Outgoing: Summer Splash

Summer is officially here and I'm playing around with color and acrylic paints. Since I'll be part of the upcoming Miami Pen Show, I feel like I need to incorporate some fun, hot colors into my mail art. So I'm jumping in and making a splash. Literally. 

This week I'm playing around with a technique that produces inkblots with colorful paints. You basically drip paint onto the envelope then squish it to make an image. To make the image pop, I first painted a layer of white gesso onto a kraft envelope. 

I love the results, but the drying time takes a while. Best to make at least a day ahead and allow to dry overnight. Happy Summer!

Make A Creative Mojo Box

Inspiration can be found in so many places if you are willing to open your eyes and see. Much of my inspiration comes from nature. I love the colors, the sounds, the energy. No surprise, I also find inspiration from other artists even if their style is totally different from mine. 

A recent example is the artist, Jenniebellie. I love her energy and passion. Whenever I need a creative jolt, I watch her videos. They are exploding with creativity. One of her ideas I fell in love with this week was making a Creative Mojo Box for your art or craft workspace.  

The idea is to use personal items that have a story, speak to you and get your creative juices flowing. I believe these items should be things you already have and gifts from the Universe that give you little clues throughout life. 

I decided to make my own Creative Mojo Box. The exercise was a ton of fun and really made me think about some of the items I had throughout my house. If you are interested in the how it all came together here's a video where I break down the contents. I highly encourage you to give this project a try. 

Outgoing: Mystical Romance

My paper crafts and mail art often reflect the things that are attracting me. It's no surprise I'm really loving collage these days. I'm using the technique in almost everything. There's something about the layers. I can't quite figure it out, but I'm exploring it and playing with images. 

The process I use is simple. I flip through various magazines, books and ephemera and just pull out images that attract me. I don't think about why they attract me too much at first. I just pull them out and scatter them on my work table. Then I step back and look for patterns. It's amazing what pops out. 

Currently, I'm attracted to things that are mystical and romantic. I don't know why, but I'm willing to dig deeper. It's an adventure to let the unconscious be your guide.