Some Exciting News I Can Finally Share

I can FINALLY share some exciting news - well, not HUGE, but something fun and challenging. Several months ago I was asked by Donna Bowman, who happened to be an art collector of mine from a decade ago, to join a team of mixed media artists in a new blog. Being overwhelmed with "life" at the time, I hesitated, but accepted the offer to be their guest designer. As things seemed to level off for me, and low and behold one of their members had to step away, I accepted being a permanent addition to the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog!

So, every month this talented team and guest designers will post a challenge for you to participate in. From technique to project to color inspiration - anything and everything mixed media is welcome. You have a few weeks to create and share. And there will be prizes!!

Right now you can comment on this blog post for a chance to win this prize package!

I hope you can play along! I'm excited to be offering challenges. Speaking of challenges - the first one starts TOMORROW!!!

Have a great day!

New art and upcoming art crawl

It's the Friday before the Art Crawl and my house is exploding with art. My studio is a mess but soon it will be all cleared out.

I am the featured artist this month at The River Gallery on Trenton Street, West Monroe. I'll be hanging my show this weekend. The title of my show is "Enjoying the Journey" and the pieces are a variety of my latest work which is mostly floral. The June 5 art crawl is going to be HUGE! In addition to the usual galleries, the shops on Trenton Street / Antique Alley are going to be open till 9pm and have local artists in the shops. Don't miss this family friendly FREE event!

Here is one of my larger pieces, 24" x 24". It's more of a doodle that has come to life with color. I call it "Saturday in the Park"

After this photo was taken, I covered the piece in resin which gives it a glassy surface and intensifies the colors. 

My most recent piece was influenced by the hit TV show Mad Men. I just love all the art used in the show. Most of them are abstracts, but I was drawn to the Michael Weidmen print in Peggy's office.

So, me loving flowers, couldn't get it out of my head until I painted my own interpretation of the piece.

"Mad About Yellow", 20" x 20". Contact me for purchasing info on this or any other art.

Mixed media artists - have you seen this INCREDIBLE giveaway at the new Mixed Media Monthly Challenge?  What a great prize package. Be sure to hop over and enter!

Monday is another class with my mixed media students. They are incredibly talented and full of ideas. If you are taking the class, bring your surface, papers, paints and textures. If you have alphabet stickers.... One inch or larger, bring them. If not, then come and see the demo and if you like the look, you can try it at another class. Have some ideas sketched out and we'll have some fun.

Here is the canvas that I have had waiting for art to be put on it.

I hope to have it finished for class.

Check my blog TOMORROW for some exciting news!! :)

Have a great weekend!

A is for Angel Mixed Media

I am half way into my summer mixed media workshop and just demonstrated using textiles in mixed media. The students are enjoying creating mixed media surfaces using papers, stencils and paint.

Here are a couple of photos of student work in progress.

I am so proud of and inspired by these ladies! They have each absorbed what they were taught and applied it to their own ideas and just "let it go" (the theme of our adventure).

I had prepared this background in our previous class and brought it back to show them the steps I take in building my images after the first layer.

I have a pack of mini alphabet cards that I have decided to put to use. I have had them forever. I decided to use "a" for angel.

I lightly drew my angel girl, then outlined her with black. While she was drying, I added paint to the background. Next, I adhered cheesecloth to her dress with Golden's matte medium. I had brought a paper doily that I thought would make great wings, but I also had some leaf shapes, so I was trying on her "wings" when one of the students said, "Use both"! What a great idea, and in the spirit of "letting it go" , I did, and I love the look. I also didn't stress about perfectly placing the "wings" and as you can see they are not symmetrical, which I think adds to her charm. 

Next I mixed some paint to make a flesh color and painted her skin. I stopped at this point so the students could create. A few days later I pulled her out and even though I liked her at this point, I wanted to adjust her legs and do a few more things.

I used paint, stencils and rub ons to finish her up. I took the rest of the doily and out it on top, and fond a chipboard glitter heart in just the right size to add to her hands. She now awaits a new owner.

Our class has been enjoying various art products, but especially those provided by Golden Paints Seconds Program. No matter what age my student are, I introduce them to high quality art products because it truly does make a difference. 

The Downtown Gallery Crawl in Monroe and West Monroe is June 5. I recently became the secretary for this Downtown Arts Alliance, the hosts of the crawl, and am excited about the wonderful things on the horizon. If you are in Northeast Louisiana, come out. You can even shop because the Antique Alley Association shops on Trenton Stree will be open till 9pm as well as have artists displaying in their stores. The trolley will be running for free to take you to all the galleries so make a night of it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Textiles in Mixed Media

Today is MONDAY and my mixed media art workshop is tonight! I have a dozen eager and talented ladies that have come with willing hearts and great creativity. I was looking at a mixed media blog over the weekend and wanted to post it here for inspiration. The name of the blog is

Mixed Media May

and for every day in May for the past few years, they have a guest mixed media artist and an interview.

I was guest artist a couple of years ago on this blog. To get directly to my interview, click

Melanie Douthit Mixed Media May Interview

So.......... for tonight's class I am demonstrating my technique for painting on a collaged paper background. I will take a prepared background and go from there. FUN and SCARY because my students get to see any woops that can happen, which, frankly, is a plus because we all need to know that creating is a process with an unexpected end result and bumps and woopsies come along the way, so you learn to improvise!

and I can NOT stress enough to everyone to follow this blog NOW! This new mixed media blog will have prizes! but you need to follow and comment on the blog, and also on Facebook!!! Who doesn't like inspiration AND the possibility of GOODIES to create with? Go to

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

This is what I am working on right now. It's not technically mixed media, but I did do something new on it.

I created this background which I loved and is almost a finished painting in itself, but in the spirit of pushing to the limits, I took my Pitt Big Brush white pen and....

Again... Taking it to the limits.... As of right now it in in the process of being a landscape. Check back! And if you want more peeks.... Follow me on Instagram!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Mixed media house art

It's a beautiful Friday and I am finishing up some fun mixed media projects.

I made this house earlier this week. 

I used patterned papers, stickers and my Faber-Castell Big Brush Pens and black Pitt pens. I had some leftover rub ons and just randomly added them here and there. 

In my mixed media class, we played with texture medium and spray inks with stencils. On Monday we will be using fabrics for texture, and taking our backgrounds to the next level and actually putting art work on it. Remember, "Let It Go" and don't hold back. It's just paper and paint. 

Here's a couple of photos from Monday night's class.

And I wanted to share a new mixed media inspiration blog! They will have a monthly challenge with examples from their design team. They are giving away prizes! Bookmark it and check it regularly. It's

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.

Have a great weekend! 

Gearing up for Mixed Media Class Number Two

The first mixed media class was this week. What a fun group of creative ladies. I had a little surprise when the woman that urged me to have the class walked in with her mother. I knew her mother and had not seen her I over ten years. I just didn't know these ladies were related! What a small world!

I used wood blocks and show basic collage using dress pattern paper, patterned scrapbook paper, and adding texture with ink and household stencils (things you find around the house). The ladies took the ideas and created their own designs. Here are a few pics.

For those taking the class, a recap of some of the things talked about. For art supplies, check out:

http://www.dickblick.com

For scrapbook products:

Emmas Paperie

Mixed media products

Scarlet Lime

And one of the students recommended watching Donna Downey videos at

Donna Downey

For the next class, don't forget to bring:

Your choice of surface...canvas or wood. If you being wood, please have it primed with a water based primer or gesso so you can start right away.

Papers for collage

Paints- your choice of colors and brands. All acrylic or latex (water based)

If you have stencils, bring them but don't buy until you see demo

And the regular items, brushes, mod podge, paper towels, scissors

Notebook with ideas of what you might want to create and anything else you might want to incorporate with your piece....alphabet stickers...etc

Don't forget a small jar.

I will be demonstrating a collage background using paper and stencils. 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions before then.

Thanks for stopping by.

Live in the Moment Mixed Media

Yeah- it's Friday! Lots to do today to get details finished on my Mixed Media workshop which starts in three days! If you are taking my class, don't forget to jot down ideas or questions to ask in class. The first day will be a bit fast paced because I have sooo much I want to teach you, yet still allow time to play... I mean create!

Here is a piece I worked on here and there between other projects. The background is various patterned papers. I added some border stickers (cut in half down the center) and drew off my design with black paint. It was several days before I could get back to it, but I had to decide if I wanted to leave the flowers in touched or not. 

After painting the background, I decided color! I purposely didn't paint the entire background because I wanted the music paper to show. I added paint with stencils, and stamps with. Lack ink. I went back over the black lines with Scribbles paint. Then I added washi tape, word stickers and punched butterflies.

I have lots to do today! My daughter's local theater production opens tomorrow, and Sunday I will be at the annual Blend of the Bayou event as one of the Bayou Artists. Looks like beautiful weather, too! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!