She Created Magic All Around Her Mixed Media Art by Design Team Member Tamara Dinius

She Created Magic All Around Her was painted in honor of the special people that bring joy and magic into our life; the kind of magic that creates life-long memories. It takes a certain person to create these kinds of moments  and this painting celebrates that person.   My hope is that you will look for the magic that lies within you and bring it to life in your painting.  

Heart-to-Heart Chat From Me to You

My art is my art. Your art will be your art. They do not need to look alike, nor should they. I want you to do your thing with this. You can use the colors, stencils, and stamps that you already have. Of course, we can all use a few new items in our craft stash so if you want to experiment with what I am using, then by all means do. Craft Warehouse has a unique selection of Dylusion Ink Sprays in some yummy colors! I will warn you though, once you start using Dylusion Ink  Sprays you will want them all!

Quick Note For Following My Step-by-Step Process

Much to my daughters chagrin, I think a recipe is nothing more than a suggestion. If I am out of tomato sauce then I will substitute ketchup. If it calls for sour cream and I have mayonnaise in the fridge, then  mayo it is. It's either a hit or a miss. I enjoy mixing it up a bit, and who knows, one day I may come up with a killer new recipe. So please use my instructions for this project the way I do a recipe. Experiment, substitute, and just have fun!

This is the right time, the right format, and the right products to begin your journey into mixed media art.

Onward We Go, Let's Get Started!

Step 1

Wet down your substrate (another term for painting surface) with water using a Ranger Mini-Mister. I am using Dylusion's Creative Journal as my substrate but you may want to use watercolor paper, canvas, or something similar.  The next step is to apply your favorite ink sprays, I have used Dylusion Ink Sprays in Vibrant Turquoise and Funky Fuchsia. Once applied, I smoosh (I know this isn't an actual word but it is the only word I can think of that fits the action)my two pages together  by laying one page on the other and rubbing my hands over them. Separate the pages (here you will ooh and ahh because they look so cool) and let them dry. Once completely dry, take a paintbrush (I used a #4 round) dipped in clear water and let drips of water run down your page. The clear water will remove the inks, leaving some really cool drip lines on your substrate.

Step 2

Create some background interest by applying white acrylic using your favorite stencils randomly throughout your painting (I have used Luscious Leaves and Letter Jumble stencils from Dylusions). I have also used Daler Rowney Metallic Brown 721and Violet 450 to add some contrast.

Step 3

I have added  random circles for additional  interest and texture. You can use bubble wrap, stencils, needle punch canvas, and just about anything that creates a pattern.  Stroll the aisle of your local Craft Warehouse, dollar store, or thrift shop to find some really cool items. Apply white acrylic paint to create contrast against the darker background. Please don't get too concerned about the product used in this step, you are just creating background interest. Texture good, striving for perfection bad. Remember, this is about having fun!

The great thing about Dylusion Ink Sprays are that they re-activate with water allowing you to obtain some dynamic movement within your painting. However, there are times when you don't want this to occur. To eliminate the inks from re-activating we need to create a barrier. This can be done by using a spray fixative or applying clear gesso or matte medium over the inks. I have lightly brushed matte medium over the entire painting. Use a light hand or your inks may start to move and cover your drip lines. Allow to dry.

Step 4

 

Use a dye based ink pad (this will eliminate the ink from smearing later) to stamp flowers and leaves on regular typing paper (I have used Dylusion's Fancy Flowers rubber stamp set DYR40941). Using Tim Holtz Distress Ink Minis Kit #1, quickly and haphazardly color the leaves and flowers. Don't cover every inch of the stamped image as we want some highlights to show through. I know it can be hard to leave some white showing, but this will add some interest to your painting. Trust me on this!

Step 5

Cut out your leaves and flowers. Notice they are not precise, we are looking for a random artistic approach at this point. Repeat after me, "Random artistic approach good, symmetrical spacing boring"!

Step 6

This step is optional. I drew a rough sketch of a girl and based her in with Daler Rowney Portrait Pink 573 acrylic paint. I colored her hair with Burnt Umber. I encourage you to be fearless and give this a try. If it doesn't work out, cover her up with a large flower and keep on going.

Step 7

Start gluing down your flowers and leaves.  You can use glue, gel medium, modge-podge, etc. The choice is yours. Remember to think "random" at this point. We don't want wall flowers. Remember your middle school dance? We don't want all the orange flowers lined up against one edge, and all the pink flowers lined up against the other. Add brown to the center of the flowers.

Step 8

Hand lettering! I used to teach calligraphy and yet I struggle with simple hand lettering on my art work. I think it's because I am afraid of ruining a piece by misspelling a word or having goofy spacing. So this is my secret (and millions of other mixed media artists), we write on tissue paper, deli paper, rice paper, vellum paper, etc. and then adhere it to our artwork. Isn't this AWESOME! If I make a mistake lettering I just throw it out and start over.

So grab yourself a pastrami on rye sandwich and keep the deli paper it's wrapped in. Or better yet, check out the Craft Warehouse paper section for some really cool vellum papers.

I typically use waterproof Sharpie markers for my hand lettering  but you will find many other brands work well too. This is where experimenting on different papers using a variety of pens will be important. Once you are happy with your lettering, adhere it to your artwork. Again, experimenting with the different papers and glues is crucial. I find that a less watery adhesive works better on lighter weight paper. I will brush on my adhesive and then use a credit card or room key to smooth out the paper. This works really well for me and seems to eliminate bubbles and wrinkles.

Step 9

We are almost at the finish line. Hydrate and keep up the good work(water, coffee, or  a nice red wine will do the trick)! I used a regular gel writing pen to add cross hatching and outlining to my flowers and leaves . The white highlights have been done using a fine and extra fine white Sharpie marker. The white markers were also used to add highlighting to the lettering. I used some water-downed white acrylic to add the splatters and background markings.Lightly spray your finished product with a clear fixative.

Take a step back and look at what you just created! You can now become a magical moment collector and start spreading magic of your own.

See the companion to this piece, as well as photos of my other artwork using Dylusion's Fancy Flowers rubber stamp set DYR40941 on my blog!