lay two translucent colors next to each other and blend the edge. I prefer the Golden or Liquitex brand.
Finding and choosing 3D objects for mixed media:
The greatest finds are when you look past what an item is and see it purely for its shape, texture, and structural potential, then the whole world becomes an art supply store.
Get The "Out-of-the-Box" Mindset: That mindset is that no object is safe when you’re around.
When hunting for 3D elements, ignore the object's original purpose. Instead, train your eyes to see that the sky’s the limit on how you use it.
The best part of the work “Wings” are the 3D elements. Everything in this work was built to feature the butterflies. They were originally created to be wall sticker decorations to use for room décor. Funny thing is they were frequently returned when using them for their original purpose. However, I loved them on sight and knew they belonged to artwork.
Think about using (and this is just scratching the surface):
Fabric, ribbons, fake paper or plastic flowers. Find ribbons with beads or beautiful colors, fabric that can be adhered to add color or textures, yarn, string, and cardboard.
Look for jewelry and jewelry making items. Beads, rhinestones, and pendants are great to purchase from craft stores, antique stores, and garage sales. Take the jewelry apart or buy broken and cut off the piece you like or use the entire piece to create your favorite look.
Consider premade items that were developed just for mixed media:
They can still be used “out of the box” but they are just great all around. Some choices are from Tim Holtz Idea-ology, Prima Marketing which features Finnabar and others, Stamperia, Dina Wakley Media, StencilGirl, and many other products to get you started.
My Number One Tip for Success: I use cradled wood panels exclusively
Flexible canvases can stretch, shrink, expand, and is affected by changes in temperature and humidity. This causes thick layers of paper, layered paint, 3D objects, added texture, all used in mixed media to crack over time.
Wood panels keep your artwork completely stable, structural strength allows you to safely adhere heavy objects and prevents the microscopic movements that cause thick mixed media layers to crack or delaminate as they age. A high-quality wood panel remains physically stable for generations and is the best permanent museum-quality substrate available to artists.
Always seal your wood panel before you begin! I use a matte medium and seal front and sides.
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Mixed-media on artist board 6"x8"
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