Tuesday 24 March 2015

Reuse Crafting Book Review: Mixed Media Revolution

Artists and crafters are known for their resourcefulness and abilities to see things in different ways.  A blank piece of paper?  Millions of possibilities!  But what of started projects that don't quite look right?  Or a piece you're unhappy with but can't bear to throw away?

Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson's Mixed Media Revolution: Creative Ideas for Reusing Your Art
might have the answer for you: reuse and transform it into mixed media art.

Mixed media art is, loosely, art created using a mixture of different materials. 

Page by page, the two authors walk through different mixed media projects and techniques exploring a piece of art that needs a bit of je ne sais quoi or using the "waste" generated from one piece for another.

In the project "Instant Gratification" the paper towel used to clean off paint brushes gets a new life as collage paper. In "A New Weave" two pieces of art are cut into strips and woven together to form the base of something new. 

The book is a great at providing ideas and exercises to work through creative road blocks.  Not all the projects and ideas are completely reuse, and some may require some products and tools beyond the elementary craft set.  But as someone new to mixed media, this is a pretty good introduction (with room to grow) to what the authors call the original "green art" where "nothing goes to waste."  My collections of found objects and ephemera have a new purpose! 

Have you tried creating mixed media art with your Reuse Centre finds? Share your stories below!

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- Lana (Volunteer)

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