Create your own Mixed Media Art MasterpieceMixed Media Art is an art form that is within reach of everyone! You can usedeveryday objects around you to create decorative and functional pieces of art. Youdon't even need to be good at drawing, painting or be especially "artistic" - mixedmedia art allows everyone to come and play!"So, what is

?" you ask. It's art that uses a variety of differentthings together to create collages or sculpture or three-dimensional pieces oranything else you can think of. It can combine paints and papers and found objectsin many ways, with glues and glitter and words - the list goes on.To get started, find some sturdy cardboard to use as the base. This could be an oldcereal box, opened flat or an old book cover or a shoe box. As long as it's sturdy andfairly flat it will be fine. Next find some paints, even if it's the kids set they got lastChristmas. Choose two or three colours. They can be contrasting (for example redand purple) or similar shades (for example light blue and dark blue). Squeeze a littlepaint onto the cardboard and use a paintbrush or icy-pole stick or even your fingersto move the paint around. It could be a squiggle pattern or swirls or diagonal linesand it doesn't need to cover the entire surface; just an even coverage of colour willdo. Let that first colour dry completely. Then apply your next colour, again with apaintbrush or icy-pole stick or your fingers. This time make the lines go the otherway or make spots between the first pattern; wherever the mood takes you. Whenyou are happy with the overall effect, leave for the paint to fully dry. By checkingeach layer is dry before starting with the next, it will ensure that the paint layers aredistinct and don't mix into a grubby, brown mess. This will allow each layers patternto show through.Now we have a finished background, perfect for our next step.Next we need to find papers to add some visual texture and depth to out piece. Thiscould be an old dictionary page or text from a newspaper or magazine. We will stickit to the background with everyday glue. Even a glue stick is fine, just make sure theglue covers the paper right to the edges to ensure it sticks properly. We don't wantto cover the entire background, so tear this sheet to give it an attractive edge, anddecide where you are going to place it before you put the glue on. You may find itmore appealing to place it diagonally across your piece, or you may cover only thebottom third, creating a type of horizon across it. At some point while you aremoving it this way and that, a chord will be struck within you and you'll think "that'sit, that's the spot". Stick this layer of paper down and trim it to size.So we're got a background with some interesting paper on it, now it's time to add afocal point. Often inMixed Media Art

, the focal point will be a face or image of aperson. This could be an old photo or a magazine picture. Once again, move it thisway and that until you find the best spot for it. Stick it down, making sure the gluegoes right to the edge, but doesn't ooze out across your piece.To finish the piece, we need some embellishments. These don't need to be fancy,shop bought ones. Embellishments can just as easily be some lovely buttons orribbon or lace. Place these sparingly around your piece. These bits will help you tell astory in your work, but don't get too caught up in creating a story, just place themwhere they seem to fit best. Single words or phrases can also be used along sidethese other embellishments. Simple words like "beauty" or "remember", cut from an