Trash to Treasure: Art Journal

My latest project has been to recycle those old plastic/foamish placemats into art journal or portfolio covers. I smear caulking (love the white DAP Alex Plus) with an old credit card, stamp reverse images into the caulking and let it dry. Once dry, paint it with gesso. I hang it over a chair back to get the placemat to permanently bend in the middle. I then paint away---mostly using Golden Fluid Acrylics or heavy body acrylics. While it is drying, I start to compile the watercolor paper sheets, punch holes in the fold, and cut the leather string. Pulling it all together is easy---match up the holes and punch the cover; then, tie the piece together with the leather string. Embellish the ends of the leather string and you've got a rockin portfolio!!!

I'm showing these at the Green Momentum Trash to Treasure Gallery!!!

Bejeweled---Recycled Towel Holder

How fun is this!?! This little towel holder was screaming "I want to be queen; forget the towels!" It didn't take long to deck her out with old jewels and a wired on baked poly-clay transfer face image.

Calligrahy on Watercolor

Watercolor squares and rectangle shapes are the perfect place for fine lettering---especially when my daughter's name is Joy!

Michael deMeng Workshop

Ohhhhh so fun! Two days of altered art with Michael and a group of terrific classmates resulted in a few pieces of art. Here's one...

I'm crazed over caulking now and am altering tons of stuff with that flexible, texturable stuff. Check out the trash to treasure posting for art portfolios...coming soon.

Mixed Media Journal Swap-Fabric Heart Pages

I'm working on binding my journal together. These are the pages I submitted for this fun swap.

Wood and Copper Heart Charms

Made these for a charm swap last month. Drilled a hole in the wooden heart, wound copper wire around the heart and connected the punched out copper heart in the process. I might add my extras to an ATP or a coming collage. I'll keep you posted.

Watercolor Painting-Summer Workshop

Every summer I take off a week or two and go to Mendocino (Albion Field Station) and paint the days away. Here is a little piece I did last summer. If you love to paint en plein air, this is for you. Find out more about it at this website: http://www.puc.edu/Albion/

Artist Trading Pins-Encaustic Treasures

Take your small wooden chips, layer with Encaustic (love that smell) paint, drill holes to attach junk jewelry or other odds and ends. You have a new treasure!

Altered Art-The Student Body

This recycled dress form a top a broken chair is now layered with faces of students, old student newspapers, and beeswax covered dress patterns. Great fun piece to create and I now miss the sweet scent of hot beeswax!