Mixed Media Artist

Elizabeth St Hilaire (Beth) began painting her own collage papers because of her concern over light-fastness, but the practice soon led her to a collection of hues and a range of values and textures that convinced her to never go back to commercial papers for her collages. Now, in her new book Painted Paper Art Workshop published by North Light Books , you can learn to create gorgeous collage paintings like Beth's.  Forty full-color pages of this book teach the additive, subtractive, resist, and monoprint techniques that Beth finds most helpful for adding glorious color to your papers.  Additive techniques (adding paint to paper) are probably the most familiar.  They include such things as stamping, stenciling, sponging, and splattering.  Resist techniques include using alcohol, texture rubbings, soup bubbles, metallics, glue, and gesso.  The next (almost) forty pages cover Beth's signature method of creating her painted paper collages.  Star...

Another mixed media abstraction from a photo, perhaps more clear as to the subject than the last few! Ready to Fly Cyndi Lavin, 2016 Copyright 2016 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. 

Raise your hand if maps don't intrigue you as an art-making material.  Ok, you two people are excused...all the thousands of others may stay and learn about Jill K Berry's new book Making Art From Maps , published by Quarto/Rockport.   Bits and pieces of awesome maps are shown throughout the book, and sometimes you will get to see a vintage or novelty map in its entirety.  It starts off with a quick section on tools, materials, and basic techniques.  Before you start in on the projects, you'll want to familiarize yourself with making cones, flowers of various types, leaves, and tapes. The how-to's that follow in the rest of the book are not super detailed, but if you have any experience working with paper, you won't have any trouble following along.  It's very unlikely that you will have the exact materials shown anyway...these projects are just begging for personalization!  The six main chapters contain projects that cover home decor; books, journals...

A multi-layered collage painting, another abstraction from a photo. Reaching 2 Cyndi Lavin, 2016 Reaching 1 can be seen at the link. Copyright 2016 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit.

I don't often find it necessary to post about updated art technique books, but in this case I just have to make an exception!  My original review of Pigments of Your Imagination is at the link, and everything I said there still stands, but... But.  Now there is Pigments of Your Imagination, 2nd edition .  There are additional breath-taking images included throughout the entire book.  I was worried at first because the cover says 50 bonus gallery images, but that's not all.  There are additional images included in the techniques and step-by-step sections, making it even easier to follow along.  There are also fourteen brand NEW techniques and tips added that nicely round out the instructional sections.  Cathy Taylor's work, of course, is exquisite, and the gallery section includes her work plus much more by other artists. So there!  If you bought the first edition, definitely at least look at the new one to see the new techniques.  If...

Black gesso, acrylic paints and inks, black marker pen.  Something from last year that I forgot to share :-) Apples Cyndi Lavin, 2015 Copyright 2016 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit.

Watercolor paper, acrylic paint, tissue paper, India ink Bricks Cyndi Lavin, 2016 Copyright 2016 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit.