Mixed Media Artist Book workshop

I have a workshop coming up real soon called Mixed Media Artist Book. It's a 1 day immersion workshop that will be taking place at the La Grange Art League. There are still spots open, so if you're in the Chicagoland area, be sure to sign up as I think it will be a great day of sharing techniques.



As it is on Earth
mixed media

This is the sample book I made for the class. We will be making accordion books. The focus of the workshop is mixed media techniques and because I use wax in my books at times, I am going to introduce the use of encaustic on the covers. This is not an "encaustic" workshop, but as I said I will share ways to introduce some encaustic in book art and in mixed media work.



accordion book open

I love accordion books because the book can be opened and closed as a regular book. You can flip the pages, as you normally would. But you can also open it up, and have the whole book read as one fluid image.



left side: encaustic, inkjet print, oil stick, alcohol ink
right side: acrylic gel transfer, acrylic paint

Since I started my creative journey in 2002 I have been creating mixed media collages to incorporate with my paintings or as journal covers. I will be sharing my bag of tricks and techniques that I have gathered through the years.



collage, acrylic gel transfer, acrylic paint, india ink, copper tape



left side: stitched lace, molding paste, gel medium transfer
right side: black gesso, white ink, secondary gel medium transfer, acrylic paint

I often incorporate words and writings into my mixed media work, especially when it is in book form. We will go over different ways on incorporating text into your paintings. The words I wrote above the dandelion is from a poem by Joan Halifax:

There is a way to see inside
By looking directly through
to seed or marrow

Within the bone vessel
a world is made
Red and milkweed
it flows between us like
wind

Within the seed's case
a secret is held
Its fertile whisper
shapes a song




left side: gel medium transfer, inkjet print dipped in encaustic medium, oil stick
right side: gel medium transfer onto book page, encaustic medium and paint, oil stick

I am really looking forward to this workshop, I hope you can join us! I made a set of images of the pages in this book over at flickr if you want to see more detail shots.




encaustic mixed media page