Spreads in the "Lost & Found" Journal

When I made my "Lost & Found" journal, I challenged myself to use usual and unusual materials in the page spreads. All have acrylic paint.

This one has two tea bags--staple, string, tag, and tea removed--adhered to the page; it has great texture. 

This became a landscape, perhaps a crossroads, with an exciting (fiber) sky.

Here are five pieces of aluminum foil floating in a watery world. I like the details the crumpled foil holds.

This is an abstract eclipse with painted corrugated cardboard on the edge.

There is always a sense of discovery with paint and paper. You never know what will turn out, especially when you don't plan out your design.

The Tea Bag Chronicles, Spread 1

Here is the first spread in the large book I made recently; I'm calling it "The Tea Bag Chronicles." I love the texture going on here! (For some reason, uploading this close-up photo changed it--after repeated attempts, Blogger keeps turning it on it's side.)

Fighting Paper

Circle of Questions

acrylic on paper

9" x 12"

I struggle with cold or rough watercolor paper. Doing quick brayer paintings, that bumpy, uneven surface repels paint, leaving white dots all over my watercolor block. Texture gets lost as the paper has so much itself. Not what I’m aiming for. But, in an effort to use this paper, I tried working around its short-comings.

Introducing texture of my own--hand-carved stamps, textured fabric, colour shapers, even plastic ends from a roll of calculator tape--created some interesting discoveries.

Crowing Glory
acrylic on paper
9" x 12"

At several junctures, I spritzed sections, laid a paper towel over it, gently lifting some paint. I used a lot of white in this grouping, something relatively new for me. It toned down my usually riotous colors and helped blend them.

Search Light
acrylic on paper
9" x 12"

More Mixed-Media Ideas

After experimenting recently with bits of leather, suede, and velvet, I was in a resale/vintage store Friday looking at the clothing in a different light. Some leather and suede skirts could be re-purposed as a journal cover, key chain fob, or eyeglass holder. Similar thoughts occurred when I looked at purses. It was exciting to imagine the already-broken-in leather recycled in some new art form.

But, I refrained from buying anything since I lack skills, knowledge, and tools for working extensively in leather. It seems when mixed-media calls to me, I often have to turn a deaf ear!

Since I don’t know how to sew and don’t plan to learn, I only use fabric remnants in paintings and books. Recycling some painted fragments onto watercolor pages evolved into a book called “Touch”.

"Touch" cover

7 1/2" x 6 1/2"

screw post book

painted fabric pieces on watercolor paper

One page in "Touch"

6" x 6"

2-page spread in "Touch"

12" x 6"

A single page in "Touch"

6" x 6"

I love the texture elements as well as tactile interaction in mixed-media pieces, though. That’s a big appeal in creating books, shrines, 3-D calendars, and dream boxes because how often can you or do you run your hand over texture in a painting?

As I said in my last post, I greatly admire mixed-media artist that have the techniques, tools, time, and tenacity to turn out a successful project using more than one medium. I’ve had this discussion before with my art friend Nancy, especially with all the tempting things to learn out there—precious metal clay, fiber arts, jewelry-making, etc. But since we both have full-time jobs and so little free time, it seems wiser to limit our energy and focus.

Until we can’t resist just trying something!