Tag: art

Ephemeral Gecko

If you’ve been following these posts you’ve maybe wondered about the name. So I’ll let you into a little secret… Ephemeral Gecko resulted from pairs …

Ephemeral Gecko

100 days in my studio

What would 100 days of a creative practice look like?

On 18 February the #100day project began again. (which was the day after my birthday so it also feels like a New Year project for me!)

The 100 day project is a creative marathon I’ve taken part in every year since 2017. Up until now I began each 100 days with a clear idea of what I hoped to achieve.

In 2023 I made 100 spiral images. In 2017 I filled a book with 100 drawings inspired from the photos in my phone. Each year has had a theme… until now.

thoughts on themelessness

This year I had no idea… maybe collage? that felt limiting, I know I want to spend more time stitching in the next couple of months and could incorporate that… but I’ve already got so many projects to juggle…

I thrive by having a lot going on so I can butterfly between them and keep my attention energised, but it doesn’t take much to disrupt the *just enough* chaos levels and I fall into overwhelm and inertia.

So I began posting some of what I’d been making through the day and by around day 4 I figured that I’d fallen on my theme without realising it: 100 days in my studio.

So far I’ve shared bits from the Book of Days, the TWELVTY project, a collaged landscapes series I’m developing, some color swatching, digital edits for a new illustration project to name just some!

If you’d like to follow along in real time, join me on Instagram where i’m posting daily. If that isn’t your thing, I’ll be back with a run down of the first couple of weeks, and what I’ve learned from it.

Are you doing the 100 day project? Or have you done it before? Tell me your thoughts about it in the comments, I’m intrigued by everyone’s perspective on this crazy epic ride!

Hi – I’m Mixy!

This is 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

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Birthday FLASH SALE!

“50% off everything in my Etsy store until Monday! Check it out.”

HALF PRICE everything in my Etsy Store until Monday!

art postcards, zines, stickers, everything!!

Hi – I’m Mixy!

This is 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

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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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! 

BIG bold yellows from yester year!

+ 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!

Be first to see where this project leads me next by signing up to my monthly newsletter.

Hi – I’m Mixy!

This is 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

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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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.

3d mixed media sculpture of a color wheel

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!

This is 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

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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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!

This is 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

Join Me!

Get monthly-ish Studio Musings Newsletter.

You can unsubscribe at any time.

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A Holiday Sketchbook Flip Through

There have been many trips I’ve taken where I didn’t even open my sketchbook. This holiday I made a deal with myself to find time, and I’m so glad I did!

If you caught my last newsletter you’ll have read about my holiday sketchbook, and the thoughts behind these images.

(And if not you can sign up below and I’ll send it right to you!)

Over the years I’ve been honing the optimum ‘studio away from home’.

It’s a perpetual work in progress, but every time I take a trip away I feel more able to capture my ideas on paper. This is what resulted from a visit to one of my favourite parts of the world last month, Cyprus.

If you enjoyed this, leave me a like, comment & subscribe, I really appreciate your support!

ETSY SOLSTICE SALE! 30% OFF everything all week!

New Sketchbook Flip Through

Sharing a sneaky peak into the first 100 pages of the GINORMOUS sketchbook!

Every week since the summer of 2020 I’ve been adding a new double page spread to my ‘Book of Days’, this 600 page sketchbook.

 Periodically I update the progress with flip through videos.  Picking up at page 94 where I left the last flip through, here’s a look at the next few pages.

To see the full series there’s a playlist here. 

If you enjoyed this, leave me a like, comment & subscribe, I really appreciate your support!

Thank you to everyone who supports my art, it means more than you know!
I’m taking a break through May so my online stores are closed until 1st June

New Art Postcards & Etsy Spring Sale

Everything in my Etsy store is 20% off, including my brand new Art Postcard Series.

Digital collages of drawings and sketches from my art journals to create 12 brand new curiously quirky designs.

Visit my Etsy store for these + many more designs, sticker sheets, zines and original art. Everything is 20% off in the Spring Sale 🙂

Art Postcards are A6 size – approx 10 x x 15 cm / 4 x 6 inches, printed on premium quality 330gsm matte finish card.

The reverse is blank with just the artist’s contact details, perfect to be sent as a postcard or framed to hang on your wall.

Mixy’s New Shop!

Lovingly curated collections of colourful, multi-layered, painted papers. Perfect for art journals, collage, mixed media art.

The first FOUR collections of Painted Papers are now available in my new online shop 🙂

Mermaids & Peacocks

Color family:

Teal, turquoise, aquamarine. 
Blues and greens,
Splashes of lime, yellow and gold.

Magenta & Berries

Color family:

Pinky-purples, pomegranate, plum.
Ripe Raspberry to rich ruby red.
Magenta, Maroon, mauve & fuchsia.

Spring Dreamscape

Color family:

Bright sky blue and grass green, 
Golden buttery yellows, floral peachy pinks and violets.

Emerald Forest

Color family:

Woodlands, meadows & moss, 
Cool misty pine, verdant viridian,
Avocado, olive and luscious lime.

Collections include a mix of painted, printed & dyed papers ranging from vintage book pages and sheet music, art experiments, printed papers, maps, wrapping paper, wallpaper, magazine pages, envelopes and cards.

Coloured with watercolour & acrylic, inks, dyes, pens, pencils & pastel.

Ink dyed, stained, paint splashed and splattered; doodled, drawn & scribbled upon.

Multi-layered, irregular shapes, cut outs & torn edges, textured by crumpling crunchy paint layers and piercing. Some pieces have little bits of stitching and fabric.

Each piece already has a rich history in its layers and is ready move on to its next life in your art journals, mixed media art and collages.

*Introductory Prices all month!*

Bundles of ~30 pieces are just £5.00 all through August.

5 Large Pieces
   approx A6 / 3″x 4″ / 8cm x 10cm
10 Small Pieces
   approx A7 / 2″ x 3″ / 5cm x 7cm
15 Mini Pieces 
   ranging 1-3″ / 2-8cm

My next collection launches in the autumn – sign up for my newsletter to get first dibs and special discounts as a thank you for supporting my art ❤

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