Vacation at the Beach Mixed Media Art “First Vacation”

We launched an exciting challenge where the beach, the water, the vacation, the sand, the sea life and the family all can play a part.  The natural colors of the beach paired with the colors of the sea create an amazing color palette and backdrop for those vacation photos that you will treasure forever.  Create a photo journal, memory album or a piece of art that reminds you of that special trip.  

Crew Member, Mandy Leever-Koel takes us with her on her journey as she shows us how to bring the elements of the trip into this mixed media work of art.  

“First Vacation”

This canvas tells the story of our little boy’s first vacation ever, his first time in England and his first encounter with the sea. The weather wasn’t good enough to have a bare foot beach bum, but there were boots, stones and water and that was all it took to make him happy.

Materials Used

• Tattered Angels: Origins Paper –  ‘Tides’
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist: Verdigris, Crushed Shells, Patina, Maya Blue
• Tattered Angels Chalkboard Paint: French Vanilla,
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam: Tail Fin, Caspian Sea, Blue Topaz
• Canvas Corp: Burlap Flower – Aqua
• Canvas Corp: Stretched Canvas – 12″x 16″
• Canvas Corp: Sisal Cord

Other Supplies: Gel medium; Bird sand; Crackle paste white and clear.; Microbeads; Glass filler beads; Art pebbles; Chipboard pieces like a monogram, steering wheel, anchor, seahorses, seaweed.; Real sea shells, sea stars and shell ‘discs’; Fabric tag; Slice of wood; Fishnet; Sisal string; Sort of paper doilies only thicker.; Gesso; Gel medium

Tools Used: Heat gun; Brushes; Spatula; Glue

Step 1- Cut paper in two pieces and adhere to canvas with gel medium. Apply gel medium to remaining piece and cover with bird sand.

Step 2 Cover the edges of the Canvas and separate pieces of paper with white crackle paste. Allow to dry overnight.

Step 3 Paint your seahorse with 2 shades of the Glimmer Glam paint: Tailfin and Blue Topaz.  Paint the sand with the Chalkboard paint in French Vanilla.

Step 4- Paint anything else you wish, such as the lighthouse and some parts of the background, using Glimmer Mist colors Patina, Maya Blue, Verdigris, and Crushed Shells.

Step 5 – Tone down the aqua colored burlap flower by brushing a little bit of white gesso over the edges.

Step 6- Add translucent crackle medium over the seahorse, and sprinkle it with microbeads and tiny glass beads. Once it dries, spray it with the Glimmer Mist paint in Crushed Shells for more vibrancy.

Step 7- Color the seaweed chipboard with Glimmer Glam in Caspian Sea, and add tiny glass beads with gel medium. Apply gesso to sea stars if the color is wrong.

Step 8- Add shells and other embellishments in the lower corners of your canvas. Cover with different sized glass beads as well as some art pebbles. Add a little crackle paste and shades of your Tattered Angels paints until satisfied.

Step 9- Age the fabric tag with various Glimmer Mist paints as well as gesso. Add desired text with the letter stickers. Add the burlap flower, wood slices, and monogram along with the small shells and seagull.

Step 10- Add 2 large shell discs underneath the burlap flower, and cut up some straws (altered with a little Glimmer Mist.) Then brush gesso on the paper doilies and glue everything into place.

Bring it all together and you have a family memory that you can put on display.

If the colors move you, you have photos such as this stashed away or you are planning a trip to the beach, whip up a little something creative and enter into our Beach, Summer, Vacation Challenge.  Here are the details on the Challenge, the guidelines and how to enter: July Challenge: Beach, Summer, Vacation.

To see more of Mandy’s work visit her blog – Less is Bore and also on Instagram.

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