Monday Morn

I look forward to my mixed media art classes on Mondays. We have two more classes and so I am having the ladies create a mixed media "girl". I asked them to think of a quote or something personal to them to put on their girl, which could be representative of themselves if they wanted. It's going to be inspiring to see this process.

Last week I created another mixed media angel. His time I used the card with the initial "w" which I wanted to stand for "wings". 

I wanted to find just the right quote for her to tie in dreams (the moon) and wings.

She is big... The board is 20" long. I used alphabet stamps and rub ons for the quotes. I put her with my other mixed media pieces at one of the galleries at the art crawl and one of my collectors took her home. 

The art gallery crawl was wonderful. We had so much activity on both sides of the river. Here are a few photos.

Some of my paintings at the Ouachita River Art Gallery, Wesr Monroe.

My roommate from long ago came out.

And I had a surprise visit from my cousin.

One of my students was showing her beautiful work a few doors down so I stopped by to take a peek. She worked on the tea cup piece during class and it is gorgeous.

I have a super busy week. I am working on two very special commission pieces. One of them has a critical deadline. What an honor to be a part of something so special. More on that later.

Thanks for stopping by today and have a happy Monday!

Art Gallery Crawl This Thursday June 5 2014

I am so excited about this Thursday night's art gallery crawl!!

First of all, I am the featured artist at The River Gallery on Trenton Street, West Monroe. My show is called "Enjoying the Journey". The gallery will be open until 9pm Thursday, June 5 during the gallery crawl!

Here is one of my newest pieces. I call it "Enchanted". It's 24" x 24" and has a coat of resin on the surface.

The shops on Trenton Street AKA Antique Alley, West Monroe, will also be open till 9pm AND will hosts area artists in the shops. And if that isn't enough, the other art galleries will be full of beautiful art and hosted by the wonderful artists! You can find out more on the Downtown Crawl Facebook Page!

And the best part - it's all free!! And the trolley, also free, will make stops all night at all the galleries. What a fun night!

The ladies in my mixed media art workshop are so amazing! We have two classes left and during those classes they are all going to be making a "girl" piece - something inspirational, personal and beautiful. I can't wait. Here is what they worked on last night.

How inspiring their pieces are!!

If you are a mixed media artist, or paper crafter - don't miss out on the new Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog!  Every month the design team will give a challenge, and the first one is up now. Just post a link on the blog with your challenge piece and you will be entered for a prize. This month's random winner will win a $25 gift certificate to Inspiration Emporium!  Who doesn't need more supplies to create beautiful things with!?

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

The First Mixed Media Challenge

Happy June! And today the Mixed Media Monthly Challenge Blog is posting their first challenge!

The challenge this month is  We are so lucky that the amazing online store Inspiration Emporium is sponsoring our challenge this month. They are generously offering a $25 gift card for our Random Winner and a discount code for anyone reading this right now!! Just use the code MMMC for 10% off your entire order!!

The design team has created several projects for you to get inspiration from - or come up with something else!

In my project, I started with a collage background of patterned papers. I painted, added texture with modeling paste and stencils. Then I used a stencil and Dylusions Spray Inks.

The surface is a wood block, approx 5.5" x 11".

Check out the blog for more inspiration and ways to be entered for more giveaways!

Happy Creating!

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!