What's in a Label?

Even though I've taught workshops and written how-to books, I feel funny calling myself a teacher. And even though I make art every day, I feel funny calling myself an artist. And every day I learn something new, yet I feel funny calling myself a student.

Well, here on my blog I'm all three, and I'm here to share my experiences as such with anyone who may share my interests in photo fusion...combining photographs with mixed media.

So far this month I've been a student learning about paint and the world of color therein. Making this valentine for Garth gave me an excuse to experiment with layers of acrylic paints to create depth and texture. I stuck with a monochromatic color scheme. Alas, no photo was included...here, the focal point is a set of hearts made out of paper cut from an old thesaurus describing synonyms for "love." My next project will feature a photo, I promise.

My thanks to Seth Apter and The Land of Lost Luggage for guidance and inspiration!

Mixed media: acrylic paint, vintage paper, metallic marker, rub-on, rubber stamps, found object on watercolor paper

REINTRODUCING THE AURATONE!

Work in progress...mixed media collage. It's really exciting to discover new applications for one of my favorite processes. Here I'm combining an Auratone print and a soldered Auratone pendant with a textured background and some found objects.

Maybe you'd like to expand your repertoire to include something that makes your photos look like vintage images with the gleam of gold akin to Edward Curtis' Orotones (circa 1920). It's a simple process...in fact, here's a little video demonstration. (Kits are available in My Shop.)

Auratone Pendants

The process also lends itself well to other media...it's a unique way to add another layer to your  paintings or other art...just take a photograph of the piece and then transform it into Auratone jewelry or prints.

A miniature Amadea Bailey painting transformed  into an Auratone pendant.

Photographer Nicol Ragland used Auratones to create this assemblage.

THE TEXTURE OF LIFE

If you're not already using textures or overlays in your Photoshop workflow, you're missing out on some serious fun! There are LOTS of sites offering texture downloads, some free (one of my favorites is Kim Klassen's Cafe), and others you pay for (like Flourish, Totally Rad, and Flypaper Textures), but for the most part I prefer to use my own. They're not difficult to make...in fact, my very favorites are simply scans of the end papers in old books I have on hand, or handwriting (real or font) on the back of a stained recipe card. And you can make them as subtle or bold as you want.

Here's the original photo...the process works best when you have an open background area like sky or a wall. (Picture this: I spotted this kid running up the dune, and his dad was chasing behind him. There I went, running interference thru the sand with camera in hand, trying to get the shot without the dad in it. Ah, the lengths we go to!)

Here are some of my scans:

 

And here's the photo using the scans in just a couple variations.

Here's the basic tutorial...some knowledge of Photoshop is essential:

1) Open an image.

2) Open a texture file, copy and paste or drag into original image. If necessary, drag handles to cover the image. (I often add multiple texture layers to one file, turning them on and off to judge the various effects.)

3) With the texture layer selected, go to Blending Mode and choose Multiply, Soft Light, or Overlay.

4) Adjust the layer Opacity as you like.

5) Use the Eraser tool (or a Layer Mask) to remove texture from any areas you want left alone.

For advanced exploration and seemingly endless variations,  adjust the color and/or saturation with Hue/Sat adjustment layer(s).

Let me know if you have any questions!

HERE'S TO AN ART-FILLED NEW YEAR!

I have but one New Year's resolution, and you can probably relate: make art every day. Of course there's always room for improvement in other areas, but that goes without saying. This one I have to say again (and you might want to repeat after me): MAKE ART EVERY DAY. Doesn't have to be a masterpiece, doesn't even have to be finished, just stay in a constant state of creativity on some level...be it taking a photo, journaling, trying out a new technique, even doodling...just keep the juices flowing.

In 2012 I made some 2013 tabletop calendars incorporating photos I'd taken during the year. It was a fun way to merge some favorite images, graphic design, and the book and paper art skills involved in making them by hand.

Each calendar measures 6" wide by 6 1/4" tall, and the pages rest on a little built-in easel made of sturdy 300 lb. watercolor paper. Front and back covers were printed on Hahnemühle's William Turner textured matte fine art paper, and the monthly pages were printed on Epson Ultra Premium Presentation paper. The font is Mr. Moustache. The calendars were punched and bound using a (very affordable) Zutter punch. They fold flat and fit into a square envelope for wrapping or mailing.

Perfect for the holidays...this is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. And don't you think it beats a store-bought calendar...so much more personal! Why not start planning yours now?

My 2013 Calendar

February's Page

July's Page

Back Cover

This calendar is now available in MY SHOP...2014 calendars will be available in November 2013.

FOLLOWING THE DOTS

You're a unique amalgamation of everything you've grown to love over your lifetime.

Nothing is wasted! Following the dots, my own life as an artist began when I was a child who loved art and stationery supplies, blossomed when I took my first thoughtfully composed photograph and decided to make a greeting card out of it, and continues to flourish as, at 65, I combine one process with another to create something new each time.

Here's a case in point. 

From a simple photograph, to...

Some digital manipulation (in Photoshop or a smart phone app), to...

A handmade book, to...

A photo transfer to the book, adding a little encaustic to judge the effect, to...

Wall art...encaustic on birch panel.

I hope this inspires you! And if you're interested in exploring encaustic - basically, it's painting with hot beeswax - read about it and maybe even purchase an introductory CD or kit in MY SHOP. 

SHE'S BAAAACK!

It's been so long since I posted I can't remember how...if I write here on my blog, I can't remember if it will also show up on my Photo Fusion Facebook page. Oh, well...only one way to find out. I apologize in advance if you see this twice.

Waxing rhapsodic! Have become enamored of and enraptured with encaustic (painting with hot beeswax). I will undoubtedly be incorporating photos at some point but am just playing with techniques for the time being. I love digital art, be it photography or graphic design, but it sure feels good to get my hands dirty for a change.

HIATUS?!?

Photo by Verofoto

Yes, I know...I said I was on hiatus to develop digital designs kits for you, and I really was...but I ended up falling in love and getting married, and now I'm packing and moving. As I'm often reminded, we make plans and God laughs. Anyway, I promise I WILL be back soon, in earnest, and with the promised kits, but in the meantime I just wanted to share some of the handmade highlights of my wedding.

Garth and I got married in a hardware store. Not just any hardware store...this is Liz's Antique Hardware in L.A., a one-of-a-kind astonishing and fabulous emporium of vintage hardware from all over the world, and upstairs is an art gallery (The Loft at Liz's) with an enormous vintage Murano glass chandelier hanging in a stairwell. In keeping with the hardware theme, we chose a metallic color scheme...gold, silver, bronze, and copper...which I integrated into my handmade items. Naturally, I made the save-the-date cards and invitations (actually, I collaborated with my very talented and creative husband). The invitation featured a metallic momi (Japanese paper) mobius strip a la M.C. Escher, signifying the endless nature of our love.

I decided to make whimsical trinkets to give to our guests as mementoes and used the Auratone process to make little charms with our initials and the date; another of the charms is an actual piece of hardware...a gold lamp ring. My personal trinket now hangs on the wall from a vintage hook...they can hang just about anywhere, or just sit on a table top, or dangle from a necklace, or adorn a picture frame. (Customized trinkets are now available in my shop...some events in life just demand a meaningful memento!)

I also made a guest book and covered it with one of my favorite decorative papers from Paper Source. Since this was a small, intimate wedding, each guest had a page on which to sign their name and write a note (if they so desired). Ultimately, wedding cards, photos, copies of our vows, and other memorabilia will be added to make this a mixed media album.

Lastly, I made a sleeve that housed a CD with a slide show and photo gallery and also served as a thank-you note. A CD-sleeve with a coordinating CD label is one of my favorite items to customize. If you'd like a set of templates so you can do the same, just let me know and I'll send it to you gratis, my wedding gift to you.