Mixed Media on Paper

This page features examples of my mixed media work on 100% rag paper. Mediums include acrylic, ink, graphite, wax crayon and coffee. See below for a statement about this work.

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For an artist to say that their work is mixed media can mean almost anything.

Most likely it means that the list of materials used is either too long or complicated and may warrant explanation. This is true in my case concerning my most recent work on paper. In this new work I have used 100% cotton rag paper rather than conventional wood pulp paper. The reason for this change is simply that a friend gifted me with a few sheets of this rag paper and I fell in love with it immediately. I had never used it before and had not realized its potential as a working surface. The texture of the paper and the way it absorbs pigments is quite different from any other paper, and I have sought to explore the potential of this mysterious material by using a wide variety of mixed media.

I began experimenting by pouring coffee and ink in various combinations to take a look at the effects they create. I have also incorporated such elements as frozen blueberries which thaw on rag paper creating color and form anomalies that still amaze me. Along with these odd materials, I have incorporated many kinds of drawing media such as graphite, crayon and colored pencil along with white gesso. 

I find the greatest potential for mixed media is in testing reactions between materials, and I have achieved results that I find unique and surprising although often unreproducible. This chemistry-like process is what I find so compelling, and I plan to continue with my media experiments on the rag paper as there is still much more to discover. The ultimate reason I continue to use the phrase mixed media is that it’s temptingly wide open, including future undiscovered materials. The possibilities are endless, and that is what keeps me working.