Cathy Nichols - Storytelling Art Studio: Visual Expressions of Character, Mood and Theme Using Mixed Media

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This book is dedicated to all the artists who change the world by changing its stories. May you use always use your powers for good!

wood panels, 5" 7" (13cm 18cm), 6" 6" (15cm 15cm), 8" 8" (20cm 20cm), 8" 10" (20cm 25cm); kraft-colored cardstock, 812" 11" (22cm 28cm); clayboard, 5" 7" (13cm 18cm); black-and-white photo printed on matte heavyweight paper

Bone Black, Brilliant Blue, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Hansa Yellow Light, Hansa Yellow Medium, Hookers Green, Light Blue Violet, Light Portrait Pink, Liquitex Fluorescent Pink, Naples Yellow, Napthol Red, Neutral Gray, Paynes Gray, Phthalo Blue, Phthalo Green (Yellow Shade), Pyrrole Orange, Quinacridone Magenta, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, Red Oxide, Rose Tyrien, Shading Black, Sandalwood Beige, Titanium Buff, Titanium White, Van Dyke Brown, Vat Orange, Yellow Orange Azo, Yellow Oxide

Pale Pink, Primary Yellow, Rose Tyrien, Titanium White

acrylic gel medium, acrylic gesso (clear, white) acrylic glazing medium, acrylic gloss medium, acrylic heavy gel medium (clear)

14" (6mm), 12" (13mm), 34" (19mm), 1" (25mm) flats; nos. 00, 01, 2 rounds; no. 200 liner; 1" (25mm) foam, small fan

Sakura Moonlight Gelly Roll gel pens (assorted colors), black 01 Micron pen, paint pens (black, red, white)

book pages, collage paper (assorted patterns and colors), dictionary pages or copies, drawing paper, kraft paper, kraft-colored cardstock, newsprint or newspaper, palette paper, sheet music, sketchbook (9" 12" ([23cm 30cm]), tracing paper, wax paper, wax-free transfer paper (black, white)

acrylic glue pen, artist-grade oil-free steel wool, brayer, eraser, hair dryer, latex gloves, light box, masking tape, needle point clay tool, ombr ink pad, palette knife, Pantone color book or paint chips, paper towels, pencil, picture of compass, rubber-tipped pointy tool, rhinestones, sandpaper, scissors, scotch tape, small maple leaf punch, small plastic paint storage canisters, spray bottle, spray paint, stencils (I used the Love Story and Kilim stencils from StencilGirl), washi tape, water

artist mannequin, color wheel, feather, gardening book, horse figurine, peacock feather, paint chips, photos, postcards, stuffed kitten, toy boat

To draw, you must close your eyes and sing.

PABLO PICASSO

Get ready to daydream, play and tap into the power of your imagination.

Throughout this book, I will lead you through step-by-step projects that illustrate some of the main tenets of storytelling for artists. I hope you will learn new mindsets, techniques and mediums while creating beautiful artwork. Ultimately, I hope you will use the projects in this book as a jumping-off point for your own stories.

Everyone has a unique voice, and no two lives are the same. My style is whimsical, and my stories usually end with happily ever after. Yours may be edgier and favor a darker palette. It doesnt matter. This book is designed to share strategies for storytelling that are relevant for any style and any type of art, whether youre a painter, fiber artist, avid doodler or sculptor.

You might open this book and immediately be drawn to a particular chapter. You love collage and cant wait to jump into : Mark-Making for Mood. Maybe you have a beautiful painting sitting in a drawer, still untitled; you might find yourself racing to the afterword, Title: Your Secret Weapon. If you feel pulled toward any of the chapters, then, by all means, get started! This book doesnt have to be read in order, and it can serve as a handy go-to reference for building storytelling into your current projects.

Of course, you can also move through the book from beginning to end, and I have organized the chapters to build on one another: warming up with color, adding character, moving through setting, developing theme and, finally, ending with tips on titling your work.

As storytelling requires you to imagine the stories you will paint, Ive included sections on inspiration and reference for every chapter. These exercises will help you mine the richness of your inner life so it can be translated into visual art.

No matter how you move through the book, there are some things you can do to feed your storytelling muse. Keep a sketchbook for your characters or pin them to a wall; you never know when they may be called to adventure. Save pictures of inspiring places for settings, and consider keeping a written journal to track your stories as they unfold.

Remember that storytelling is a process. If, at first, you cant draw a person or a tree, please dont be discouraged. Youve simply uncovered a skill you can develop. Keep practicing and concentrate on your strengths. Make mistakes. Make things up. Soon you will start to feel like a child againa child who likes to play games of make-believeand this is exactly the mindset you need to begin painting stories.

HOME IS WHEREVER YOU ARE, Encaustic on wood panel, 36" 24" (91cm 61cm)

The day was dark and stormy. I was twenty-nine, broke and trying on a brown-checked rayon-blend suit from Ross for my job interview the next morning. A stack of law school applications nearly blocked the single palm tree I could see through the iron bars of my garden-level window. The answering machine beeped, and I heard the caller say, Hi, this is Sheri from Manpower. Good news! I have another interview for you tomorrow as a junior associate receptionist II at Fast Legal. Dont be late, and do you have time to cut your hair?

It was the summer of 1999, and I had just earned a masters degree in literature. I looked in the mirror and held out a strand of my wavy brown-blond hair. It was springy, lively and seemed to catch the sunlight like a prism. This hair, like me, had never worn a style well, and for some reason, the thought of cutting it inspired a moment that would change my life.