Suzanne McNeill has a knack for using all kinds of materials and techniques in creative ways to tell stories with her art. In this Art Lesson (Volume 19) she shows how to incorporate molding paste, several kinds actually, in all kinds of great art pieces. Suzanne demonstrates how to feature simple things in a piece of…
I have a thing for maps. I collect them, draw them, study them, and, on occasion, actually use them. So when Suzanne McNeill’s new Art Lesson landed, I couldn’t read it fast enough—it’s all about using a mixed-media map to tell a story. She includes so many techniques and ideas for creating, using, and featuring…
In Suzanne McNeill’s Art Lesson, Sketchbook Stories, she shares more creative techniques for capturing travel adventures in sketchbooks and journals. Accordion inserts, windows, day-by-day planner pages, see-through tunnel pages, and much more bring her adventures to life. So many great ways to document your travels, I couldn’t resist trying out a few of her techniques…
When it comes to mixed-media art, I’m a wee bit obsessed with layers. Paint and texture layers, collage backgrounds, 3-D cut paper effects—they all make me happy. When I started reading the new Art Lesson Volume 16: Field Notes by Dena Ann Adams, I knew I had to explore Dena’s collage background technique that kicks…
I have always been drawn to water, specifically the ocean. So, when I started planning this post for this Art Lesson, which deals with archetypes and their meaning, I decided to see if there were creatures of the sea that had any ties to creativity. In this quest, I discovered that whales are associated with compassion,…
Texture is such a key component in mixed-media art; it’s often what gives a piece its wow factor. Creating textured art isn’t always a laborious process, as the 2017 Art Lessons: Texture Adventures prove. You can achieve visual and physical texture in a few quick steps, and incorporate the techniques in every type of project,…
My love of storytelling is the primary reason I became a writer and editor. But when I discovered mixed media, I found that I also love telling stories with art. When it came to choosing a theme for the 2018 Art Lessons, storytelling with mixed media was the clear frontrunner, and Cathy Nichols the idea…
Our Art Lessons are awesome, and I say that as a completely objective spectator. Insert winky emoji. Seriously, these digital downloads that are packed with step-by-step photos are a great way to get up close and personal with incredible techniques and projects that will up your mixed-media game. Lessons with companion videos let you see…
Cathy Nichols is known for her colorful artwork, and especially for the way she weaves stories into her art. In her January 2018 Art Lesson, Cathy shares how she uses selected words on a book page as a jumping-off point to create her colorful narrative collages. I loved the idea of starting with a book…
Deborah Boschert’s fabric collages are full of color and texture. In the December Art Lesson, Deborah shares some of her favorite surface design techniques for creating the unique fabrics she uses in her collages. She also shows how free-motion stitching adds even more design interest and texture. Given this lesson involves two of my favorite things,…
