And even more Mixed Media!

I can't seem to stop!  In my last post, I mentioned wanting to do a piece that is reminiscent of work I have seen by Isobel Moore, a mixed media textile artist from the United Kingdom.  But as I worked on this next piece, I found myself veering off in my own direction. Inspired by both Isobel Moore and Carol Nelson another mixed media artist, I ended up with this:

I haven't framed or mounted it yet - it is not a standard size, so I'm planning to buy stretcher bars, stretch some fabric over them and mount the piece on the fabric.  

After finishing the above piece, I decided to try one using a piece of driftwood and some seed pods I had on hand.  I also had an unpainted canvas, some hand dyed scrim, painted corrugated cardboard, and some other items.  Here's what I came up with:

I had a vague idea of what I hoped to accomplish here, but it came out even better than I had hoped.  One bonus was that I found a piece of rust-dyed lutradur I have had forever... given to me by 

(I forget!) because (I forget!).  But it was a perfect background for the composition.  I did a color wash on the canvas to blend with the colors of the piece, cut the lutradur to fit the canvas, then used matte gel medium to attach the lutradur.  I continued affixing each layer, some with the gel medium, the 3D items with E6000 glue.  Before I glued the driftwood, I used waxed linen to tie the clay bead to it, then glued the driftwood and seed pods.  

Much as I like the first piece in this post, I think the one above is one of my best pieces of wall art in a very long time!  

I see myself spending time walking the trails to scavenge for cast off wood and other organic items, and I also plan to start visiting the junk shops looking for rusty metal things, old fabric, and probably some old books with yellowed pages, or sheet music I can use as the base layer to future compositions.  I think I have found a new obsession!  Stay tuned for more...