Mixed Media Creative Gym Exercise #11: Rusted & Rustical

Okay so I'm slightly obsessed about learning all I can about mixed media (along many other obsessions in the industry). So I'm currently following the challenges over at Mixed Media Place because I really want to learn more and extend what I already know about creating with mixed media. The designers over at Mixed Media Place are so talented and innovative.

The current challenge is to use one of the wonderful Art Recipes from the very talented Finnabair as inspiration.

After much deliberation I chose to use Finnabair's Art Recipe July this year: "Rusted and Rustical". You don't have to make the same project or even follow the recipe step by step. What inspired me about this recipe was the rusting. So this is what I came up with (I've highlighted the products that were used on this):

I've been wanting to use my old paint brushes on a project for ages and when I finally came across a cheap mdf artists pallet I knew what I wanted to do. After covering my project with news print paper and Gesso,  I "rusted" up the metal pieces on the brushes as well as the cogs with rusting powder and brown vinegar. I then glued them to the project with a hot glue gun.

I then threw some rusting powder around them on the background and added some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze in Indian Summer. I also used Modelling Paste for the flourish and quote, 3D Gel Medium to hold the beads in place and to cover them ready for colouring.

Once the modelling paste was dry I cover it with Ranger Crackle Pain. I stamped the background with a Kaisercraft background stamp and Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Tea Dye and then used a aqua pen to move the ink around. The aqua brush was also used with water colour paint to smudge and blur the flourish. I laid down some old crochet pieces under the brushes before adding the embellishments. Also added some drips of Prima Colour Bloom in "Berry Wine" which happily settled within the crackle paint.

I painted up the embellies and flowers using Gesso, Aquamarine acrylic paint, Heidi Swapp Colour Shine in "Mint" (also used on the background), Prima Colour Bloom in "Deep Teal". I added some aquamarine paint on the rusted cogs. Glimmer Glaze was also dabbed onto the flower petals here and there.

Happily this project really stretched my creative imagination and I'm pleased that I got to use such a variety of media on this piece. I would really appreciate any feedback/advice from any of the Mixed Media Place Design Team on any improvements or tips/tricks to improve my techniques :)  Thanks for looking xx