Cath Sheard Art

Tag: mixed media

  • Is this it? A new series.

    I posted recently about the quiet space between projects, where I play in my art journals, try out ideas, and just muddle about. I’d been listening to a YT post by Helen Wells who refers to the ebb and flow of creativity.

    Sometimes I think I’m ready for a new series so I make a start and it’s just not right. I wrote about a false start back in March. I’ve been looking at photos from the last couple of times Alan and I have been away in the hills, and painting some ideas in my small journals.

    Last night I was watching Australian artist Laura Horn on YT; I’ve admired her work for a long time. There was something about her work that made what had been on the periphery of my knowing come into focus. I’ve started making gelli prints with a specific purpose in mind, and have bought 6 wood panels to work on. They’re only 12×12” so I can have two or three on my desk at once. I’m excited to see what happens…

  • I’m back – and creating

    I haven’t blogged since March. It’s taken me all that time to figure out why WordPress wasn’t working properly. Once I figured it out, the solution was easy! Sigh…

    Pen and I are between exhibitions at the moment. I’ve got a few things I’m playing with but, so far, nothing has grabbed me enough to turn into a series or even hold my interest for long. I know to just keep playing – it’ll come. Helen Wells talked about this recently on YouTube Vrbo YouTube Occasions Wins & Losses NZ EN 16×9 15s

    I’m teaching a basic Dylusions art journal class. We’re meeting one night a week for 10 weeks. It’s lovely watching people have that “aha” moment when they realise how freeing an art journal can be.

    Alan and I have been out into the back blocks of Eltham twice recently, staying in a cabin well away from the world. Log fire, no noise or light pollution, surrounded by steeps bush-covered hills and deer, with the sound of a stream nearby. Bliss!

    I’ll share a of few photos of where I’ve been and what I’ve been creating. There’s no real rhyme or reason to the art at this stage, and that’s exactly the point.

  • Prepping too soon

    On Saturday I posted on bsky that “I’ve just taped the edges of about a dozen pieces of paper. I love a nice, clean white edge on the finished works. The fact I’ve prepped so many is a good sign. My subconscious must think I’m ready to start a new series”.

    I had an idea of what I wanted to create, starting with fluro pink or orange paint scraped onto the paper so it was textural. I painted 8 small pieces of paper, mainly in the fluro pink, and let it dry. So far, so good.

    Then … nothing. Hmm, looked at the inspiration photos on the wall, and the couple of trial works I’d done. Ok, the direction’s pretty clear. Put some paint out and started working across four of the prepped surfaces.

    Nothing worked as expected. Not just in a “well, these need a lot of refining” way, or even a “well, some collage and mark making will help” way either. More of a “can I light a bonfire” way?” 😉

    It means I prepped the surfaces too soon. I need to spend more time in my art journals, more time playing with colours and shapes, and just let it simmer. The paper I prepped won’t go to waste, but it’ll probably be a few weeks at least before they appear on my art desk again.

  • Trying ArtStacks

    One of my YouTube favs is the wonderfully talented Claire Stead (Art_Journal Love). The other day she made a page using ArtStacks and I just had to check them out. They offer themed paper packs, so three sets somehow ended up in my cart. Got to love a quick digital download!

    I’ve used them in my 6×6 Dina Wakley Media Kraft journal, with DWM paints and stencils. I had printed them on 160gsm white paper, so they’re a bit sturdier, which I prefer. The colours are bright and the images are, mainly, easy to fussy cut. I’m thrilled with them and will no doubt be buying more.

  • Hand of the artist

    I’m going through a “strictly Dylusions” phase; my Dina Wakley journals haven’t been touched for a couple of weeks. Sometimes I work in both, using their products plus a few others such as Tim Holtz and Claire Stead. Other times, I feel compelled to just do one thing.

    I’ve been painting or inking, then stencilling dozens of pages in three journals. Once they’re dry I add borders with stencils, washi tape or collage. In the evenings I sit in the lounge doodling with black and white Posca pens while Alan watches tv or we listen to music.

    I outline all the collage, add stitch lines round some elements, doodle round the stencilling, and so on. I’m not fussy about it – if the line is wonky or goes over the collage it doesn’t matter.

    All of this means that, although I’m using products designed by someone else (a lot of the collage is straight from Dyan Reaveley’s own journals), the final pages are mine – they clearly show the hand of the artist. I love that!

    The pages below are sections from some of the ones I’m working on. I flip back and forth in the three journals, so I don’t have to wait for the pen work to dry.