The expected answer to “What is mixed media art?” is quite simple, it means that more than one medium is used in art. Some examples might be: a painting with dimensional items added to it or a greeting card embellished with lace and a silk flower or a wastebasket covered with beads and torn magazine pages.
But for me personally, it’s much more than that. For me it’s a way to simplify my life. A way to use and combine and express my talents and skills in my art.
Before I discovered mixed media, I made crafts, I sewed, I created things, I made digital art etc. but to me those activities were all separate. I did not know there was a way to combine them, so I would work on one at a time whenever I had the opportunity.
Eventually I started learning about and doing research on “what is mixed media art?” I made an awesome discovery. There was actually a way for me to use all my crafting, sewing and art talents in one project.
Creating mixed media art was a way for me to use and display my treasures. For many years I have collected things I liked- fabrics with awesome texture, beautiful stones from walks I went on, calendars filled with beautiful bird photos, the handkerchiefs made by my grandma. Nice collection, but what good are my treasures if no one ever sees them? Now I use them in my art and actually get to enjoy them.
It’s also a way to learn as I go along. Often as I’m creating I’ll want a specific look in my art, but I don’t know how to create it so I’ll use it as an opportunity to learn something new. For example, when I was creating my Loon assemblage, I wanted loon feathers as part of my art. I knew I wouldn’t be using real loon feathers, so I took it as an opportunity to learn how to color feathers.
Another facet I like about mixed media is that it can be an inexpensive way to create art that’s meaningful. You can use items that you have on hand. A base can be a piece of wood you found in the garage or a piece of cardboard (if you’ll be working with lighter items). If you don’t have any paint, you can use food coloring, or shoe polish or your kid’s markers … no need to run out and buy special products.
What is mixed media art to you? Are you a multi-crafter who wants a way to use and combine your artistic endeavors and talents to create art? Do you have lots of “treasures” that could be used in your art? Do you want to make something but don’t have any art supplies? Creating mixed media might be your answer.