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”

Family Vacation Project

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

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 1 - Mixed Media

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

Step 2 - Canvas

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 3 - Painted Canvas

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 4 - Beach Canvas

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

Step 5 - Burlap Flower

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 6 - Aqua Seahorse

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 7 - Beach Mixed Media

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 8 - Shells

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 9 - Embellish

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.

Step 10 - Family Vacation Canvas

 

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

First Vacation Canvas

 

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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About

Canvas Corp Brands is the home of Tattered Angels, 7Gypsies and Canvas Corp (Canvas Home Basics). We are a manufacturer of surfaces, paint and vintage reproductions coming to you from Springdale, Arkansas.


'Vacation at the Beach Mixed Media Art “First Vacation”' has 1 comment

  1. July 11, 2016 @ 6:37 pm Christine Kiehl

    This page is simply amazing! I so love everything about it! Nautical pages are my focus right now so thank you for the step by step and supply list~! Pictures~! Excellent!

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This blog is a compilation of inspiration from the Canvas Corp Brands family including Canvas Corp, Tattered Angels and 7Gypsies.