Mixed Media on Wood Work In Progress

just starting with the molding paste
laying my cut out girl on scrap papers to see general direction
Waiting for the molding paste to dry / glued on flowers (more goodies getting glued on when dry)
close up adding molding paste
It began with this ~ *notice the girl at top right ends up being a fairy on left side

Oh, I must say I could see my hubby saying those chicken legs on her head! lol Not the look I was going for on my mixed media artwork. But I wasn't going to toss her in the whatever pile yet. So I thought I would share the journey of experimenting with you and post final pictures soon so you can see the end results of my mixed media piece. To start I sketched her out and then used colored pencil to define areas of my painting. Truly unhappy with her hair I decided to use molding paste to try to recover my dislike. I love the idea of adding texture to other elements of the painting too. Mind you when I played with the papers I didn't end up covering all the wood and didn't intentionally rip and sand some of the paper but that is what happened. So I let the organic flow just keep happening. I am glad I continued to let it happen. I used scrap papers, dried flowers, German cut paper, collage girl turned fairy from Artchix studio, cotton lace, golden wings, acrylic paints, colored pencils and molding paste. Do you ever work on something determined to see it to the end even when it starts out not going well? Or do you toss it in or paint right over the whole thing? Patience~ more pics to come soon I promise!
It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something. ~Ornette Coleman

Adore

I am a dreamer. I have lot of ideas swimming in my head but I adore it when I start a painting and it just falls right into place. Sometimes it can be simple other times complex. I experiment quite a bit with different materials on my projects. Like this girl today I am longing, longing to get to my brushes and do what I love. Create with paints and wonderful treasures found or purchased. Yes I do love to find treasures whether found or bought and incorporate them into my painting. Sometimes I use scrapbook materials and use them in different ways.
Here I have taken pieces of a Making Memories kit and used components in my mixed media piece. It has been created on 1/8" wood.
I truly believe art has no rules and that is what I love about it. Art allows you to dream, experiment, make mistakes, and mostly to grow at what you love! So if you thought this could be for a Valentines post, well sure! But I adore it for today and what it means to me finding what I love to do and creating art!
What do you love about creating art? Are you a dreamer? What kinds of treasures do you love to use in your artwork?

Art is the colors and textures of your imagination. ~Meghan, Los Cerros Middle School, 1999

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~Scott Adams

Dia De La Muerte

Together Forever~
Love is journey not a destination~
Devotion ~ Cherish~
Together Forever In Memories~

El Dia de los Muertos

The Mexican holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day which occurs on November 1st and

November 2nd All Souls Day.

These two paintings were done in acrylic paints, mixed media and then covered in wax. It was hard to get a photograph to really capture the image as you see them in person. If you want to know more about the holiday visit wikpedia they have the entire history and articles that will make you have a greater understanding of these two days that are celebrated in many parts of the world. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of Dia De La Muerte.

Petite Marie Stylized Marie Antoinette Almost Completed

Her hair has some raised textures created using Golden's Molding Paste, I tried to bring out the details of that with colored pencils over paint~
Petite Marie has a cake and a pheasant in her hair on the left side an embellishment that isn't showing up in the photograph~
Detailing on the dress~ Some glitter and pearlized buttons~

Petite Marie has not been waxed yet and I may add a few defining details prior to that but overall I am pleased with how she is coming along~ I will try and take some photographs outside in daylight hoping the textural aspects and some other details show more~