Tag Archives: Maria Greene

craft, creativity, fabric painting, mixed media, painting, video

Fabric painting with a twist.

June 20, 2016 Maria G

You know all about fabric paints and how to use them, and the dyes in powders, but have you tried fabric painting with acrylic paints and inks that you normally use for art?

I have been painting scraps of fabrics that I use for my bracelet cuffs (video at the end.) I use craft paints, acrylic artist paints, Dylusion inks, and Adirondack inks. All the material is water fast but you have to wash everything by hand in cold water and dry the fabric flat.

I always use cotton fabric since it’s the most absorbent.

Here are some pictures.

DSCN2163 — scraps of cotton fabric and paints + inks.

Some examples of craft paints and inks.

I dripped some of the craft paints straight from the bottle onto the fabric.

I scrunched up the fabric into a tiny ball. If you don’t like paint on your hands, wear plastic gloves. As you can see, the paint spread all over.

I added some Adirondack inks. I used the colors copper and currant. I held the bottles about 20 inches above the fabric and gently dripped the ink to get some splashes, not just globs of ink. As you can see I mix and match the materials.

I used Dylusion ink sprays on this fabric. As you can see it diffuses gently. Be careful not to spray the ink where you don’t want it (including your hands.) It’s very hard to get off, and you can never remove it from the painted surface. The spray comes in yummy colors though.

I used a couple of colors of Adirondack inks on top of the Dylusion spray. Pretty dramatic effect in my opinion.

Here I squeezed some craft paint straight from the bottle on top of some light green corduroy fabric.

I rolled up the fabric into a tight log and this is how it came out when I unrolled it.

The paint bled through and saturated the other side of the fabric so I can now choose which side I like the best when I use it.

You can write on the dry fabric with permanent markers to make it even more interesting. 🙂

DSCN2178 — Better quality artist paints diluted into spray bottles.

You can make very diluted acrylic artist paints in spray bottles and use that too.

From the spray bottles on some muslin.

I finished that with some drips of Adirondack inks.

The fabrics dry pretty stiff. You can iron them flat between newspaper or other protective paper.

You can add other fabric and fusible web to make them even more solid.

It is a FUN way to create your own fabric. I love to make things out of it, like fabric bracelet cuffs.

Check out this YouTube video if you want to see how I made a cuff.

art journaling, creativity, mixed media, tutorial

Art journal made from a manila folder.

June 20, 2016 Maria G

I have a fun tutorial to share today on how to make an art journal with a manila folder cover.

The pictures are not the greatest, but I had only artificial light when I took them. I wanted to show the step by step process.

Now for the tutorial…

I started with a used manila folder and blacked out the text on the tab. I used a liberal amount of Mod-Podge to glue the folder together, being careful that the edges stuck well. I still ended up with some air bubbles once it dried. Grrr.

I used a strip of washi tape over the uneven edges and glued down some white cardboard to reinforce the tab. I made sure to lay down a strip of glue to hold down the washi tape forever, lol.

I folded the manila folder in half, using a bone folder to really press down the crease hard once the Mod-Podge had dried. This was before the washi tape obviously…

I cut the white cardboard to the shape of the tab and now had a very sturdy tab.

I now laid the folder flat on my table and spread out a layer of paint…

I spread some paint on the back of the folder. I like the shabby uneven look.

I used several layers of paint, mostly spread with an old gift card. Both sides are similar, just a slight difference in the colors.

I painted the tab purple and wrote the words “Good Dreams” on it. I stamped the front cover with the word Imagine, and there is plenty of space for embellishment. The back cover has only paint on it, so there is plenty of room for creativity.

I cut out some paper stars to cover the air bubbles on the inside cover and stamped some inspirational words.

I used card stock paper for the signature. There are 24 empty pages to embellish when all is said and done. They are a bit narrow, but that’s the shape of the folder. Card stock is not as durable as watercolor paper, but you can certainly use wet medium and paints on it. I used card stock in various colors.

I tried to get a picture of the various papers, but it didn’t turn out great. There are two sheets of green, two yellow, and two manila colored. I thought it was fun to add varied colors.

The inside front cover adjoins a green paper…

And another close up of the back inside cover. The picture is pinkish, and I blame my camera for that.

What do you think? I really enjoyed the project and I can’t wait to embellish the pages. It’s a good size for traveling too.

What are you working on now?

Maria

P.S. I have some journals for sale in my etsy shop. CLICK HERE.

art, creativity, ecourse, painting, process

Too little time

June 18, 2016 Maria G

Yes, there is too little time to attend to all the art e-courses I signed up for this spring. Some of them run weekly for a long time, and others are short-term courses. How do you manage those classes?

I love them all, but I don’t feel good when I fall behind and let some of the classes slip because other things, like “life” get in the way of my fun.

What makes it so fun is that I can explore other artists’ visions of what they practice and how they see life. It’s a great ongoing exploration.

Some of courses are waaay too long and then I have to figure out which classes to pursue of the offering. As with anything else, we have preferences.

Art is never a BAD practice even if the subject does not thrill you. It is always a learning experience and a new way of looking at things.

If time is short, make a decision to paint X amount of minutes every day and stick with it. That is the answer to “too little time.” It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in as little as 15 minutes a day.

I enjoy that there are e-courses available about all styles of art, and artists. I don’t even have to leave my house.

This was inspired by some abstract tutorial I found online.

I had seen flower mandalas online, and also classes on painting mandalas, so I wanted to try my own. My backyard does not have an abundance of flowers but these came from there. It was fun to make.

DSCN1971 — Awful still lives I painted in one course.

I definitely don’t like painting still lives…

I had never tried a self-portrait. I don’t care much for the exercise, but it was challenging. The things in the background are paint tubes. I think I mostly used colored pencils for this portrait. My hair is short now.

We were supposed to paint something upside down so I used a picture of my cat with his head upside down, and then collaged a couple of hands below with a fish.

My mom used to say that when cats sleep with their heads upside down it’s going to rain… I haven’t seen any evidence of that, but she lived closer to nature.

What new things are you trying? Are you involved in any art e-courses this spring? I think it’s worth the effort.

Have a great, creative weekend!!

Maria

P.S. You can always try my art journaling tutorial for free if you sign up for my newsletter. 🙂 Click image in the top right hand corner of this page.

art journaling, declutter, life, motivational, nature, transformation

Life is fleeting.

June 15, 2016 Maria G

I had a reminder yesterday that life is fleeting. We tend to forget and think we are eternal. I believe we are, but this particular 3D existence can end at ANY time.

I lost a friend to sudden death yesterday and my own ignorance slapped me in the face. She was in her prime, happy and healthy, and bam! Gone.

It is shocking. Sometimes it takes a shock to shake me out of everyday complacency. It got me thinking and re-evaluating what is important.

Appreciate life every day, or every moment if possible.
Don’t hold on to grudges or petty grievances.
Forgive those who have wronged you. Not speaking to people or having to be right only prolongs suffering (usually for the one holding the grudge.) FORGIVE and move on! It doesn’t mean you have to be friends with those who hurt you.
Pray every day even if you don’t believe in a higher power.
Do what you love or life is wasted.
Don’t stay at a job you hate.
Find beauty around you and appreciate it.
Love yourself and be at peace with the whole of who you are, warts and all.
Finish things once started.
Allow yourself to be the best you can be.
You CAN’T take your junk with you. De-clutter and donate. Don’t leave a mess for others.
Honor nature and as you do, you honor yourself since every molecule of you is part of nature. Spend some time in nature every day and breathe.
Laugh and pet animals as often as possible. Dance with children.
Don’t put off until tomorrow. Do that thing now.
Listen to others, truly listen.
Make art.
Grow things.
Go with the flow. Change is good, and change is the only constant. Don’t fight it.
Excuses begone!
Take charge of your happiness and don’t play the BLAME GAME with others. You will always lose when you do that.
Be responsible for your shit and be truthful to yourself about your shortcomings. When you are, they seem to disappear.
Last but not least: Listen to your intuition. If you don’t know how, find out how to do it.

A friendly reminder to myself… if it fits, apply some of these. Forgiveness is maybe the biggest one.

I made an art journal page about transition. It was a sad day yesterday and I had weird dreams. Today, the sun is shining again (as if nothing ever happened.) In a sense, that is eternity.

Maria

P.S. If you haven’t signed up for my free newsletter you can do so at the top right hand corner of this page. Lots of good stuff!

art, creativity, inspirational, painting

Art as energy work.

June 14, 2016 Maria G

Have you noticed how art can be energy work? It brings healing, contemplation, and speaks to our inner self. Sometimes it comes across as something repulsive, but maybe that is because it triggers something repulsive within. Art is a mirror of our own state and that shifts all the time.

Great art is timeless. It speaks to the universal truth of self and has a much larger scope than, say, a whimsical picture of a cat. Not that I have anything against cute cats, but to feel the greatness of my own life, I can go to any art museum and immerse myself in the great art of the world.

I remember when I went to the Met in New You and saw the Impressionists. I have never seen a “real” painting by Renoir before and the light that he had captured with paint took my breath away.

Renoir_-_The_Two_Sisters,_On_the_Terrace — The two sisters on the terrace. Renoir.

How do you paint light? It’s not all in the technique obviously. Somehow he pulled it out of himself and the vision of light and shadow he had was superior.

I admire different aspects of different painters, but they all have one thing in common; they never strayed far from their original style (except Picasso maybe, haha.)

My favorites are the painters of the Impressionistic style. There is an innocence and joy about the art. They captured an era when people took pleasure in the simpler things. Much of the modern art has such hard edges that speak of our harsher more stressful times.

I like to go up to art at a museum and feel entranced, not disturbed. Yet, honest art speaks the truth about the times we live in and it’s not all milk and roses. Far from it.

One time when I was an art student a friend and I got a wild hair and spread open an umbrella at a museum of modern art. We stuck it on the floor with a tag that said “Umbrella.” People stopped and looked at it, walked all around it, pondering. We thought we were very clever.

Then a guard discovered the abnormality and the game ended abruptly. It was fun though. That brings up the question: what is art? That is a discussion that can go on forever.

Personally, I like to be blown away when I go to view art.

I can only aspire to have people like my own art, and some really do. I guess my mission is accomplished if one person likes my art. All is good!

This concludes Day 8 of the 30 day blog challenge.

What are you working on today? What beauty are you bringing out to the world?

Maria

P.S. I have some beautiful art for sale in my etsy shop. 😉 HERE.

art, creativity, mixed media, polymer clay mosaic

Polymer clay mosaic tile tutorial

June 13, 2016 Maria G 2 Comments

For years I used to make polymer clay mosaics. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Laurie Mika and her fabulous book, Mixed Media Mosaics? I was smitten while reading that and used some of her techniques for making my own boxes and frames. I have made many, but I got burned out on making them. They make great gifts! I took photos of the process, but I struggled to get good pictures. I will post them anyway since the mirror I worked on is done.

First layer of paint after baking the polymer clay tiles.

I didn’t get pictures from the tile making process, but you knead a block of polymer clay and roll it flat like cookie dough with a rolling pin. The slab should be about 1/8″ thick. I then use rubber stamps, old buttons, charms, and found objects that make good indentations. I cut out the tile with a polymer clay blade. I put the tiles in a baking pan and put a same-size pan on top, bottom up, like a lid. I secure the pans together with binder clips and bake in the oven per manufacturer’s instructions. Carry the pans outside, release one of the clips and slide top pan open to release fumes. I like to use Sculpey III, but I’m sure Fimo and other brands are good too. I tried self-drying clay for a batch and it was very difficult to work with. You can use any color clay since you’re going to paint over the tiles, but black will make the tiles darker.

Here is a close up of the jewelry charms I baked into the clay. They add bling! These are the tiles after one coat of paint where I usually fill in all the indentations and wipe off the rest. Looks messy at this stage….

Mirror frame painted black front and back.

This is a mirror frame. I took out the glass part and painted the frame front and back with black craft paint. It seals the wood and also adds “tooth” to the surface, which makes it easy to adhere the tiles. Attach a sawtooth hanger on the back before adding the tiles. There are sometimes holes for hanging, but it’s difficult to use those and get the mirror straight on the wall. (At least I find it so..lol.)

Same two pictures in different light. This is the second coat of paint. I usually smear it on with my fingers. I try to vary the colors to get more tiles to choose from for my project.

Third coat of paint, which is embossing powder in different colors that I also smear on with my fingers. I use Perfect Pearls. See how it all came together? Now the tiles don’t look messy at all, but handmade for sure. Embossing powder smooths everything out and adds a nice highlight to any ridges. Where there is white shining through from the tile, I usually go over it with a paint pen or a fine brush, or fill in larger areas, like the purple star and sun with more of the same paint.

A basket of yummy tiles! Now my mirror frame is dry too and I sand the edges. Then it’s time to match up the tiles for the design. This is the fun part… It can be painstaking, but I have never done a project that didn’t come together just perfectly. 🙂

When the design is done, I put the tiles in order on the table and spread LOTS of glue on one area at a time. I use Aleene’s craft glue, which works great, but Weldbond is also a good brand of glue for mosaic tiles. For the wings and heart on the center piece, I used E6000 jewelry glue, which is heavy duty. I really like my pieces to be solid. Where there are small gaps between the tiles, I pour in a string of seed beads. It adds bling and gives the piece a finished look.

Finished! I painted the edges with good black acrylic paint. I also like to paint the back one more time to make it really look good. I sign it on the back.

Are you willing to try one of these? It’s not hard, but it looks hard. 🙂 What are you working on now?

xo
Maria

P.S. I don’t have any mirrors for sale in my etsy shop, but I have paintings and mixed media HERE.

Maria Greene @ Greeneearth

Tag Archives: Maria Greene

Fabric painting with a twist.

Art journal made from a manila folder.

Too little time

Life is fleeting.

Art as energy work.

Polymer clay mosaic tile tutorial

Artist and writer