A lot of artwork has come through these doors over the years, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve said, “Oh, I wish I could buy that.” But I can count the number of times I have purchased a work of contributor art: once. It’s a piece of mixed-media fabric and paper art by Dorit Elisha.
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| “Changing Seasons” fabric and paper collage by Dorit Elisha. |
This fabric and paper collage, titled “Changing Seasons,” happened to speak to me because of it’s color scheme, theme, and texture. Fortuitously, I fell in love with it just as I received payment for my first book. What better way to celebrate than by treating myself to a work of art?
Dorit’s artwork hangs in my living room so I get to look at it frequently. And I’m never bored. Why? Because there is so much going on in the piece, which Dorit made out of leftovers from her fabric, paper, and printmaking adventures and pieced together like a paper quilt.
First, there’s the combination of textures—paper, fabric, and paint. Even though the piece is basically two dimensional, the textures give it a lot of depth and interest.
Second, there is the variety of techniques. Dorit brings together sun printing on fabric, painting, collage, and stitching on paper. They all work well together because she built the design on a grid and worked within those parameters, varying the blocks of color and pattern within the grid.
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| A set of handmade cards featuring calendar months, made with various printmaking techniques. From Printmaking and Mixed Media. |
Finally, the way Dorit positions the sun-printed botanicals helps to keep the eye moving. The direction in which the leaves “grow” subtlely leads you around the collage.
Dorit’s approach to combining textures and techniques in mixed-media art can be applied to collages, fabric books, art journals, and handmade cards. Her book, Printmaking and Mixed Media: Simple techniques and Projects for Paper and Fabric, is one of my very favorite resources for fabric and paper printmaking techniques without a press (including collagraphs, relief printing, monogelatin plate prints, cyanotypes, and more).
You can download the eBook version of Printmaking and Mixed Media now and start printing your own engaging mixed-media fabric and paper art today.
P.S. What moves you to purchase a piece of art? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.