Mixed media is one of the broadest and most exciting terms I can think of in art. For most of us, our mixed-media journey began years ago, long before the phrase was coined or even considered an art form. Thinking back to elementary school, I remember creating projects that ranged from noodles, paper and string to tapestries created with threads, buttons and paper scraps; both are good examples of simple forms of mixed media.
I can specifically remember the first time I heard “mixed media” used as a label for artwork. Perhaps one would call it an aha moment. Suddenly I felt validated in the work I had completed years ago in college, work my professors viewed with a questioning eye, oftentimes in wonderment and sometimes in frustration. More than once I heard the words “You cannot mix fabric on a canvas with paint.” While we all know you truly can mix fabric and paint, it was through this experience that I developed a strong sense of what my artistic voice really was and what I enjoyed creating.
Ruth’s memories are much the same. From the schoolroom and beyond she was always putting things together, long before the art world really embraced mixed media. As a trained jeweler, it was not until later in life that she found her true artistic voice in creating mixed media art. It was when she began mixing fabric, paint and jewelry techniques that her art evolved into what it is today.
It is our fervent hope that the following pages offer up a bounty of inspiration, ideas, new techniques and perhaps the key to opening that window to mixed-media art that you have been seeking. Let nothing hold you back when you create. The sky is the limit!