Pelletier - Collage paint draw: explore mixed media techniques & materials

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This book is dedicated to my two children, Connor and Harlyjane, because the greatest pieces of art I ever created are these two. They are unique individuals, true to themselves, who have always accepted the fact that their mother would most likely show up at school and social events with paint on her hands and in her hair.

1
DRAWING WITH A SPLASH OF COLOR

2
THE WORD IN ART

3
DANCING AROUND YOUR CANVAS WITH PAINT AND LAYERS

4
SURFACE BUILDUP: WHY STAY TWO-DIMENSIONAL IF YOU DONT HAVE TO?

5
DONT RESIST THE RESIST, JUST GO WITH IT

6
OFF THE BEATEN PATH

140-lb. (300gsm) hot-pressed watercolor paper

assorted decorative paper

carbon paper

gold leaf paper

newsprint

sheet music

tissue paper

vintage book pages

vintage letter tiles

vintage pattern paper

burlap

canvas

cheesecloth

crinoline

lace

scrim

awl

label maker

palette knife

pipette

plastic icing dispenser

scissors

tracing wheel

X-acto or craft knife

assorted acrylic glazes

assorted acrylic paints

assorted fabric paint

assorted gesso

assorted inks

black ink pad

chalkboard paint

chalk marker

glitter glaze

graphite crayons

liquid watercolors

masking fluid

pencil

permanent markers

water-soluble oil paints

water-soluble oil pastels

acrylic ground medium

art plaster

assorted stencils from StencilGirl Products

beeswax

bleach pen

braille

cardboard

chunky glitter

clothespins

disappearing glue stick

dryer sheets

fabric stiffener

foam core

heavy matte gel medium

HVAC tape

letter stamps

Liquid Nails

modeling paste

packing tape

Paperclay

paper towels

Paris Craft

sludge

small skillet

small wire hangers

tacky glue

texture additive

tile tape

vintage buttons

vintage doll clothes

wire

I have come to realize as an artist that whatever I paint has to come from my soul, which is why my imagery is often similar: the house, a bird, a childhood dress, a Mary Jane shoe, numbers, chairs, ladders. Theyre all images that I hold near and dear to myself and to the day-to-day journey of life. These images remind me of my own childhood and my role as a mother, artist and teacher. You paint what you love, and love what you paint.

My artwork is full of layers: fabric, paint and mediums to build up surfaces with rich texture. I like to create the unexpected. My life is full of layers, too: my children, my home, humor and creating art. In art and life there is more than just whats on the surface. I am drawn to painterly, rich textural surfaces created with paints, mediums or collage materials and am blissfully happy when I can combine any of those in creating a piece of art. My work has a colorful, playful vibe to it. However, often there is a grittiness mixed in to a part of the painting. For instance, the way I outline something or go back into a piece with a pencil and scribble on paint or raw canvas. I love the juxtaposition of working like this, sweet but often with an edge. Shake things up with your artwork; dont always do what feels totally comfortable. Try to push yourself in new directions while remaining comfortable and true to yourself as an artist.

I totally believe in the aha moment, when you see something in a different way or different light. Perhaps some of this goes hand and hand with the fact that I have been teaching elementary school art for twenty-five years. Children are continually coming up with new ways to do things. I believe adults can, too. I believe it has not all been done before, so its valuable to play, experiment and play some more. The spontaneity and expression in childrens art has always been a source of inspiration. Self-discovery and play are vital to my work.

I am fascinated by 3-D and 2-D work. I love to work with plaster, mediums, wax, etc. and combine these surfaces with paint, wire, nails and fabric. My go-to art supplies are heavy matte gel medium and modeling paste. Give me both of those materials and a kindergarten pencil, and I am pretty much all set for the day! Getting messy is blissful to me. Large hardware stores hold a plethora of ideas for combining materials. Wander the aisles and look for nontraditional art materials.

I hope you will look at the techniques in this book as a starting point for your own work. You can also pick bits and pieces from projects and combine them in a fresh way that works for you. The imagery in this book and the words I use in my art are a huge part of who I am. Maybe some of this imagery will ring true to you. Perhaps it will get you thinking about what to paint, which I believe is more important than knowing how to paint. I believe you should paint what you love. If you do, the sincerity will come through loud and clear.

I do a lot of writing, and in my work I use words that are often humorous or quirky. Ill think of a saying or a word and use that as a starting off point for a new painting.

Freeing yourself up when you are painting is very important. In this book some projects are smack-dab in your face, and others are subtle. I feel that all of these projects will push you in new directions and hopefully inspire new projects as well. Let yourself play and experiment while you create. Part of the magic happens when you discover new ways to use materials. If something does not work, its OK. Move on and try something new.

Breathe, laugh out loud, play and create from your heart.

Sue Pelletier

Think of your drawing as the blueprint for your mixed-media pieces. It is the start, where you begin. However, it does not need to be overwhelming. Keep things loose. Keep things gestural. Keep it simple. Everything you draw can be broken down into simple shapes. As an artist you need to put those shapes together so they make sense to you. Drawing may be your first step in creating a piece of mixed-media art; however, the beautiful thing about mixed media is that there are always ways to layer and change your images as you work. When you begin a piece and you have that first mark-making experience, dont overthink it. Just get your mark making on.

I believe in happy accidents and the process of drawing, just as much as the completed piece. Often when I draw, I try to use materials and tools that will purposely prevent me from having total control over what I am drawing. If you draw using ink and an ink dropper, you will end up with a very gestural drawing because you dont have total control over the materials. A drop of ink may puddle and drip. Leave it. If you are using a graphite pencil or crayon to draw and the urge to scribble an outline on your drawing suddenly comes over you, go for it! Among my favorite drawing tools are the chunky soft-lead pencils children use in kindergarten. They allow me the freedom to draw, stress-free, because they are the same tools a five-year-old child uses. It is hard to overthink drawing with a kindergarten pencil.