ARC selection for June

It's time to join Darcy's ARC, or Artful Readers Club in case you forgot, for our June entry.

The book I'm reviewing this month can be found on Amazon or

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (August 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581806787
• ISBN-13: 978-1581806786
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches 

on my work table.  Note  I have pulled out Hellmuth's first Collage Discovery book, also.  Both were given to me by my friend Kathy.

The table of contents documented the various projects.  I counted 16 numbered techniques, too. 

Once again, I find no correlation between the written descriptions of the tools and supplies, and the images the author chose to show.  To me, it looked like a hodge-podge of Golden products and ephemera.  I know some of you prefer the author skip this entire section, while others find it as insufficient as I.

Hellmuth begins by giving us collage creation tips.  She intersperses those with "lightbulb moments" (from a cat) like they were breadcrumbs dotting the pages.

One of the things she insists on is using Golden gel medium to adhere all images.  Now if you are "rich"ly reimbursed like Hellmuth, that might be possible.  But for the majority of us who are NOT selling our art, any glue of your choice should work.  I've never felt I could justify the cost of gel medium for average projects, samples, or techniques I am trying out.  However, if you are selling your art, any good gel medium should suffice.  And those of you who don't live in the States might find other gel medium easier and cheaper to purchase.

By this time, I was ready to learn a few new techniques, especially since I'm a background junkie.  Just peruse my old tutorials and you'll see what I mean.

Elmer's glue crackle?  I've done that one on several occasions.  I've done it with Elmer's white glue, I've done it with UHU clear glue.  I've had good results with both.  I first created this technique in 2006 and show it here as part of a book I made for my friend Kathy.

Plastic wrap crinkle?  I made those a long time ago, and even wrote a tutorial of how I made mine in 2009.

Layered masking tape?  I have created backgrounds using masking tape that I colored with shoe polish, paint, or ink.  I have also layered masking tape with paint and magazine images.

Rinse Aid Resist?  I heard about this technique years ago, so even went out and purchased some Rinse Aid, even though I don't own a dishwasher.  I couldn't get the technique to work then, and I see no reason it will work for me now.  Depending on how much time I have, I may try, though.

Tissue paper layer?  Been there, done that, too.

Contact paper shapes?  Never made backgrounds using those, but I have ironed freezer paper to my substrates (both fabric and paper), which seems to create similar, albeit easier-to-remove, effects.

Next, Hellmuth shows us how to put some of these techniques to use by featuring her Poppets, which are supposedly the stars of the book.

Using painter's tape, Hellmuth showed how to lay down strips, then paint over fabric.  This looked like an easy thing to accomplish.

Next came the color photocopy transfer that Hellmuth described on an earlier page.  She showed two ways to achieve the technique, one of which used a pasta machine.  

On page 109, Hellmuth challenges some of her art friends with this:

"They say that creativity craves challenges, and I have to agree!"

She got some heavy hitters to join her collage challenge, called Accessories and Necessities, too.  First up was Leslie Riley of True Colors fame.

This one belonged to Nina Bagley, called Bedrock TV.

Martha Lent, whose name I wasn't familiar with, made these perfect girly accessories. 

Lynn Whipple, another True Colors author contributed her Dress-up girl and dress.

And here was Claudine's entry.  Note the hats and crown.

A view of the gallery showed the Poppets with their hats, over-sized clothes, and bunny ears.

Although I was unable to create the photocopy transfer because I didn't have several of the needed supplies (such as alum and other ingredients), this became my inspiration piece.

Of course I wasn't about to hand stitch the pieces together, or

leave the backing uncovered so one could see the mechanics.  That is just sloppy, unfinished work, in my opinion.  It was at that time, I also decided to use paper instead of fabric for this month's inspiration art. 

Although I had read the book and photographed a few relevant pages earlier in the month, I simply couldn't get motivated to make the art.  Seems I left it till nearly the end of the month and had to scramble to finish it.

I began by mixing gold and bronze fluid acrylics to the paper substrate.  You can glimpse my chosen image in the back of my desk along with a hotel card, and more fluid acrylic

I turned the image over and marked where it would eventually sit.

I used index cards (found within easy reach of my desk) and taped a mask over the outside of the painted substrate.

I added a good amount of Elmer's Glue-All.  For those of you who don't live in the States, this is simply PVA glue and any good white glue will work.

I spread the glue liberally around the unmasked area.

Next I added the gold and bronze fluid acrylics to the still wet glue,

then spread everything around with my old paint brush,

and left it to dry.  When dry, I removed the index cards.

I cut a used plastic bag at the seams.  I used this instead of clear cling wrap, which I demoed in 2009.  And the plastic bag was FREE (after all, I am known as the Queen of Free), while the cling wrap is not.

I once again masked off the remainder of the frame,

applied gold to the unmasked area,

and scrunched the plastic over the wet paint background.  Then I waited until the paint was completely dry before I removed the bag.

When the paint was completely dry, I removed the mask and added the image.


I've cropped the original images in different areas so you could get a close-up view of the background techniques.  I realize I'm a wus, or however you spell it.  But that was as inspired as I could get.  That baseball cap I cut from colored and painted deli paper was a bit large. 

The crown didn't fit her head, either.

AH, the dunce cap made her look smart.

And the best image of all was the sun bonnet I found on a collage sheet.  Please don't laugh at my interpretation.  After all, you still have to read my review.


So what did I think of this book?  I was totally disappointed.  There was only one technique I had never heard of, or used, and the time for crowns and hats has passed.  Some of my friends struggle with their weight, and Hellmuth makes a point of taking thin people/faces and turning them into fat over-sized blobs with hats, pointy noses, or bunny ears.

Her first book was well written, and versatile.  This second book showed everything that was offered by looking at the book cover.

I admit, as someone who normally has to read some artists' instructions several times before I "get it," Hellmuth's detailed instructions, coupled with ample photos was a joy to read.  And reading the book was easy, too.  It's too bad there was nothing of value in it!  Again, IF and ONLY IF you are new to mixed media, you might enjoy this book.  However, her first book was so much better, I can't see why anyone would want to buy the second one.  For that, I must give her ONE star.  I was only going to give her 1/2 star, but the instructions were so well written, I felt the book deserved at least one star.

For July, I'm reading the much anticipated

Patricia Cornwell's Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper - Case Closed

Please don't forget to visit Darcy and the other ARC participants this month, too.  I know they will appreciate it as much as I do.