Peaceful Practices | Mixed Media

If you were to ask me what my favorite type of art form to practice is (besides interior design!) I would have to say mixed media. It is something that I have been practicing since my early childhood days and have since carried into adulthood. The beautiful thing about mixed media as is with most art forms is that there are no rules. Its all about intuition and letting your creating spirit lead you.

This peaceful practice is beneficial no matter what season you are walking through but especially so when you are walking through the hard ones. I’m all about journaling, processing aloud and exercising but sometimes, you just need a safe space where you can rest and create.

After seeing some pieces that I had done, a girlfriend begged me to write a how-to on mixed media, so that is what we are doing today! The gist of mixed media is that you are combining a variety of soft and hard materials together to create something that is structured and yet spontaneous. You can use any materials that you’d like - paper, cardboard, wood, glass, paint, beads, etc. Use anything that you find beauty in and that inspires you!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Your base

  • This can be a piece of cardstock, cardboard, wood… it can be a shoebox, a sheet of wood - anything!

• Paper, Tissue Paper, Post Cards, Magazines, etc.

• Paint, Paint Brushes, Pens, Sharpies, etc.

• Scissors, Hot-Glue Gun, Elmer’s Glue, Water, Tape, etc.

• Anything else that inspires you! In the past I’ve used: tea-bags, jewelry, stones, pieces of fabric, etc.

HOW TO DO MIXED MEDIA:

• Before beginning my piece I tend to gather a variety of clippings and materials together that are similar in color story and feel. I don’t have an exact vision for what the final product will be but I have a sense of the overall vibe that I want to create.

• Start with your base. I tend to add a little bit of paint as well as some paper that is solid in color; layering the two.

• Begin to add in the imagery. This can be images from magazines, sketches that you’ve torn out of your journal, etc. Start to place these on your base.

• Continue to add to the visual story, adding in layers of detail via paint, pen, beads, etc. The great thing about art is that if you don’t like it you can always work over it!

INTERIOR DESIGN: Making Room for Peace | PHOTOGRAPHY: We Are Luke & Ashley