February 2021 at the art table
Making small art and following sparks
On the art table in February I continued creating some tiny art. I changed up the supplies to make some tiny Powertex mixed media pieces. Next was rust art and then some bolder, textured minis with a base of Yellow Ochre. My sketchbook was used during Laura Horn’s mixed media challenge/mini art course. I explored some book making and found inspiration in old books too.
In the sketchbook
Laura’s challenge was fun to play with colour palettes and snipping colour swatches from magazines was great. I pulled together a rather unusual (for me) palette of blues, pinks and purples. I’m usually not a fan of pinks, I find them twee or too sweet but there’s something calming in these colours. It’s a fantastic exercise to take these colours and try to reproduce them with your own supplies. On the last day of the challenge I used these colours and the mark making I had discovered to add paintings to the sketchbook.
Powertex art
The mini Powertex art moved from mixed media circles with embellishments and metallic colours to Rusty Powder and Ivory squares. As February comes to a close I’ve got a little group of Yellow Ochre and Bister minis ready to mount in a box frame. These little pieces are a great way to keep my hands making without pressure but also take up less space than a larger piece. While spending so much time at home it’s not comfortable to cover all the surfaces of the living room with canvases and paint supplies!
I’ve shared the rusty mini art in this blog and you can see more in my Instagram account for Powertex.
Mixed media explorations
The mixing up of different media and ideas excites me because I love to see how different supplies contrast with each other. This last week I’ve been looking at book making as a new way to mix things up.
I have always loved handmade books and have looked before at making my own journals and sketchbooks. The focus on precision and tools held me back. However, I follow a lot of book makers and junk journalers over on my Instagram art account that inspire me. I watched a quick demonstration with a simple technique, I decided to have a go.
This small test was fun and quick to do. The paper was a little too heavy to fold well and the covers a little too large but I had made a little book! Of course I didn’t stop there and started adding scribbles and marks and drips and colour until it felt a bit more me. Now I’m looking at how I can incorporate more collage into the little pages.
On the bookshelf
The usual “art books” have been largely ignored this month in favour of something old. In my twenties and thirties I was quite a comic book nerd although my collection is now limited to some favourite graphic novels and trade paperbacks. Every now and then I pull out my stack of Sandman and Kabuki paperbacks and get inspired by the artwork and the stories. It’s no surprise to find myself making books of colour and words after diving back into them. The things we love sit with us, inspire us and become a part of what we create.
Spring is surely just around the corner so I hope you can find something to inspire your creativity.
Until next month from my February art table,
Kore x
P.S. Now is a great time to get started on your Powertex garden art projects. If you’d like to make some weatherproof art or sculpture you can read more in the blog on how to create something lasting.
