Mastering Mixed Media Challenge 2026 Classes-Part 1

 I took some of the classes offered in the Mastering Mixed Media 2026 free sessions with Tamara Laporte the first couple of weeks in May. There were a ton to choose from, and I opted not to buy the VIP package to keep them all from now on, so I watched the videos and took notes for the ones I was really interested in. I know I could have learned a lot from all the awesome teachers, but didn't have time for all of them, so I concentrated on a handful, some of which I've done twice!

I was originally going to save all the chosen ones and share them in one post, but I decided to go ahead and share what I have finished, so far. These are the first three, and I'm working on the other three.

I love Toni Burt's work, so hers is the first class I took. The class was called "Wing It" and consisted of collage, loose sketching, and mark making. I used some of my gelli plate prints and some magazine prints for the collage, and I used her technique for the face sketch in pencil.

I enjoyed doing the class with Toni so much that I did another one. This time I used one of my gelli plate prints, a print of a decorated face that I had sketched in another class, and I finger painted some black acrylic paint on my mini gelli plate and stamped it on, then I sketched a frame with sumi ink on a stick. I love her! I call it "Poker Face".

The second class I did was Brooke Henry's class on an "Intuitive Art Journal". It's an accordion folded journal, but the sections are stitched together instead of glued. I wanted to learn the stitch, but I wasn't planning on doing a larger one right away, so I made a mini blank journal to get the hang of it. The stitch was tricky, because it's made for the pages to lay flat, but after a few tries I got it. Above open, below closed.

After a few days I tackled the larger journal...

I started with two large sheets of printmaking paper (because that's what I had on hand, and it had been here for ages) and started making layers on both sides. Here's what it looked like after layers of sumi ink, watercolor, bubble wrap dots, and mini gelli plate printing.

Once it had about thirteen layers of different media on both sides, I cut both papers in two lengthwise, then folded the four strips into accordion folds, and stitched to ends together. This stitch is kind of like a blanket stitch with a twist, and it hinges the ends together, but still lets them open up and lay flat. It's also supposed to be a bit grungy. Below is what it looks like now.  7 1/2" x 4 1/2"

I wound up with three journals. I am going to add writing to the pages of the larger one at some point. I'm also going to decorate the pages of the mini one, and the one with the flap is from the leftover strip I cut off of the very large sheet of paper I started with, also to be decorated later. 

I may have  overdone it a bit with the mixed media layers, but it was a lot of fun, and I'm proud of myself for making it. I love it!

The third class was with Jenny Grant and "Layers of Play", and it was on layers of transparency, which was very challenging for me, and which I didn't accomplish.

The first layers, which I messed up on right away, because I left out a stenciling layer, which was supposed to come before the colored collage bits, but I kept on with it.

I got the ink and paint layers too thick (nothing was showing through from the other layers), so I used some citrasolve to take some of the paint back off so some of the other layers showed through. Not enough, but some, plus it gave me a lot of texture.

I kept tinkering with it and added a bit of gold stenciling on top, which is not showing up much in the photo, but I'm calling it done. Nothing like the teacher's, but I like it!

I decided to try the Jenny Grant class again. These are the first layers, and this time I used a much thinner white paint layer over those. Then I collaged the colored bits over this, but I messed up again and reversed two of the layers, but I kept on. I used different colors of acrylic inks this time in much thinner layers and let it completely dry before adding another much thinner layer of white paint (below).

I did much better on the layers underneath showing through, but still not enough. 

I took a bit of paint back off on this one, but not much, and tinkered with it until I liked it. My sponge was a bit too wet on the gold stenciling, and it's still not really transparent, but I'm ok with it. It's a learning experience, and I'm thinking about trying another one...

For now, I'm working on a project that includes sketching, collage, and a mixed media cat cutout. It's challenging and different. I have two more waiting in this session of classes.

During my creative play, life goes on. We had our last eye exams with the eye Dr. that I've been seeing for fifty-eight years Friday. He's seventy-nine, and we're happy for him, but we're going to miss him. So now, I'm not only looking for a new dentist, but also a new eye Dr., plus my P.A. found that I'm anemic and wants me to go for more tests. It is sad how much time us old people have to spend sitting in doctors' offices and dealing with doctors, bills, and meds, but it is what it is, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying a safe and happy holiday weekend! Don't forget to squeeze in some creative time!