Artist Renee Mak

Ocean Blue and the Cup Cake Parade by LolaBird Ride the wave the wave of blue but leave your footprints  in the sand. Follow the clouds, follow thru stay true to your heart, it knows what to do. Flow with the pink, sharp and brite but leave out the glitter for your Friday nite. Use it freely... without care, sprinkle a trail on the back stair so you can find your way home, in case you're alone. The cup cake parade might shock you a bit... but don't worry keep the candles lit the frosting and glitter will make you smile and forget your troubles... just for a while. {All artwork protected under copyright laws and remain the sole property of artist Renee Mak 2012}

What's on my work desk today?   Oh soooooo much!  But what I'll share is one of my favorite current projects! It involves up~cycled cardboard from Starbucks and the Valley Junction   Cinco de Mayo Festival... and my collaged flowers. I love making spiral bound journals filled with all kinds of fabulous papers designed to get  the creative juices flowing!  But the other day I needed one filled with just plain white paper for my own creative brainstorming. And so I thought, "...if I need one, maybe I should make a few in case someone else wants one!" I really like texture so I peeled off the smooth cardboard and exposed the fabulous center!  Then I  began collaging colorful flowers using my own art papers... and my flower garden grew and grew... and grew!!! My next step is to finish them by adding the paper and the spiral top! I'll get them into my Etsy shop as soon as I get them do...

Finished 6" x 6" Mixed Media Collage! Last Wednesday I taught my Mixed Media Collage workshop   for West Des Moines Community Education... I blogged about it here and promised to show you the final results ... Detail And here it is! I always begin a "sample" in each class but  rarely get to finish it there. I love this star! All of the pieces, including the star, are things I had  laying around the studio.  Things others may just through away in the trash! Heart detail This cute little heart is the back of a Starbucks coffee sleeve... of which I have an abundant supply! Textural edge One of  my favorite parts of mixed media is the process of building up the layers... especially when the texture shows up  afterwards like on this edge! Happy! When I look at this finished piece I feel all warm and fuzzy  inside because after it's done, I see the usual symbolism  that's almost alw...

CuRREntLy WoRKing oN! Here's what I'm currently working on... and... These are two 10" x 10" gallery wrapped mixed media canvases that I started as samples for a mixed media class.   The text is a page from a vintage book and you can faintly make out the chapter title "My Fight With A..." This intrigued me and so I plan on keeping it visible!   We all have  fights on our hands and I really like the idea of taking a "fight" and turning into something positive.   That's the point of my mixed media  class called "Trash to Treasure" . One of the things I LOVE so much about mixed media is the layering process and how the painting seems to get a life of it's own and tell you what it wants! I'd say that these two are almost finished... with a few more layers, a mantra and just a tiny bit of glitter! Happy Painting! xoxo

Upcycled Mailing Package How To: Who on your mailing list wouldn't want to get such a fabulously fussed up package?!? This how to is quick , easy and fun to do! Supplies: 1 used shipping box 1 fabulous stamp or stencil White paint or gesso Favorite color paint Matching glitter Paint brush First, paint the box/package white.  You can do one or two coats.  I only use one so that the former life of the  box shows just a little. Sometimes, while the white paint is still wet, I draw into it with the end of my brush.  I create hearts, flowers, swirls or anything else I feel like drawing.  You can see a little of that  in the top photo. After that dries, I take one of my favorite paint colors and stamp or stencil away! In this case I used Cobalt Teal and a stencil.  I don't worry about how neat it looks... as you can see by the paint bottle, I'm a messy painter! After I lift off the stencil, I lay a paper towel down over the work and then lift it up ag...