Making it My Own

One of my most favorite parts of creating new work is taking commercial products and making them my own. As a mixed media artist - almost by definition - no supplies are off limits for me. And that is most definitely true for the endless supply of materials available via the craft industry. My preference though is to alter these supplies so that they better fit my personal approach, seamlessly blend with all the other components I use, and end up looking uniquely my own. There is a wonderful challenge in taking something that is available to anybody and transforming it into something that only I have created.

Much of my work includes found objects and finds from the hardware store. So when I can integrate commercial products with these treasures, I am definitely a happy camper. For this reason, I have been highly inspired by one of the new lines from Spellbinders  -- A Gilded Life. Designed by Debbie Murray and Shea Fragoso, this line includes pendants, bezels, dies, texture plates and relics -- all with a distinctive, European flair.

I have recently been making mixed media medallions using the pendants and bezels as the main ingredient. Click the link below each picture to be taken to the step-out tutorial for each medallion.

Mixed Media Medallion I
Mixed Media Medallion II
Mixed Media Medallion III
Mixed Media Medallion IV
My aim in making these medallions, was to create pieces that could be further integrated into the mixed media artwork that I was creating for an upcoming exhibition at Artexpo New York on April 4-6 in NYC. I have been working away, creating new work in my ongoing Passages series and wanted to share one with you. As you can see, this piece uses my Mixed Media Medallion I as a focal point.