Acrylic Mixed Media Painting in Layers

The e-course with Kelly Rae Roberts has finished in one sense but it will continue to grow my creative life in countless ways. This painting was made during the course, inspired by a photograph of me at about 15 with my Scottish Terrier, Junior. Cats have taken over my life now but every time I see a long haired fuzzy doggie, I melt.

This mixed media painting is layered with torn scrapbook paper and text from old books as a background. I used Claudine Hellmuth's acrylic paints mixed with Liquitex Matte Medium to glaze layers over the paper background. Claudine also has a matte medium in her line.

I built up the layers of transparent glazes for the girl and doggie. As I got to the final layers I made the glazes more opaque by adding a little white or by using less medium depending on the look I needed. Texture from layers of brush stokes and paper become more interesting as the process continues.

The final layer (the fine hair and the eyes and nose) for the doggie was created with black dimensional Scribbles paint. Paint by Tim Holtz that dries to a crackle finish was used all around the edges of the painting to give an aged look. Gold metallic paint, Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters , and an antique key are the final touches.

If you want to know anything more about the process, please leave your question in the comment section.

Silver Heart Collage

This collage was created on a stretched canvas using lots of heavy gel medium for the background texture. Layers of acrylic paints came next followed by a strip of fabric, my handwriting on paper adhered with matte medium and two polymer clay items. The heart shape was made from a mold of a metal heart that I made from polymer clay. I baked the mold, then used it to make more hearts. I painted it with a silver metallic acrylic paint. I painted over the silver with black and them rubbed it off immediately with a paper towel to reveal the pattern of holes in the heart. The bottom polymer piece was stamped with two of my handmade stamps. The tag that says "breathe" was made from shrink plastic, a versatile and fun medium that shrinks and thickens when you bake it.

Strength Courage Peace

This small collage/painting was created on a stretched canvas with acrylic paints, hand carved rubber stamps on polymer clay, shrink plastic sheets, and fabric; copper wire, paper, glass beads, linen chord and metallic paints complete the piece. I've always liked the practice of breaking out of the borders and off the surface of a work.

My Etsy Shop is somewhat delayed in its opening due to the setting up of PayPal which should be finished by next week.