Mixed Media Artist

September Morn Cyndi Lavin, 2016 Nobody was quite sure what the young woman was doing in Paul Emile Chabas's painting, Matinee de Septembre, and that made it a bit controversial.  Over the years, it was mostly dismissed as a serious work, although it hangs today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Not too shabby.  Poor Paul Emile did not copyright her, so scores of reproductions were sold without him benefiting at all. The image I used here came from the front of a piece of sheet music: Matinee de Septembre , Painting by Paul Emile Chabas, France, 1911. September Morn , Music by Henri I Marshall, Published by Jerome H Remick & Co, NY, 1913. Materials & Tools Pencils Texture plates Tracing paper Acrylic spray fixative Watercolor paper Acrylic medium, matte and gloss Image(s) Bubble wrap Sheet music Tissue paper Foam brushes Acrylic paints: Titian buff Red oxide Yellow ochre Cobalt teal India ink 1. Use the side of a pencil t...

Wishful Thinking Cyndi Lavin, 2016 This collage on watercolor paper was fun to put together from start to finish, but it wasn't until just after I added the crow that the name and the point came to me.  I had been discussing with a friend our tendency as human beings to want gifts that we don't have while undervaluing the gifts that we've been blessed with.  My poor crow is clearly wishing for a musical talent that eludes him.  Smart, clever, strong, and beautiful...he forgets about all of that! If you'd like to try making a collage like this, use the colors and imagery that "sings" for you :-) Materials & Tools Watercolor paper, cold pressed Tissue paper Bubble wrap Sheet music Image(s) Dixie cup Matte medium Gloss medium Glazing medium Acrylic paints: Titian buff Red oxide Yellow ochre Raw umber Cobalt turquoise India ink Foam brushes 1. Paint the watercolor paper with Titian buff and allow to dry.  Adhere tissue paper ...

I have always enjoyed a day of making background papers.  When you allow yourself to play with no pre-conceived idea of what the results will be used for, all kinds of interesting things can emerge.  I gathered together a large number of supplies...nowhere near as many as I could have, but more than were absolutely necessary. Do you need all of these things?  Nope.  Be guided by your own supplies and your own aesthetic! Materials & Tools Watercolor paper, cold pressed Tissue Freezer paper Plastic vegetable bag Corrugated card board Cheesecloth Waxed paper Acrylic paints: Hansa yellow, medium Cobalt teal Cobalt turquoise Permanent violet, dark Dioxazine purple Quinacridone burnt orange Cerulean blue Yellow ochre Matte medium Walnut ink Extra heavy gel medium Opaque fiber paste Gesso Rubbing alcohol 1. Iron some tissue paper to a piece of freezer paper and print out some interesting textures.  I used some photoshopped blac...

All Other Ground Cyndi Lavin, 2016 Last week, I showed you the techniques for creating the rocky postcard shaped pieces .  Today we're going to look at how to finish it up! Materials & Tools Watercolor paper, cold press Tissue paper Golden Acrylics: Cobalt turquoise Thalo turquoise Matte Medium India ink Water Acrylic fixative Foam brushes Small paint brush 7. Paint another piece of watercolor paper with turquoise colors.  Allow to dry.  Add a dilute layer of matte medium and top with tissue paper, forming a diagonal line and allowing plenty of wrinkles.  Allow to dry.  Use dropper or brush to apply India ink along the diagonal line.  Spray lightly with water and allow the ink to run downwards.  Allow to dry completely.  Spray with acrylic fixative, and add a layer of matte medium to the top. 8. Mess around with the placement of your shapes.     9. This is what I chose.  Paint some matte me...

Here's a silly question...Do you have fabric left over from various projects? Well, how would you like to learn some fun new ways to turn your scraps into bowls, boxes, and vases, perfect for beautifying your home, or the home of a loved one?  In Favorite Fabric Bowls, Boxes and Vases , Linda Johansen writes: I have had so much fun with the instant gratification of making fabric bowls, as well as the artistic side of combining fabrics and threads and shaping a bowl to fit my mood at the time. I use the bowls throughout my house as functional art on tables and counters—holding treasures, candles, and food. As I played with making fabric bowls and taught others how to make them, more possibilities kept popping into my head. It was a natural progression to leap from fabric bowls to fabric boxes. Once you've read through the basics and learned the easy to follow techniques, you'll be all set to launch into the projects.  The book will be out in June from C&T Publis...

All Other Ground Cyndi Lavin, 2016 When I started with this collage, I had absolutely no idea where it was going.  Each step seemed to just suggest the next one to me, although at the time I didn't know what the end game was.  Not until it was finished did the idea come to me from the old hymn, "All other ground is sinking sand." As soon as I thought of that phrase, the point of the collage seemed obvious to me. I've included information on the colors and shapes I chose, but you should chose what you like best and just use this tutorial for its techniques rather than to make a duplicate.  Make something meaningful to YOU! Materials & Tools Watercolor paper, cold press Golden Acrylics: Titian buff Quinacridone violet Sap green Dioxazine purple Quinacridone gold Burnt sienna Raw sienna Carbon black Walnut Ink spray: Eucaluyptus Terra cotta Matte Medium Gesso Water Rubbing alcohol Foam brushes Cutting mat Box cutter Clear ruler ...