This year Rosemary Campbell tutored us in mixed media. It was great fun and full of really exciting and useful techniques.
We looked at ways of building layers of texture and colour, starting with a base layer of white emulsion, followed by oil bars and turps [which spread the oil bars into a wash] and then acrylic paint applied with a roller. We started with a point of reference in mind which we then put away working then with colour, tone and space.
This was my first piece taken from a photo of my Dad’s rusty old tools. We worked on ‘shirt card’ and I started with the initial layers as above adding the line of the tools using painted masking tape for the handles. Rose suggested I define the spades and fork with white emulsion before adding black acrylic with an outline of charcoal pencil to define edges. I added some highlights of metallic rub on colour for a metal effect. The stitching added more tone, Rose suggested couching using dark shades of brown and blue. This gave an effect of reversed applique and was very effective in highlighting the tools. Very pleased with this.
Rose also taught us how to design with line:
We took 5 lines [see below] and then used a viewfinder to isolate a pleasing pattern
I started these at Summer School using the basic layering technique and use of line as before and then adding strips of magazine cuttings and photos of flowers. I finished them at home and have added those later in this post. Rose suggested that the pink floral design could become a quilt.
Rose went on to show us how we could put the linear designs to practical use to design a cushion or piece of clothing:
Rose’s recap notes [she has consented to me sharing this] I found it very helpful
When I got home I made some samples of my own, first fun with paper:
Landscape collage. Basic background layers as before with strips of photograph and strips of background with scratching into the photo and ink added. Finished with hand and free machine embroidery
Summer School momento with basic background layers as before with strips of photo and pressed flowers plus scratching away in places:
Then I had a go with fabric:
Really pleased with these:
I went swimming in the sea on a blustery day recently, this has a background as before on cartridge paper with centre piece worked on painted calico with added beach huts from newspaper photo and text. finished with free machine embroidery. Really pleased with this!
Finished flower pieces:
Blue floral piece, I added chiffon flowers and hand stitching.
I used Photoshop to repeat the pattern:
Pink floral:
I added silk flowers applied with Bondaweb and free machine embroidery.
Photoshop to repeat pattern
Serendipity at it’s best.
Very pleased with these.
