~*~ Mixed Media May ~*~ Linda Kinnaman ~*~

What does mixed-media art mean to you?

Mixed media art means a lot to me. It has enabled me to express myself and my artistic dreams in a variety of mediums with few limitations. If I want to include different types of paint, fibers, papers and embellishments in one piece of art work, I can. It is very exciting for me.

How long have you been a mixed-media artist?

I have been creative artistically all my life, but I began using mixed media in 2005. I like being able to have a place to use my many learned skills in one place if I want. I don’t feel limited in having to stick with just one medium.

How has your art impacted or enhanced your life?

Creating art work keeps me happy. When I am in my creative zone, it begins to feel like I am dancing. I am in harmony with my inner thoughts and dreams and can communicate with colors, designs and textures. Many people tell me my works makes them happy when they see it. This is wonderful!

What are a few of the mixed-media supplies you find yourself using most?

The first thing I reach for is Golden’s soft gel medium in gloss. This stuff is my glue, sealer and texture maker and I just love it! I have a favorite brush size ~ a 1″ flat with somewhat stiff bristles. It holds up to a lot of abuse, but can be versatile and gentle too. And I use my scissors a lot.

Who are some of your favorite mixed-media artists?

I really like the work of Joseph Cornell. He created whimsical shadow boxes that are very unusual and intriguing. I also like the collage work of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the “Fathers of Collage”. They were probably not the first painters to use mixed media in their work, but the were inventive and bold in their use of it. I try not to follow too many current artists so that I don’t copy their work. I want to remain original and unique.

What makes your mixed-media art unique?

I like to use a lot of recyclable materials in my work. Things like privacy envelopes, old photographs and plastic water bottle bottoms.

Where can we find you? 

• My website
• My blog

About Linda Kinnaman: Originally from South Bend, IN, I have lived all over the world. I found a home just outside Chicago, IL in 1990 and enjoy a full life. With interests in nature, world cultures and art, creating has always been a passion for me. Study of the arts began at a very young age, continued throughout college and continues today. Areas of study have included ceramics, needle arts, beading, drawing, decorative painting and printmaking. With such a varied background, finding the perfect outlet for my talents came recently with the discovery of mixed media collage.

Mixed media collage can incorporate just about anything that can be applied to a base surface. It enables me to use my many skills to create unique one of a kind artwork where the only limitation is my imagination. For me, color does not need to come out of a paint tube, it exists in multiple forms that others overlook. The excitement for me is to take a discarded or unwanted item and create something new and special out of it.

As I discover new ways of bringing these items together, my work has been evolving. In 2006, I began creating assemblage nature themed shadow boxes that tell a story. I also started creating unique jewelry with my photos and the beads I’ve collected. Then in 2009, I began creating collage work with old magazine photos, paper ephemera and clothing tags. I love the reactions I get when people see my tag art collages for the first time.

Many times I have vivid dreams of what I want to paint and must spend time in the studio making these dreams a reality. I find that my work is taking on a more feminine and whimsical nature as I develop new designs. It reflects the light-heartedness I quite often feel while working on my art. Who says that art has to be so serious? I love to share my fun with others, and this is one way I can do this.