Art Journal Cover - Mixed Media Artist Collaboration, Challenges

Mixed Media Art Collaboration

In the Mixed media art collaboration today, I share how you can create this art journal cover.  You create some lovely texture on the surface and it looks gorgeous.  You only need a few supplies.  We gather every second Tuesday of the month and share a mixed media art project.

You can see the video below.

You can catch up on previous collaboration projects that I have created with HERE

Fabric and Textile Art - Slow Stitching

Over the years I have been combining a lot of slow stitch and working with fabric within my work and have really enjoyed the process.  It started getting serious at the beginning of lockdown when the whole world seem to changed overnight and we had to come to terms with a new normal.

As I looked at the creative activities that I was doing none of them seem to still my mind until I remembered the work that I had done the previous year for a textile exhibition in Barbados at the Queens Park Gallery called Celebrating Textiles ( I will share about the exhibition tomorrow).

I realized that I liked the detail that you could get with stitch, fabric and paint - I was keen to experiment, learn new stitches and it set me on an amazing adventure of embroidery, fabric and textile art.

I had done a few fabric projects and made things from fabric as you can see in some of my 'Material Monday projects'  which mostly included crochet pieces.  The stitching, painting, dyeing started to grow.

I combined my love for painting with stitching and haven't looked back.  I start out painting my backgrounds, adding the figure and then the stitching process continues until the piece feels done, learning new embroidery stitches and being comfortable with the supplies.

I am still learning about fabrics and how to work with all the different supplies to create the look and feel that I am after.  I have been enjoying the process and continue to allow my imagination to come up with different characters and scenes.

I  immersed myself into all the fabric, threads, beads and more that I had collected over the years.  It was all there waiting for me to recognize their importance in my creative journey, and so I set about stitching, dyeing, embellishing and bringing together an array of techniques that I had developed over the years into a needle, my sewing machine and all the supplies that welcomed me with open arms, and I have not looked back.

What creative activities have you immersed yourself in over the past 2 years that has helped with your health and well-being?

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Art Journal Page - Inspired, Material Mondays!

 Art Journal Page Process

Today I share an art journal page process as I do quite a bit of mark making on the page.  I had already created the face, which is something I do a lot in my journals, either fill up the pages with background color or faces until I am ready for them.

Material Inspired

One of the other things that I would like to get back to is working with fabric.  I like creating different activities that enable you to play with your supplies.  These spools have been wrapped in fabric and lace and I have added stitching and a variety of different fabrics together

I also found some beads and buttons that were in my overspill container and was able to use them.  The container holds all those elements that I haven't yet put away and so I would see what could be used on a project.

I managed to put together 3 spools that I can use in other projects.  It was really fun working on them.

What do you have on hand in your creative space that you can get to work on if you had limited time to create, you have to try and make time for your creative practice?

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Word for the Week - Perceptive - Arts and Wellness Café

Welcome to this week, the word has been so far 'Perceptive' and it is great to think about how the word relates to our creativity.  When you think about what you do creatively how much of it would you say you get a sense that there is more to it than you yourself put in - in regards to effort?  Do things click, work out and often give you goosebumps or chills.  

It matters not if that is not the case for you at the moment, as there are areas of what you do that you just can't quite explain, and you don't need to (smile).

I started the week off with the podcast and you can listen to the episode HERE or below

In Arts and Wellness Café I continue the theme and you can watch the video HERE or below

I share some of the work that I have been doing in the studio along with some of my stitched pieces.

Textile Wall Hanging - Amanda Trought

For more behind the scenes and exclusive content you can check me out on Patreon

100 Days of Embroidery Stitches

I committed to doing the 100 Day Project and decided to do 100 Days of Embroidery Stitches. Here are the ones that I have done so far.

The 100 Day project is about choosing an activity that you will do and you can choose whatever you like.  A couple of years ago I did 100 Days of Pastel Paintings, it enabled me to spend time with my pastels that I had never used and get familiar with them.

You can join me on Instagram as I share them once every 3 days.  There are some that I initially have difficulty with and that is alright, you just have to try your best and come back to it from a different perspective.

For me the main thing is to enjoy the stitches and use them in some of my other stitched projects.  Not all the stitches that I am doing will be suitable, but at least I will know how to do them.

I hope you are doing a 100 Project of your own and enjoying showing up for your self.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

 

Stitched Meditations - Boro Shasheko Stitching

 

In this video I share with you some of the processes used for creating this wall hanging, it uses some of the techniques known as Boro Shasheko also Slow Stitching.

I created on several small pieces to begin with and then brought them together.

The pieces of material all were recycled and they have their own story to tell.  Let me know if you have ever used the stitches in your own work.

It is a very meditative piece and I also added a number of additional elements and sculptural pieces onto it.  I also used Moringa wood harvested from my garden as sculptural hangings at the base of the wall hanging.  Thank you for taking time out to watch the video.

Arts and Wellness - Stitched Play

Come and check out the Arts and Wellness video where I look at some stitched projects as well as reflecting on current events.

Let me know how you get on and which is your favorite wall hanging.  Will be finishing them and adding to my Etsy store - (details to come)  Or just contact me for prices if you would like to purchase sooner.

Listen to the Podcast

Arts and Wellness Wednesday - Chat Episode 216

Arts and Wellness

Arts  and Wellness Wednesday

Welcome to the show notes for the Arts and Wellness Episode - 216, so glad to have you here.  If you have not yet seen the video you can catch it down below

You can listen to the podcast below

Part of my normal routine starts the day with herbal tea made from Moringa, Broad leaf Thyme and on occasion another blend, alongside a cup or ordinary tea as I head my way over to my studio.

Frangipani flowers from the garden and Scaevola cutting.

In the recording I share information about my art journals.  This is my Restoration journal, one among many.  An art journal is a great place to put your thoughts in images and words.  I work in several art journals depending on how I am feeling at the time.  I love making journals.

Art Journal - Restoration, Amanda Trought

Pages can be prepped before hand, and I usually see the process in 3 stages, depending on how much time I have to work on a page.  The page below has lots of texture, colour, and I have journalled on the pages.  I initially layered the background colours on the pages, then went back at a later date and added the images.  

When I felt in the mood to do some written journalling I looked through the pages to see which one was speaking to me then added the written text.

This is usually how the page starts out on the left, with layers of colour on the page

This is another activity that I have enjoyed doing, creating pieces to slow stitch.  These are quilted painted pieces that I then have been adding stitching to.  There are many more to start working on.

Slow stitch fabric

The pieces also have stencils gessoed on and I often add an image to them.

Closer Detail, painted fabric and stitch - Amanda Trought

What are you finding speaks to you creatively at the moment.  I would love to hear what you are working on.

You can also join me if you want to have a chat about what you are doing creatively where you want to take it.  You can book two free telephone calls were we can explore where you would like to go to next.  Check it out HERE

CHECK IT OUT HERE

I look forward to catching up with you soon, stay blessed and be a blessing!

CHECK IT OUT HERE