TWELVTY-ONE: yellow-ish

Mixy presents TWELVTY 2024, a year-long color exploration through watercolor and mixed media.

In my year full of color, I usually begin with Yellow, then trip clockwise around this color wheel a month and a color at a time.

What’s happening in TWELVTY 2024?

I dug out this lovely little square watercolour sketchbook from my stash.

It has about 30 pages, just right for 2 spreads per month/per colour.

I like to break the ice by noodling some sort of title on the front cover, I can go back and add more as and when the whims of fate decide.

My “This Color: This Month” rule has loosey-goosey-ed up as I’m in Color/Month 1 and we’re well into February.

Also I don’t think it’s ‘finished’, so I’m open to adding some more bits in the future.

Already the whole thing feels way more relaxed!!

Up to now Yellow has been a vivid array of sunflower, egg yolk and banana yellow, this time I’m looking at the subtler edges of what I call YELLOWISH, with ochre, Naples yellow, gold and cream.

That’s the plan today, watch this space to see if I can keep this far out from my loudest-colored-comfort-zone!

+ Contrast!

I also relaxed the just one colour aspect this time. This time I’m experimenting with each color being accompanied with flashes of something from way over the other side of the color wheel.

Here’s how I kicked off this year’s 12 color project!

Yellow-ish Page 1

This watercolour paper is handmade and heavily textured, it takes wet media like a dream.

Starting out with water soluble markers (Tombow, Ecoline)
Then water soluble pastels (Neocolor II), then water to blend
Followed by gouache (white, Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre).
For a bit of darker contrast I used a fountain pen with a mix of black ink and water.
Water soluble pencil, then some collage pieces.
Finally highlighting squiggles in gold & yellow marker pen.

More updates soon!

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Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

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TWELVE years since TWELVTY!

Well, can we have a big “YIKES” to acknowledge that 12 years have elapsed since my very first 12 colours in 12 months project?!?!

I had to double check my numbers, but it’s for real. TWELVE years indeed!

What is TWELVTY?

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, 2012 was a tough year for me…

my home life had been turned upside down, and creativity kept me afloat.

At the time I’d recently discovered fibre artist Marlene Glickman

Her piece “Day by Day” appealed to every part of my colour-hungry soul.

Making color and design decisions is sometimes difficult so I challenge myself to use only one color from the color wheel each month during my daily design exercises. A box sits on my worktable containing all the supplies I collected at the beginning of the month in one color.

From this I choose bits and pieces creating a 5″ x 5″ design/collage/drawing. The small format offers me the chance to explore a design and decide whether or not to enlarge it or expand on an idea. I also keep a journal for sketches, fabric swatches and working out future ideas and larger pieces.
Marlene Glickman 1948-2023

A Year Full of Colour

On Marlene’s advice, I decided to dedicate a sketchbook to single colour experiments, with one colour each month for a year. This is how it turned out (excuse the wonky video – this was new to me!)

the original 12 colors in 12 months art journal from 2012

Over the years I revisited this idea, and reimaging the monthly format. For a few years I ran a year long class sharing my process and guiding other creatives in their own 12 colour projects.

TWELVTY 2024

I can’t let this 12 year marker go uncelebrated, so this year I’ve got a new twist on the old idea in mind. Catch this month’s studio newsletter to see what I’ve been making, and find out how this year will be a wee bit different!

Is this something you’d like to join in with?
Comment below to LMK, I’ve got so many ideas to share!

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

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Unfashionably late to the new year!

Mixy, the London-based mixed media & textile artist, took a relaxed approach to starting 2024, sharing a flip through her Book of Days series. She’s brimming with plans for the year and invites followers to join her newsletter for updates. Follow her creative journey on her blog, Instagram, and website MadebyMixy.com.

I took such a relaxed approach to beginning 2024 that it’s already February before my first post of the year!

Let’s kick off with a little flip through from the end of last summer in my always-a-bit-behind series from the Book of Days.

If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of the series here 🙂

I’m full of plans and ideas for 2024
join my newsletter to find out more – Feb’s mail goes out this week 🙂

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

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Art Journal Serendipity

It’s said the way a person does one thing is the way they do everything…

So it came as no surprise to me when I noticed more than two years had passed since I wrote:

“When it comes to making a book like this, keep in mind that progress isn’t linear.

It’s more like a dance back and forth through the pages.”

The book I’m describing is an art journal I made from scrap paper, for the purpose of demonstrating how I make my art.

I documented the steps as I filled the pages, videoed my progress, made notes…

..and then a lot of life happened, time passed, and suddenly it’s now.

Time is so slippery!

My disorganised, wabi-sabi approach to art making became the way I made this book, and together they evolved in their own time. At long last, I’m happy to say it’s all done and ready to go!

This is how the art journal came out:

If you’ve signed up for my newsletter, then my Art Journal Serendipity ebook will be arriving in your inbox very soon!

It’s not too late — sign up below by the end of December & I’ll send it to you direct!

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

Join Me!

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My gift to you, and a confession.

Can we talk about imposter syndrome? …

Imposter syndrome is very real.

I have a confession to make: When I made this book I didn’t love it. Some parts of some pages made me happy, but as a whole I wasn’t especially excited about it.

I recorded much of the process of making the pages, and while I edited the videos I wasn’t at all sure what I was trying to achieve by sharing them.

So much so, I left this project unfinished for over TWO years!

But letting time pass lets us see things through fresh eyes. I still don’t love every single bit, but that’s not so important to me now.

Why I am I telling you all this?

Because maybe there’s a project you’ve let sit because you weren’t sure what direction it needed to go in next.

Because maybe you look at other peoples art and think ‘it’s different for them, they know what they’re doing, they have a plan…’ when in reality we are all winging it.

These pages belong to a book I made from scratch.
They’re filled with messy paint, scribbles and experiments, vulnerability and love. I made this book for YOU.

There’s a full length flip through in my Youtube, and you can find out how I did it all in my ebook *Art Journal Serendipity*. All you need do is sign up for my newsletter by 27 December and it’s all yours!

Thank you to everyone for your support through the year, it means more than you could know.

For your free copy of my eBook Art Journal Serendipity sign up for my newsletter below by the launch date 27 December 2023

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

Join Me!

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Art Journal Serendipity

As a gift to everyone who supported my art this year…

This is more than just an art journal flip through: this one comes with a full back-story!

I documented the whole process of making this book, from selecting the paper for the pages to the layering of the pages, then I bundled this all together in an illustrated eBook with over 50 minutes of footage in little bite sized videos! For YOU!

It’s not the paper, the paint or the pens; it isn’t only the inks or the collage. What makes a project like this so much fun is trusting the magic of serendipity

For your free copy of my eBook Art Journal Serendipity sign up for my newsletter below by the launch date 27 December 2023

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

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Doodling in between times

When I’ve got just a few minutes to spare I go to my art journal, find a blank page or a space, and doodle.

These are the background layers that inspire what comes next.

This is how I fill the scraps of time while I’m waiting for paint to dry, or a file to upload, or just waiting for ideas to land.

There’s a real freedom in knowing it will get covered in sketches or collage, more doodles and scribbles. I don’t plan this, I don’t even choose the colors, I use whatever pens, paints and brushes are there on my desk.

Sometimes you just got to let art happen.

Be first to see what I’m doing and making in the studio by signing up to my newsletter. Once a month or so I’ll drop in your inbox with more colorful tales!

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Time Shrinkage

Today we reached the quarter way mark, day 25 of the #100dayproject.

To celebrate I’ve joined up the videos of the first layers of the first canvas I began working on. It’s still a work in progress, but already it’s been through so many evolutions.

The 100 Day Project 2018

I like an outrageously crazy challenge as much as the next person.

I’ve been known to dive into some over ambitious projects without thinking it all the way through (for risk of talking myself all the way out in the process).

But even I know while I’m not in my studio every day, finding time for painting every day for 100 days isn’t realistic. I listened to my inner adult, and together we came up with a plan:

My 100 day project is to paint as often as I can, and post an update every day for 100 days.

To make that possible and prepare I let these paintings take over a long weekend at the start of the month in order to get ahead.

(Best. Weekend. Ever!)

If you haven’t seen the posts, I’ve been time-lapsing the process to share on Instagram.

This filming shrinks down the rate of progress to just 10%, making a half hour of painting flash by in 30 seconds! It’s fascinating to watch it back, to literally watch over my own shoulder as I paint. I follow my instincts and don’t plan what I’ll paint, so the images evolve out of nowhere, and then recede back under the newer layers.

Today we reached the quarter way mark, day 25.

To celebrate I’ve joined up the videos of the first layers of the first canvas I began working on. It’s still a work in progress, but already it’s been through so many evolutions.

I’ll be making little videos like these for all 5 paintings as I go along.

If you’d like an exclusive preview of these, and other things I’m making, join up for my email newsletters. At the time of typing, they go out just once or twice a month, so I won’t be flooding our inbox!

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New Moon Momentum

Last month I began a new practice of creating an art journal vision-board type spread with the New Moon.

I’ve used the new moon as a time to sow seeds of intention for many years, usually in a journal or diary. This got the intentions out of my imagination in the form of words on paper, but within a day or two they were lost under the ensuing pages.

Transform Your Life: I have high hopes for this book!

Now I have this visual reminder I can keep in my eye line in the studio – for now it’s propped up against a shelf opposite my workspace. The simple beauty of it being in a book means it can travel with me wherever I go. (Even though it’s quite a BIG book – it likely won’t travel that far!)

A Lifetime’s Obsession with Collective Inspiration: I am the culmination of my thoughts so far

It’s now the second time I’ve done it … and I’ve lived through hundreds of new moons, so it’s early to judge… but so far I like this method much more.

Bright, Vibrant, Unique Art: subconscious reminders… in case I forget!

I expect over time it will evolve to include more writing too, the process will fine tune and evolve, as all things do.

This and last month both have writing under the collage, so in that sense those words are even more buried than usual. Meanwhile it’s a place for all those collage bits I snipped out of the lifetime’s supply of magazines I dismantled last year.

Heavy on Metaphor: planting seeds for new ideas

Do you have a new moon practice? or a vision board practice?

How do you find they work for you? I’d love to know.

This Moon/Month I’m pushing all my energy into launching my biggest project yet:

The TWELVTY program. After a final flurry of readying, I opened the doors yesterday, and the first subscribers jump right in. I’ve got a really good feeling about this – we’re building a community of makers and doers, artists and creatives, and together we’ll explore how color impacts our lives, our moods, our work and our art. We’re going to delve deep into one color at a time and soak up all its lovely juicy spirit.

If you want to find out more, it’s all here on my website. If you’ve got any questions or want to find out more, comment below or message me through my site and I’ll be happy to answer all I can.