Clearly Helena: Mix Media Wall Hanging - the Long Process of Stealing (CH0305)

Mix Media Nights Wall Hanging

mix media wall hanging, Kandinsky inspiration (CH0305)

In an endeavour to continue making things for the home, I finally completed this wall hanging that started in Feb 2012. Before anyone pokes me in the eye and call me names, let me just quote my favourite Picasso quote:

Good artists borrow
Great artists steal

So though far from a great artist, I "stole" from Kandinsky. I wanted to be inspired by colors and shapes that appealed to me and then have the joy of interpreting it with mix media elements.

by Kandinsky

Get your own Wassily Kandinsky inspirations ..

The process of being Kandinsky-inspired ...

As I like unconventional, the search for canvas followed the same route. I decided to recycle thick curtain fabric. (I got them yonks ago from the fabulous Reverse Garbage.) Thick curtain fabric seemed pretty appropriate - it has a thick rubberized backing (to shield from light), will not hanging out of shape over time, and has enough density to last in most weathers. Time to get painting ...

Acrylc paints for the background and gel acrylic glitter to add background sparkle (even tho it does not show up here).

Dorland's Wax Medium mixed with a bit of Turpentine as thinner - and seal entire painted background.

Where you can get some Dorland art and craft products ...

Make and layout various mix media elements.

On the back of the canvas, provide protection to edges. I used a fusible edge tape.

Mix Media Elements - the Owl from the papers

By chance, I came across this wise owl in the Sunday papers. Thought he would look good preserved in my artwork and so I went to work on him. Cut and protect-fix with Lamifix.

A word about Lamifix: It is this plastic sheet that has a shinny side and a matt side. The matt side is the one that has the glue which has to be melted to fix. Place matt side against the material it is meant to protect, hot iron over, and done. Lamifix can be used with various materials like paper, fabric. Wood too I think.

For Owl here, I placed some fusible irridescent Angelina Fibres on the owl before fixing with Lamifix.

Look out for some Angelina Fiber products:

Then cut to shape.

The Owl is them embroidered and beaded over. Blanket stitched onto another circle.

Owl from the newspapers - Mix Media Transformed

Here is the Mix Media Owl sewn in place.

TIP: if you have a heavy component, where possible, place a dollop of glue (like E6000). If the element is to be sewn on to another piece, make sure that the dollop of glue will not be where you are likely to sew. Otherwise your needle will get way tacky and make you way grumpy.

Mix Media Elements - the Birdie, the Fishie, the Rivolis, and Etc.

mix media fet bird and Swarovski Rivoli Orange Sun

This mix media felted bird (as detailed in How to Felt a Bird) and boy was he fun!

Having a zig-zag scissors is very helpful here. A whole batch of circles with zig zag edges.

Swarovski Rivoli (Light Sapphire) - beaded and ready for the inclusion into the Kandinsky-inspired artwork.