Learn the rules so you can break them.

My art space is scattered with all kinds of paints, pens, brushes and my hands are constantly splattered with paint.  Bernie lets me know when I have some paint on my face or like yesterday on my neck, how that got there I have no idea, but I just smile and tell him how those are badges of a happy and creative person. 



Not much good about this one!

Since I finished Journal Soup 1 and 2, both on-line mixed media classes by Kate Crane http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/ , I have watched a dozen or more you tube videos and read as many blogs about the topic.  I really want to get a handle on this and honestly it's been a lot tougher than you would think.


This page was a ugly mess and there is not much nice I can find in it.  Except maybe how I layered the feather stamps and ended up with those black and blue feathers. 

It's about learning, right.  Trying new things and not worrying what anyone else thinks.  That's what's great about working in a journal or on recycled cardboard.













At first my pieces all looked dull and flat but then I remembered that like any other piece of art, the artist must always remember the rules. 



Things like value, color, texture, composition and shape all have to be considered no matter what kind of creative adventure you are on.

I was having trouble with colour at first.  The back grounds all looked dull and muddy.

Turquois, yellow, green and pink sound like a great combination and they are but don't mix them all together at once.  Three of those would work but when you I added the pink when the other colours were still wet they blended into a brown mud pile.  That is because I was using warm and cool colours at the same time.  I started layering them instead.  Starting with a cool layer and once it was dry adding a warm layer and repeating that until I was happy with the effect.  Much cleaner, much more pleasing.

So even though the rules tell you not to mix your warms and your cools it never hurts to find a way around it.   You have to know the rules but then don't be afraid to break a few of them.