This workshop focuses on techniques and processes for mixed media with anchor elements being the US Mail; old letters, envelopes, postage stamps, vintage postcards. We will cover creating unique combinations and effects with mail elements that can stand on their own as abstract collage OR become ephemera backgrounds for my favorite collage subject, simple songbirds.

We will be creating three 10×10 pieces that will work together as a series. This series will be a body of mixed media artwork with common themes in US Mail ephemera backgrounds, vintage post marks, size and format, and bird imagery to re-enforce the travel and flight of letters.

This ephemera can be sourced from your own archives or online at Etsy or eBay. I also have designed red rubber stamps of vintage US Mail post marks as well as 10-inch foam stamps of birds that you can purchase in class. 

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SUPPLIES

Please Bring three different small songbird bird reference photos sized up to 10x10 for the lessons

ALL SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON HERE Please click and read the “talk bubbles” in the upper right hand corner of all products on Amazon for more detailed information

https://www.amazon.com/shop/paper-paintings-collage-artwork?listId=5ZO3LUPC0QGX

– BASIC SUPPLIES

• Golden Fluid Acrylics Starter Set for underpainting your subject matter and hand-painting your papers. Keep in mind the colors of your chosen birds and your ability to mix color, purchase additional colors of paints accordingly, I suggest starting with 1 oz bottles.

• Gesso for priming your wood panels and adding white to certain paint colors in order to make them more opaque.

• THREE 10x10 Wood Painting Panels or Cradled Canvas Panels or Flat Canvas Panels (natural wood needs to be primed first with GAC-100 and two coats of gesso). Cradled canvas panels are primed and ready to go. You may also use economical flat canvas panels but these will need to be framed.

• Paint Brushes various sizes and shapes) for painting your image and priming your panel

• Water container, Paper Towels

• Pad of Palette Paper or Paper Plates for mixing paint if you are NOT using the Sta-Wet Palette below

• OPTIONAL: Masterson Sta-Wet Palette System, this will save your paints for up to a week or more! AND I use the palette sheets in my collage work when I’m done mixing on them. (they are not shiny)

• Graphite Transfer Paper for tracing your sketch from your 10x10 reference photo in lieu of using Art Foamies 10” Bird Stamps (see below) feel free to use a combination of the two in your three projects

• Pencil, Pink Pearl Eraser, Drafting Brush or soft paint brush for use with transfer paper

– SUPPLIES SPECIFIC TO VINTAGE USPS EPHEMERA BACKGROUNDS

• Vintage papers with a US Mail focus, postcard backs, old letters, addressed envelopes, vintage papers — See my website link below to purchase a ready-made packet of these papers

• Off-Paper Postage Stamps for mixed media backgrounds

• Golden Heavy Gel Matte for the encaustic effect

• Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool for sepia vignette edge

• Ranger Archival Ink Pad Sepia for sepia vignette edge and post stamps

– SUPPLIES SPECIFIC TO MONOPRINTING FOR COLLAGE PAPER

• Rubber Brayer for applying paint to Gel Plate

• Gel Press Printing Plate 8x10

• Rice Paper there are many different kinds of rice paper, the Sumi-E sketch 9x12 pad is what I like the best, especially for working on the Gel Plate.

• Variety of Found Papers sheet music, maps, wallpaper, hand written notes, old book pages, hand made papers, a variety of thickness and textures.

– SUPPLIES SPECIFIC TO COLLAGE

• Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium this is the collage glue, I use gloss because it keeps the colors more vibrant and rich

• Princeton Catalyst Short Handle #8 Filbert specifically for glue application. For painting, please use what you have on-hand in your studio and are comfortable with

– OPTIONAL GOODIES YOU MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE

I have designed 10” Art Foamies bird and branch stamps to use in this course and they can serve as your sketch when stamped onto your background:

• Art Foamies Bird Stamps 10” for your underpainting sketch–You can sketch your birds and skip these if you like but they sure are FUN!

• Art Foamies Flora Elements Pack for embellishing your birds

• RubberMoon individual flower and leaf vulcanized red rubber stamps

• RubberMoon vulcanized red rubber post mark stamp set for adding vintage post marks to your ephemera backgrounds

• RubberMoon black and white ink pads (or what you have on hand) for post mark stamps

• Art Foamies Stamp Buddies for inking up your 10” Bird stamps, load with your own paint

• Joggles Stencils Designed by Yours Truly for use on the Gel Plate making collage paper

• Joggles Foam Stamps Designed by Yours Truly for use on the Gel Plate making collage paper