Mixed Media Inspiration with Catie

Hi Everybody!

Catie here, with some mixed media inspiration in the form of a canvas I recently created.

First up (after priming my canvas with gesso) I used some Design Memory Craft Faber Castell Whipped Spackle.  This stuff is AMAZING!  It's a kind of texture paste, but is a smoother, lighter consistency, that is a little more flexible when it's dry. I used it with this burlap stencil, and loved the effect it gave.

Next I used some bubble wrap to imprint the whipped spackle while it was still damp.

I dried it off, then used some watered down glimmermist to start adding some colour.

And of course, I couldn't go without gelatos!

Then I started adding more colour with Dylusions spray inks.  I think I lost the yellow from the gelatos in the end, because I got carried away with making peacock type colours with the inks, but that's the beauty of mixed media - there is no wrong!

Next, I stamped some peacock feathers, and coloured them with Dylusions inks.  I love the shimmer that these mists have in them.  I fussy cut the feathers to layer up on the canvas.  The other thing I love about the Dylusions inks is how far they 'go'.  I'd spray on the canvas, add some water, and blend, add a little more water, and suddenly it would pick up surrounding colour from stray droplets around the area, and create even more rich colour to play with!

To create more texture in the background, I've used tissue paper, punchinella, plasterer's tape, sequins, gauze, a fabric doily (which I coloured with glimmermist and Dylusions), some feathers I found in my stash, in peacock-type colours and some metallic thread.  I used Mod Podge to stick all this down - I think my hands were covered in more materials than the canvas at one point!!

So, you can see how I've continued to layer up colours and textures til I was happy with what I had in front of me.  I also used some Liquitex gel medium over the inks, which gave a glossy sheen and really brought out the colours, as you can see in the bottom right image of the collage below. 

  

The whole point to this canvas was to work around a stamped image of a postcard that I wanted to use as the centre piece. I built up my background around the postcard, and then looked up some creative-type quotes, as this canvas was to be a gift to a lovely scrappy-friend.  The quote I used is by Robert Henri "The object isn't to make art; it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable".

Here are a couple more close ups for you....

and the finished product!

 

I hope this has given you some inspiration.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

Thanks for looking :)

Catie xo