It's That Time Again ...

Once a month, since January 2025, I block out a chunk of time away from social media forums and deliberately live without sharing my art and general life with animals and family.

This month, I am taking two weeks, starting today May 19th until June 2nd.

Before I share about that, I'd like to mention that I have a new Facebook Page:

Earthmothermosaics - Mixed Media Art

Please feel free to check it out and follow along if you'd like! Thank you. 💜

I'm planning a few things while I'm away from the social world of course but mostly, enjoying my home and heart within, getting and staying centered, and maybe trying a few new things relating to art journaling and collage.

The dish piece gathering to get spruced up and packed for selling is on-going. Not much has been done because I'm waiting for some colanders to help move the process along a little quicker. You can read that post here.

Now that my 100 day collage challenge is over (filled the 2nd book with day 108!), click here if you're interested, and the mind-blowing two weeks I had with the Mastering Mixed Media EXPO 2025 is done, I'm allowing the muse to guide me to the next adventure. Here's the post I made about that: MMMEXPO2025

I tried one more thing although it didn't work out exactly but it was a learning experience. I'm not comfortable painting faces on a page. I do make mosaic faces but drawing or painting isn't yet something I enjoy. I believe I'll have to keep trying but getting this one done was important and I did it! A few folks have asked if these art pieces I'm sharing are for sale. Bless their hearts. No, none are for sale but maybe at some point they might be. Here is my best rendition of a sweet hippie girl.

I have to admit I do think she's cute. But I'm not ready to try again just yet. This is glued into my current art journal and I've already added a few things to her since this photo. That's how it is with these journals, I have learned. Many of us go back and add a little "this and that".

At the moment, I'm feeling a lot like I need to just allow it all to settle but of course I need to be artful every day as well because that is a habit I formed this year and try to adhere to. So right now I'm doing prep work.

This is what I learned after watching some MMM videos; bits and pieces of what they shared and am adding it to my art journals eventually in my own style. I'm cutting out shapes using old hankies I've painted and added an embroidered back stitch, and pieces of collage fodder that are getting cut into flowers and other cool designs like vases, plus I'm using scraps of collage papers to decorate empty bottles (one is a gift and won't be shared until it's been delivered) and a really cool piece I recently did on a piece of wood.

 

Old hankies being used for art. The top area is an embroidered table runner that had so many holes in it when I started to cut these embroidered pieces out, it basically disintegrated. In the center of this photo some hankies were painted yellow and copper, some with red flower petals and another green leaves not yet back stitched.

All of the above will be added to art journals as I create the pages. Kinda cool, huh.

I did one this week using coffee as my theme.

I love adding elements to the pages in an old, discarded book. It brings me great joy and the muse is happy!

This is the wood piece using collage paper, acrylic pens and a quote "Discover Hidden Talents". That's a message for me to keep pushing beyond the comfort zone and watch some amazing things happen.

I'll be back on June 2nd and write a blog sharing all I've done or what I've learned. Until then, stay safe as you possibly can. Remember to be creative every day! You're soul will thank you for it.

Enjoy the journey.

Cindy aka EarthMotherMosaics

https://artbyearthmothermosaics.com

 

Mastering Mixed Media - EXPO 2025

I am so lucky I caught these offerings this year. Starting May 1st and running until May 14th. Yay! I am definitely ready to expand and learn. While I'm learning, we get the chance to do a piece of art of our own rendering by the teaching artist. Some I am not real sure I'll every try. There are wonderful teachers sharing their talents and I can pick a few that speak to me and try them in these two weeks. How awesome is that?

The first thing I really wanted to try was actually something I'm doing on the regular now but in a way different way. I love layered collage art. It's going to be shared here in the blog a lot, so hang tight, you'll see it soon and often!

I'm not mentioning the teachers here; in doing so it sends them info about the post or photo and although I'm not at all embarrassed or don't WANT them to see what I've done, they have enough to do. And so, this is what I've done so far since May 1st (it's now May 5th at this writing).

The teacher added a rainbow in hers and used bright pinks and blues. I just recently got copper acrylic paint ... you KNOW I had to use it! The first layer, that can't really be seen, has intentions written on it, all over the page, top to bottom. Second layer is some book pieces ripped up and glued down, third layer is watercolor crayons, fourth layer is black wax pen, fifth layer is acrylic paint and paint pens. Micron ink pens were also used, ink pad stamping here and there. That might be it. Lots on it and I loved every minute of making it! It's my daughter's favorite at the moment. Can't wait to make something else using these layers. Fun!!

Next up: Watercolor, graphite pencil, acrylic and waxed deli paper. The splatters got away from me, but I don't hate it.

Both watercolors are on 5.5 x 8.5 inch paper. The top one shown here was my second one to try. Not loving this one at all but love the feeling of freedom to just paint and go! I have a love/hate relationship with watercolor. I try to practice using it every week and often just put some colors down on paper and call it done, then once dry rip it up and use them for collage. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to do but seeing the above gives me the thoughts that I should attempt a little more exploring with watercolor. There's no reason not to try.

This one says: "Embrace Uniqueness" and really isn't my style but that's the point in taking these classes. It's fun to stretch outside of the comfort zone. Point is, I did it and will do it again, maybe even the same basic design. Done with acrylics, paint pens, black ink pens. I think I could love it more if I had used alcohol ink markers. So that's a plan for next time. I do love the sky and that bottom left side. The rest is ... meh.

A lot of the artists who are teaching this EXPO are sharing faces or people. I don't have a desire to even try that, not even to stretch. But I do enjoy watching them take a blank piece of paper, add color to it and then begin to create a face. That's more than awesome.

I'll share more art of mine when I decide to try a few more techniques/styles that are being taught. Next week, I hope!

 

Enjoy the journey.

Cindy aka EarthMotherMosaics

https://artbyearthmothermosaics.com