creative practice – Mixy's Art Blog

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!

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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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

Slow Art Journaling

Two art journals filled up gradually over two years. Here’s how they turned out….

I chose these two big sketchbooks because I just couldn’t resist the cherry red & magenta pink covers!

Over the next couple of years, one or both of these books sat perpetually open on my art desk, and whenever I had extra paint to use up, or new pens to try out, these pages began to take shape.

This is where I’d scribble notes to myself, idly doodle in between times, while I waited for a zoom call to begin, and during online classes.

I’d see a face in the doodles and gradually these new characters began to show up.

As the pages got heavy with collage and paint, I tore out and tore up and glued back with wild abandon.

There are no rules in these books, there’s no upside down, no right and wrong.

Page by Page

Be first to find out about my newest art journaling project in my next newsletter.

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september news

exclusive youtube preview & the story of this art journal.

Today’s the day my September newsletter flies out!

Get an exclusive preview of my latest art journal flip through + the story of how this book evolved.
Sign up below if you haven’t already 🙂

half a year of doodles

For a little over a year I’ve been adding a weekly spread to this ginormous sketchbook. This is what’s happened…

Here is the latest flip through of my Book of Days 🙂

find out all about the project here

The next flip through will exclusively preview to my newsletter subscribers.
Sign up below if you haven’t already 🙂

giant sketchbook anniversary!

For a little over a year I’ve been adding a weekly spread to this ginormous sketchbook.

Because of the ginormity of this book (600 pages!) it’s going to span the course of a few years to come, and I’m excited about that. To see what appears in these pages is as much of a surprise to me as it is anyone else.

You can see a flip through of the first pages and a second update from early 2021 here on my youtube channel

Since then more creatures and people have shown up on the pages.

They populate the spaces in between the thought scribbles, color swatches and the occasional off-cuts of the projects that happen along the way.

The latest flip through catches us up with from January to July of this year, it’s exclusively previewing this weekend to my newsletter subscribers.
Sign up below if you haven’t already 🙂

collage season

We’ve all agreed that time isn’t real, right? because I’m fully embracing that in my reality now.

All that to say, World Collage Day was in May. I posted some photos of my collages in June, I’m writing this in ~~July~~ August, and you could be reading it any time after I hit publish 😉

In my world, I’m somewhere in Collage Season.

Step one: make space on the floor, spread out all the bits so see what you have to play with.

Starting out with a bundle of collage images – mostly cut out from magazines and book pages + a few abstract patterned papers – kindly supplied by the Arizona Collage Collective + some from my own collection, I began with some swapping of heads.

Gradually these newly imagined characters formed together in groups, in turn finding their home in the pages of my Book of Days

I’ll be posting a flip through of the latest pages in this book where you can see this, and the rest of the collages. For an exclusive preview you’ll need to get my next newsletter.

how to nourish your muse

I’ve been taking a few online classes lately. Exploring areas I already feel comfortable – mixed media, collage, watercolours – and adding to my range with the help of some fabulous teachers.