Restoring the Balance...

“Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot”
“Big Yellow Taxi” - Joni Mitchell

Why is that song stuck in my head? Like me, have you ever wondered how a fragment of a melody started what seems like a never-ending loop in your brain?  Did a memory trigger the earworm? Perhaps it was a date? I started working on my latest collage on Earth Day…so it’s no wonder Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” became my musical imagery repetition inspiration.

And here my collage begins. I love my Strathmore Visual Journal. The spiral binding allows me to place the book flat on my work surface. This makes experimenting on the page easy. There’s no holding back a cover or other pages getting in the way.  It’s such a time saver, especially when working entirely conventionally.

The collage began with a discarded page from a dictionary I found in my box of unbound books pages.  I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw the listing included the word “taxi”.  I attached the page to the Journal using matte medium…a quick coat to the paper and back of the dictionary page.

When dried, I started the work from the outside in. I painted the border of the page with Dina Wakley Lemon heavy body acrylic paint. For the center I mixed Dina Wakley Ruby and Lemon and created a glaze using the Golden Glazing Fluid. It’s a great product. The Fluid allows you to hold vibrant colour, yet produce a lovey transparent effect.

Now it was time for the part I love best…the stenciling. I started with the Artistcellar Blocks Series-Open Work which mirrored the checker board pattern on the taxi perfectly. I wanted an organic shape to compliment the patterns I created on the page. Artistcellar Playful Pod’s Petite Pods fit the bill. It complimented the design just as I had hoped.

I’ve rediscovered how much I enjoy using Dylusion Sprays. I have to admit Bubble Gum Pink is my favourite. The pop of colour is exciting, especially as the hue stays true…no fading when dry.

All that was left was to add the ephemera and texture techniques. It’s been fun working with Seth Apter’s “low-tech” materials. In this piece I created the textured lines with corrugated board and gesso. I had a piece of anaglypta wallpaper. The flower pattern worked well with the gesso technique…subtle but effective. I even added a few words from transfer lettering I had in my collection. From a selection of old newspapers I found the headline: "Restoring the Balance". Perfect.

As collage and mixed media artists we embrace the mantra of reuse and recycle.  For us everything old is new again. In our work, our life, the environment: Aren’t we all trying to restore the balance? And often balance is not perfection. “Give me spots on my apples, But leave me the birds and the bees.” Let’s hope it’s not too late.

MATERIALS USED:

• ARTISTCELLAR Stencils: PLAYFUL PODS (Petite Pods), BLOCKS SERIES (Open Work)
• Liquitex Matte Medium
• Liquitex Gesso
• Golden Glazing Fluid
• Avery Glue Stic
• DecoArt Peacock Pearl
• Plaid: Aquamarine
• Dina Wakley: Ruby, Lemon, Lime
• Dylusion Spray: Bubble Gum Pink
• Post It Notes
• Natural Spong
• Paper Towels
• Corrugated Board
• Anaglypta Wallpaper
• Strathmore Mixed Media Journal 90 lb 5.5” x 8.5
• Vintage Papers and Images

Mixed Media Artists-Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

Chasing Rainbows - ATC

Happy Earth Day! Over a billion people will share in celebration today, the forty-fourth anniversary of the annual day of awareness and action. And yes, this unabashed Tree-Hugger will be celebrating!

There is no question that we all have a role to play in taking care of the Earth. If we even make a small change, each one of us together can bring great transformations.

"Chasing Rainbows" is an Artist Trading Card. The substrate for the card is illustration board. Layered on the card is a combination of different coloured paint samples, handmade paper, joss paper, and a wrapper from a Hershey's Kiss. The quote is cut from an old dictionary. I finished the card by adding a decorative leaf.

But aren't we collage and mixed-media artists living the spirit of Earth Day every time we produce our work? Aren't we staying true to our Muse when we follow the path of nature and inspiration?

Who could not be inspired by all the magical wonders the Earth has to offer? Just think of what life would be like without the vastness of space, the infinite variety of colour presented to us with each sunrise and sunset, the boundless texture and form of soil, the nurturing sensation of rain...giving way to rainbows, when we are fortunate enough to see them.

We mixed media artists do chase our own rainbows in our own way....our mantra "reuse and recycle". And haven't the resulting finished art been incredible!

May you have a wonderful, inspiring Earth Day...each and every day!