Cloth Paper Magazine

Check out the latest Cloth Paper Studios Magazine. It gives a small history of various artists, their works and about their studios. Many artists have begun by the kitchen or diningroom table, so have patience in that small spaces can turn out to larger places eventually.

Many of the studios artists have in magazines are huge and beyond my belief that I could have one that large but also there are some that are in humble size. This magazine has the dimensions of the rooms and this issue has small sized studios. The studios may not have the same structure or sized windows as my room.

My room has two small windos facing the shady side of the house. It has two huge doorways; one leadin to he kitchen, the other leading to the dining room. I have tried to close the one doorway with bookshelves but it made the room too closed in. I have acquired many supplies and ephemera. Collage and mixed media is such a great art but tough because you acquire all sorts of stuff from fabrics, paints, three dimensional objects, boxes, frames, canvases, stamps, sewing machine, beads, papers, tools and on and on so then new space needs to be created creatively.

I go through this every couple of months with changing, switching and finding better ways to display and work. The couple of months is here already. So get creative with me and send me your pictures of your work space and we can brain storm ideas.

Photography the next best thing-eye candy

So, when I don't feel like taking my paints,canvas and papers, I grab my camera and shoot away what I see and feel for the day. It could be shots of my art room, my yard, up the street, going away for the day, the clothing I am wearing...

Having photos is another way I express myself in my art, then I can paint from what I have taken pictures of. I don't have to deal with permission from other artists to use their photos, and then I have created two pieces of art.

All eye candy for me

Cloth Paper and Collage

My girlfriend Yolana are in the process of sending each other cloth paper that we made.

Yolana's paper was so different than mine. She used red white and blue and I used greens, yellows and whites.

Now what we are to do:

1. I cut her piece in half
2. I began to create two collages with various papers
3. When I am done, I will keep one and send her the other

RESULTS: We will both have a piece of each others cloth paper which is cool
We both will have worked on each others papers coming up with various
ideas
Then we will be swapping again, receiving our original paper with the
others art work on it.

The below picture is Yolana's paper with my working on top. I have gessoed, and have cut and tore papers to apply on top.

The cloth paper I created was much more textured than Yolana's. I added dried flowers into the surface with more glue added. My base cloth paper was canvas.
Yolana used cotton plaid fabric and papers with type.

I wanted to implement her type into my finished collage collecting my own type papers and applying with gel medium and surrounding texture with gesso.

Tables for Art, Sewing, Drafting, Architecture or Kitchen

Today, while in Boston, I was glancing through a book that gave information on how to design your sewing room. Very much like an art studio (art room), I went through it, always interested in organizing my art studio. Being a room right in between rooms in my house; my art studio was a dining room, then it was a sitting room, now it is my art room. To the right of my art studio is the dining room now, and to the left is the kitchen. My studio has complete open doorways, so there are no walls or should I say partial door ways with about 12 inches build out from the doorway. The other two walls have windows in the middle of the walls. It feels like everything lines the edges of the walls and one bureau sticks out. Please don't think I am complaining or unhappy. I am doing much better than a year ago, not working on much art at all. Always contemplating a spot to work in, how to fix it up, what colors to paint the walls, (what walls basically) and making as most space as I can. I don't want to go and get rid of the two bureaus I have because I did buy them, but I think they may be too long, one being over 4 feet long and the other five feet long. I have two tall white tiers int he room also which have glass shelves and cabinets underneath each tier. I have my fabric books and ephemera in baskets on each shelf. I feel still unsure if I am using my space the best way. Having my supplies out helps me in creating, using all of the supplies.

I may or may not do this, and I showed my daughter also who talks about becoming an architect:

Purchase an old desk, perhaps two drawers to the left
and two drawers to the right, and a top long drawer.
Turn the bureau upside down (this may need another person)
Buy four roller wheels and screw them into the legs of the desk.
Purchase a piece of ply wood the size of the bottom of the desk
and nail the plywood in all around the desk bottom or staple
with a heavy duty staple gun.
Turn the desk back over, and now you can roll it. The ply-
wood you put on the bottom made a shelf so that you can store
your larger canvases, drawing pads and or finished art work
in between the drawers (this is where you would put your legs.
Measure the top of the desk and have a piece of glass cut for it.
Select favorite hooks of all sorts and screw them into the sides
of the desk so that you can hang up your palette, your rules etc.

The reason I showed my daugher this is because it is a great invention for college. Most of the time, the college will supply you your desk, but perhaps you could talk to your RA or dormmother and see if you can have the college desk removed, and roll your right in. You can keep all of your art supplies or sewing all in and on one piece of furniture. Perhaps you could buy a tall and slender burea, put wheels on it also, and place it at the end of the desk. Place a great light on top of the burea, and one on your desk. You need good lighting if you are doing design, drawing, or sewing.

Above is a quick sketch or drawing of what I saw in that particular book.

You can be very creative here for your personal style. Paint your desk the color you want, strip it of it's previous paint or stain, and restain. Put different handles on it if the ones there are not what you like.

Put a cutting board on top of the desk rather than a piece of glass if you want to use this desk for you kitchen, and place your cookie sheets where you would have put your canvas or drawing pads. This type of desk can be used for many rooms in your home.

Instead of putting, canvas, drawing pads and art work in between the drawers, you can put your fabric books or your second sewing machine there. Place your only sewing machine there when not in use and use the top of the desk for other reasons.

Wall paper books go great in between too if you are a collage artist.

Black chaulkboard paint is wonderful to paint the sides of the desk if you want to write yourself notes.

The list of ideas goes on and on!

Great Art Supply Finds at the Dollar Tree Store

Brightly colored art supplies at the Dollar Tree Store!

Sometimes you or your art work needs some inspiration. I always keep my eye opened in the Dollar Tree for those little items that can be added to a art journal page, to that canvas, or ATC.

I need supplies around me to make make me go "Oooo, I want to use that"! I just don't think, I would like light blue lace with blue hearts hanging of of it. Be careful though! You can overspend and have things around that you will never use.

I keep a little notebook near by. When I am learning from YouTube or social Ning sites, I write down an art supply or medium that I don't have or would like to find something like it. Then when I am out doing chores or glancing around "window shopping", I know when I am getting a good buy.

Elmers Glue and Cloth Paper

Today, I began to make a piece of cloth paper prior to my going out hunting for "yarrow".

A friend of mine was going through a hard time and I know she loves to sew so I had seen "Stitch Alchemy" a wonderful book that I have wanted. I made mention of it to her, she looked at it online and ordered it. It took her mind off of things and onto things she loves. This book has a twist for her though. She has sewed clothing, costumes, stuffed animals and things like that. But this collage stuff is different for her. So, I just picked up the book for myself with birthday money.

I took a piece of canvas 18x12" and layed it on a glass cutting board. The book suggested freezer paper but I didn't want to stop my project because I did not have freezer paper.

I mixed elmers glue two to one ratio with water and applied it with a paint brush that I don't use much except for oil paintings. Apply the glue to the whole piece of fabric (you can use muslin or cotton fabric-preferably cream or white)and begin to add tissue papers and other vintage papers. I had about 6 tissues papers I have saved from packages and old pages from an old bible. Yolana and I are christians so I figured she would love the scriptures from Genesis in the piece and the colors I was using were green, yellow, aqua blue, a bit of pink and just a floral look. The first paper I used was the aqua blue and layed pieces down on the soak covered canvas (glue all over it, don't worry which way your brush strokes go, just cover the fabric good), and then lay a piece of tissue paper down, fill your brush up with glue and apply, dabbing or lightly brushing. Keep adding your papers how ever you want all over the fabric. I tried added layer upon layer of the same colored tissue paper to see how dark I could get the color. I applied another tissue paper over another type to see what I could see underneath. Use the underside of the tissue paper to get a lighter color. I then began to tear pieces of the Genesis pages and put in different areas of the canvas. Then, I thought, this looks like oriental home made paper, so I got my dried herbs, flaked them a bit on the glue cloth, and then filled my brush with glue and patted it on the herbs. So I am getting some nice texture and color. I stopped for awhile to take my walk and to let it dry. If your glue is too sticky add a bit more water. I used a whole small student sized bottle for this days process. I need to buy more perhaps at the Dollar Store.

When I am completed with this cloth paper, I am going to cut it and send Yolana a half. She will do the same project with her supplies and send me 1/2 of her 18x12 sheet. Then more fun will begin. I am going to teach her to collage and mix her medias!

SuziBlu mixed media artist

An art site worth checking out is SuziBlu. You can watch her on YouTube and get many tips to use in your artwork. Then if you are satisfied, you can take her classes. That is what I am saving up for. I have been working on my own pieces as I watch her free youtubes. I believe you can move on without taking monetary classes, but, it is always nice to work under someone, who then you can send pictures of your work on her site to show off.
Mixed Media is what you will learn with her site. What is Mixed Media? You are working on a piece of art work with many layers of paints, papers, photos, stencils, rub-ons, ribbons and ephemera. You can work on a canvas, canvas board, watercolor paper, illustration board, cardboard. Ephemera is stuff like antique keys, stamps, metals, dried flowers, ribbons etc.