Terrified By White Paper?

You know, when you want to create, but the white paper is scary, and you sit there and think, and somehow nothing gets done? I have the solution! Work small, and work with pre prepared card! I've just added these to my Etsy shop; hand painted card that is in Inchie or ATC format (ie 1" square or 2.5" by 3.5"). You can use them however you wish... just as they are, on cards or collage, or use them as a starting point for your own creativity. Look at each one with a fresh eye, work out what theme it suggests to you, and start to collage or paint. Above all, have fun! You can find the inchies here, and the ATC/ACEOs here

It really doesn't matter if you start from a blank sheet of paper, or from a pre prepared background; the work you make will be uniquely yours, I promise! And however you make your art, make sure you have lots of fun, too!

Falling...

I'm fascinated by mixed media, and continue to make collages with found papers and paint. This particular piece, Falling, has a rich metallic shimmer which the photograph, sadly, just does not show. Fragments of intricately painted paper lie on a rich crimson metallic base, with splashes of blue metallic paint adding to that falling feeling. Mounted and encased in a wooden frame, finished size 8" by 10", it is an interesting piece, I hope... and seems appropriate to post about this evening, as the snow falls apace... I think it has a hint of mystery about it.

I have not put mixed media work in my Etsy shop for a while, but I'm going to list this piece in my main shop here

Fun Stuff!

I'm of the view that you can't be serious all the time. So I made a fun Valentine's piece, called 'Kiss My...Cow!'. I was going to promote it here... but actually, it sold as soon as I listed it (picture above), so I hope you're with me in just having fun looking at the piece itself. And perhaps celebrate with me, too, that was my 100th sale on Etsy!

There's something about working with bright and cheerful fabric that uplifts the soul. And as a cat fan, who loves dogs too, I thought I'd do something with the scraps of cat and dog cloth that were lurking in my cupboard. The other image is of the piece that resulted, Precious Pets. It never ceases to amaze me how effective simple shapes and patterns are, combined with strong colours. I think it is perhaps part of the ongoing popularity of patchwork and quilting, that you can make beautiful things in a very simple way. So.... what are you doing here? Go Make Something!

Where Did You Get That???

I have lots of interesting things in my workshop, but the thing that people ask me about, oddly, is the paper I use for transfer dyeing. It's not anything special, you understand, it's just white newsprint, which is ideal for transfer dyeing as it is cheap and convenient. I get mine from Wannabox. And I get my boxes for Etsy there, too. But I do have to admit to a certain bias... my husband is their accountant. They are, however, artist and craftsperson friendly, so it is worth a look if you need paper, boxes, bubblewrap or the like.

This is the kind of thing that people don't associate with artists; they think paint, dye, fun stuff...but never packaging! I love visiting the factory, as I've never seen so much paper in one place at one time, and have to be physically restrained from picking up every scrap of paper from the floor just in case I can use it. And watch this space... I have some of their small boxes which I intend to alter. It's amazing what you can do with cardboard!

I do have other favourite suppliers, of course, but this has to be the oddest one in my collection. Maybe you could share your strangest supplies, too?

Looking Forwards, Looking Back.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone will have a joyful and successful New Year, whatever that means to you...

For me, New Year is a time for looking back, and looking forward. I want to get better at what I do, and to do that, I don't just need to plan for new things (and believe me, I have plans!!), but to reflect on what I've done in the past year. And for that, I'd like to enlist your help. I'd like every person who reads this, to give me a piece of feedback, about this blog, my other blogs, my Etsy shop, anything at all. In return, I'd like to give you an original ACEO, a small piece of my own work, like the ones I'm showing at the top of this post. PLEASE make sure that I can contact you; my email address is in my profile, but not everyone can be contacted in this way. And if you would like a piece of feedback from me, let me know, and I'll go and look at whatever it is you want feedback on!

To make things simple, my links are embedded here; the artmixteremporium blog, you are already reading, obviously! But there's my main blog and my etsy shops, artmixter and purelypainting I would love to hear what you think, so that I can improve what I do. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for the feedback! I'll be in touch to get your contact details, so please do remember to supply a contact email address.

If You Have Had Your Eye...

on something in my Etsy shops, then now might be the right time to buy. I'm taking part in the VAST (Visual Arts Etsy) Holiday Sale, and twenty per cent will be taken off the price of anything you choose in either artmixter at etsy or artmixter's purelypainting at etsy. However, that does exclude Lovely Lutradur CDs, which you can find for sale here.

As you might know, my Artmixter shop on Etsy has all sorts of artworks in it, mainly textiles, mixed media and some hand bound small journals. Purely Painting, though, is just what it says... it has paintings of all descriptions. So, as I say, now would be the time to buy... why not go for a wee browse... you know you want to! If you do decide to buy something, contact me first, and I'll adjust the price for you.

The images show a piece from both shops, each one of my personal favourites. The painting is 'Matryoshka', and is oil on canvas. The textile is Curvilinear, a very recent lutradur piece. I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Who Says...

art isn't educational? I was intrigued by a couple of old stamps I was given amongst some ephemera. I liked them a lot, thought they depicted a truly beautiful woman, and made an ACEO with them. Today, I discovered that Katherine Anne Porter was an award winning US writer. I read a lot of US writers, including Willa Cather, one of my favourites, but I hadn't ever come across Ms Porter. Find out about her here

Or, if you'd rather, admire my ACEO, Remembering Katherine, in the picture above, and in my Etsy shop here

Small Pieces...

occasionally resonate hugely. For me, Evening Star is one such piece. It is an ACEO, so measures only 2.5" by 3.5". But it represents all kinds of things... It makes me think of standing stones in my native Scotland, of the colours in the hills and moorlands there. Of the mysteries attached to the standing stones, their incredible power, whether individuals or groups. Sometimes I miss Scotland, but I can at least make art about it... find it here

Connections...

is a new piece just listed in the shop It is a lutradur piece, which I stitched into and then added fibres using the embellisher machine, which felts fabrics into each other, as well as creating needlefelt using wool and other fibres. And then it lay about in my studio for ages, as it wasn't quite finished. Recently, however, I've discovered a latent passion for fuschia; I've always loved the plants, but not been so fond of the colour. However, I discovered it mixes wonderful strong orange colours when I bought a tube of acrylic paint that was on sale (I'm forever buying cheap paint...), and fished the solitary reel of fuschia thread out of my thread storage box. And it added the final connections the piece needed. Voila!

Here Be Dragons!

Well, okay, one dragon, but he's a biggie! Dragons are legendary for having treasure hoards, and this blue dragon is eyeing up a beautiful piece of glass made by my friend and fellow Etsy artist Chauncey; I talked about her on the other blog here. She makes wonderful glass jewellery, and very kindly sent me a couple of extra pieces with the larger one I talked about on the other blog. One of them just seemed to be perfect for this particular piece, and it finishes it off wonderfully, I think.

I'm entranced by glass, and have always wanted to work with it in my work. And now it's happening... isn't that wonderful! I'll be using other pieces in future works. Right now, though, like a dragon, I'm guarding my hoard against invaders...except for this piece, of course, it's in the artmixter shop right here (it's worth checking it out just for the closeups of the dragon and the glass!)

Hand Of Friendship

has been kicking around here for a while, a small art quilt, but I decided to list it on Etsy today. It was made for a challenge, but didn't get as far as the actual exhibit, I think I was having a bad patch, and when that happens, everything stops.

I've made a number of pieces using hands. For me they are the ultimate symbol of creativity. This particular piece, though, reflects all the different gifts that our friends bring us; sympathy, love, encouragement, care, help, comfort, understanding, joy, enthusiasm and companionship. And that, of course, is just the tip of a very large iceberg.

I am fortunate enough to have a lot of friends; this piece is dedicated to them. All of them. Those I have met, personally, and my virtual friends. All of them, very special people.

Tidying Up.

I know, it's not like me, but I feel the need for a little spring cleaning in my shop. So, I've decided that the paintings section is going to close, given that I have another shop, purelypainting, where my paintings are supposed to live! Others, though, I've reduced in price by at least half, like this one here, Winter Dreaming Spring, an encaustic painting. So feel free to drop in here for a look at what's on offer!

Another thing tidied away is my Dawanda shop; I felt that it wasn't for me. But I'm still lurking on etsy and mintd...and having fun!

Closing Down?

Well, no, not quite. I have decided to use this particular blog in a different way, though. I intend to move the pieces that are advertised here onto Etsy, and to use this blog to talk about life on Etsy, and some of the wonderful people that I've met in the short three months I've been there.

For example, I've traded several of my pieces for other peoples' work; the cloth in the last blog post here, along with another piece has gone off to the US, traded for a couple of bags from Sue of SueStitches She makes wonderful things! And a painting went off to the US in return for a beautiful necklace! Selling is good...but trading is good, too! I'm always prepared to consider a trade, if you have an etsy shop, convo me to discuss it!