CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED!

My gratitude to those who entered last week's contest...please stay with me even if you didn't get lucky this time!
The random drawing was done by my impartial, totally uncaring husband. Okay, he cares about me, but not my blog.
He chose Meera's name from the hat, so MEERA RAO, please send me your mailing address privately. You won the art book prize!

ART BOOK GIVEAWAY - PAINTING WITH MIXED MEDIA

This contest is now closed. See the following post for the name of the winner.

Corrugated cardboard, acrylics, inks, papers, stone, fibers.

The mixed media piece shown above appears in the freebie prize, a book in new, never used, excellent condition.

Just leave a comment with this post to be considered!

Randomly selected winner will be announced in the next post. Winner must privately provide me with his or her USPS address. Thanks!





ART BOOK GIVEAWAY - PAINTING WITH MIXED MEDIA

PLEASE DO ENTER THIS CONTEST, FOR FOLLOWERS OF THIS BLOG!

Corrugated cardboard, acrylics, inks, papers, stone, fibers.

The mixed media piece shown above appears in the freebie prize, a book in new, never used, excellent condition.

Just leave a comment with this post to be considered!

Randomly selected winner will be announced in the next post. Winner must privately provide me with his or her USPS address. Thanks!





HOLIDAY CONTEST - GIVEAWAY - FREEBIE

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
A talented follower has won the ornaments pictured below.


The house at left is collaged on both sides! Shiny gold on the metal one.

Use the comments section under this post to write a brief paragraph about what the holiday season means to you. Do use heartfelt, original, one-of-a-kind thoughts.
Sincere thanks to my wonderful followers.

Happy (U. S.) Thanksgiving! Watch for a new Contest .

Giveaway Coming Soon!

Follow this blog for a chance to win.

And have a very merry Christmas, too.



GIVEAWAY - BRAND NEW ART BOOK!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
It's easy to win this freebie!

The rules for the contest are simple. Just follow this blog and leave a comment below this post. A winner will be selected randomly and announced
at my very next post. Vivian Miller!

(Winner must then privately email me with his
 or her US postal address.)

(This book has only been used once for review purposes!)

Excellent with acrylics mixing, too.

 

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING THIS ART BLOG!

THE FIRST TWO STEPS IN A COLLAGE - PAINTING

With this post, I want to show you one way to begin

a mixed media work with found images.

(Keep in mind this is a work still in progress!) 

My theme is time, as you can see by the photo below. I found black and white magazine photos and other images, and tore some of the edges. After coming up with an arrangement of various sizes, I glued them to a plain white background with a large brush and acrylic gel medium.

Grayscale imagery works great with bright colors!

Next, I began adding acrylic paint in two of the three primary colors. What do you think should come next?

Maybe some red accents? Lighter and darker blues in places?

One idea for the next stage might be to hand-color some of the white portions with translucent paint, ink, pastels, colored pencils, etc.  Or incorporate some actual texture! Soooo many options.

STAY TUNED FOR A CONTEST, COMING WITH MY NEXT POST! YOU COULD BE A WINNER!

 

FOLLOWERS OF THIS ART BLOG CAN WIN! CONTEST!

CONTEST NOW CLOSED.
The prize is an art book packed with

techniques & methods for you to try!

  
Packed with full-color photos!

(Winner was Julie Mortillaro.)



AN EASY PROJECT (& more) FOR ANYONE!

HERE'S A QUICK, SIMPLE TECHNIQUE FOR MULTIPLE, DUPLICATE IMAGES OF DIFFERENT SIZES.

• Print out the duplicates on a copier that creates different sizes , or use an image-editing program to make the sizes smaller or larger. 
• ANOTHER IDEA: Make every other size lighter or darker, or positive vs. negative! You could even go color vs. grayscale for every other one!
• Trim away the white edges of each image if desired, and arrange them on a sturdy background before you adhere them.
• MORE IDEAS: Instead of symmetrical design and formal balance like my example below, try asymmetrical, informal balance in any number of ways. Here are a couple of former posts with more finished examples: digital collage! and another.

Wire Chicken Basket with Eggs



A FRIGHTFULLY FUN PROJECT

 

"Boos and ghouls" (boys and girls) of all ages enjoy this Halloween activity for kids,

Frightfully clever!

...it's so easy it's scary. Create "bootiful" kaleidoscopes!
Note: If you would rather engage in a less, um, spirited project, use autumnal motifs such as gourds, apples, pears, wheat, and (of course) fall leaves. 


No trick...it's a treat!



Add this to your bag of tricks!

First, gather assorted colors of bright art paper or construction paper in orange, brown, tan, yellow, red, gold, and yes, even gray, white and black.

1. Cut the paper into 6" and 9" squares, enough for at least three or four pieces in different colors for each kaleidoscope.
2. Fold a 6" piece twice, down to a 3" square. Draw a shape on it so big that it "touches" the sides of the square. (The "hinges" on the folded sides will hold the shape together later.) Bones, spiders, skulls, witches, ghosts, black cats, bats, and jack-o-lanterns are motifs that might not be allowed in some homes or schools, but other little goblins usually love them. 
3. Scissors will do for the young artist to cut around the shape, leaving the folds uncut. If the artists are mature enough to handle craft knives properly, they should also cut openings within the shapes to add interest: eyes, mouths, and other open-work. Because the square stays folded, the cutter must press hard to go through all the layers. Use an old magazine or a thick pad of newspapers underneath, of course.
4. When the cut paper is opened up, it looks very different! Now do two or three others, in other colors and shapes. Then try them overlapped behind or in front of the first.
5. Finally, as a background, use a solid (uncut) 9" square or larger of yet another color. Plan first and glue later, rotating the pieces and trying different layer combos to achieve the most pleasing arrangement.

FREEBIES ! CONTEST FOR FOLLOWERS! BLOG CANDY!

NOTE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
This giveaway features not one, not two, but THREE prizes, one each for three lucky winners.

All you have to do is follow this blog
and leave a brief comment at this post.

Win this freebie!

 

First up, a Powerpoint presentation on disk called "Using Acrylic Paint."  (The artist is extremely talented.)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another prize, another Powerpoint on disk,

"Drawing with Pencil."   It's all about

creating realistic drawings.

     

Or snag this prize!

Finally, a CD-ROM with 8 projectable art posters,

perfect for the visual art educator!

It includes the principles of design and is a great learning tool.

Project or print out these principles.

These are brand new, used only once for review purposes. The names of the three winners will be announced at the next post for Mixed Media Manic. If you participate, be aware that I will need your USPS mailing address (privately). In-country only, please. 

THANKS!

 







CONTEST WINNER (S) ANNOUNCED

The first name chosen in a fair and random drawing (for the 2015 calendar!) was Jusaweecatnap. If she (or he, I suppose I should say, to be politically correct) will kindly contact me personally with a mailing address, I will get the prize out asap. I'm on Facebook and if one is a friend they can message me.

Besides the full-size calendar, I also had a folding one for a desktop, so I thought, What the heck, let's do another drawing! The name selected the second time was Robin Larido! Robin, I will need your mailing address too. Thanks!

 

My sincere hopes go to the others who participated that

you'll stick with me and try again next time, truly! 

 

    

Thanks!                    



GIVEAWAY BOOTY YOU CAN USE!

Note: This contest is now closed.

Simply leave a comment below this post for a chance to win a brand new 2015 picture calendar.

(If you try to be as prepared as I do, you'll be glad to have it this early.  Or give it as a gift at the holidays!)

I require the winner's contact info to mail the prize!

Watch this blog for the name of the winner at the next post. 





Thanks for following this blog!

WINNER ANNOUNCED, AND BLASTS FROM THE PAST!

The name chosen from the hat (actually a bowl!) to win the free art book, Creating Decorative Paper, was Geri deGruy! My thanks to the others who participated, and I encourage them to please try again...I'm planning another giveaway even as we speak.

One section of that book concerns resists of many types. I've discussed them here before, and love to incorporate them into my mixed media work. Clear tar gel on absorbent paper can produce fantastic results if you let it dry, then wash vivid color over the area.

Can you see the fish shapes?

 Here's the original post.










Wax resist is another simple, easy method: In the butterfly example below, I used waxed paper. The tutorial is here.


I adore these colors!



I used a fabric resist material here.
See the original post!

             


 

BLOG CANDY! FREEBIE! GIVEAWAY!

This contest is my way of thanking those

dear hearts who follow this blog.

 

It's easy to qualify for chance to win a copy of my book, Creating Decorative Paper. It's all about transforming ordinary papers into colorful, creative, and unique art materials!

Hundreds of instructions for great art projects!



 

SIMPLE CONTEST RULES:

• Be a follower of Mixed Media Manic (and I'll love you forever)
• Leave a comment (just one will do it!) below this post. If you win, I must have a way of contacting you!
• A name will be selected in a fair and random drawing, and the winner will be notified in my next post right here at Mixed Media Manic.     

Thanks for your loyalty, and best wishes.
Paula
                       

CONTEST FOR MY FOLLOWERS! WIN FREE EPHEMERA TO USE IN COLLAGE - MIXED MEDIA

(Sorry, we now have our two winners.)

I WILL BE SENDING PACKETS OF INTERESTING IMAGES, TEXT, SHEET MUSIC, ETC. TO NOT ONE BUT TWO OF YOU WHO FOLLOW THIS BLOG!

 

SIMPLY BE THE FIRST TWO TO LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW THIS POST SAYING YOU WANT THESE PAPERS. SOME ARE AGED AND YELLOWED, OTHERS ARE PICTURES I'VE SAVED OR OTHER, MISCELLANEOUS "STUFF" YOU MIGHT LIKE.

 

(I've just collected so much good material that
I don't have any more room.)

 

All I ask is that you send me (privately is fine) your mailing address. Anyone who is too late for this giveaway, please stay tuned for other freebies later on, and thanks so much for following this blog. I appreciate it.

It's my belief that sorting through a big pile of ephemera is a great way to gain some ideas!

 



STUCK FOR AN IDEA FOR A COMPOSITION? TRY AN ALPHASKETCH!

I used charcoal directly on canvas.

You wouldn't even need to make the letters appear dimensional, as above, if you chose to simply break up the space with a variety of shapes and sizes. Use some overlapping or, at the least, make some edges touch.
Of course you can erase some lines and add others to improve the composition as you wish. Then paint and/or collage to your heart's desire. (Wish I had the finished work to show you, but alas.)

Now for the giveaway! This freebie will go to one of my followers, selected in a fair and random drawing. Simply leave a comment below this post, with the understanding that I must be able to reach you if you win the art book shown.
When the contest is over, I will announce it here and the winner's name will appear in my next post. Good luck!


Brand new copy!

TEA BAG PAPERS IN COLLAGE

 

(WINNER OF CONTEST ANNOUNCED BELOW!)

 

I’m a big drinker…of tea, that is! Hot, cold, all seasons. I like the big, family-size bags for making iced tea, and they are perfect for this project.

I let the used bags dry, and then I carefully take them apart. You can either discard the leaves or use them as texture by mixing them with gel medium.



Not a lovely photo, but you get the idea!



Browns, golds, and greens are my color scheme.

 

The photo at right shows the first layers in my collage. The motif is that of trees and nature.

 

 



It's still not finished!

Then I adhered pieces of dry teabag paper with fluid acrylic medium. Note that the papers are quite transparent and yet they achieve some veiling and unifying, an effect I was after.

 In the photo below, I had added a few very dark accents with acrylic paint, to add depth and help tie everything together.

Finished mixed-media piece by P.Guhin

I also included die cut letters and stenciled in the number 3. I did a little scribbling to enliven the surface in a few places.

 

Last week's giveaway was won by my follower, Gigi, whose name was chosen in a fair and random drawing. My thanks to the others who participated, and please, stay with me! Gigi, kindly message me privately with your mailing address to receive your prize!

 

Multi-Media Experiment & a Giveaway

A MIXED-MEDIA PAINTING & PHOTOGRAPHY

As a former 60s hippie at heart, I always adored the light shows. With some fluorescent spray paints and a squeeze bottle of glow-in-the-dark paint on hand, I just had to try my hand at a mixed-media artwork requiring my black-light bulb for display purposes.

First, I sprayed a large piece of heavy cardboard with Krylon neon paints in several fluorescent colors. I encouraged some drips, too!

The pale-blue squiggles are glow-in-the-dark paint!

I had a roll of self-adhesive aluminum tape. It did have printing on it, but that turned out to be okay! Below is a shot of the tape and some shapes I cut from it.

The flat shapes didn't adhere all that well, even though I allowed the background paint to dry first. But that, too, was ok!
Finally, at night in a dark room, with my blacklight nearby and on, I photographed the piece.

Hate it? Love it? Let me know!

Giveaway for my followers! This contest is now closed.
Are you a glitzy, sparkly person who would love to use these 5 DecoArt products (below)? Then be a follower of Mixed Media Manic and leave a comment below. From those, a winner will be chosen randomly when the contest closes. 

FREE CONTEST FOR FOLLOWERS OF THIS BLOG!

You could win this art / photography book!

Brand new book on art and photography!

Contest ends in about a week, so follow me and leave a comment with this post. Winner will be selected in a fair and random drawing from the commenters' names.  I must be able to contact you for your mailing address, of course.