Featured Artist/Designer: Jennifer Matott 02 19 2015

Welcome to another Featured Artist/Designer Spotlight. Today we’re thrilled to welcome back Jennifer Matott. Before we show you Jennifer’s project, let’s get to know her a little bit more…

I’m a mixed media artist and scrapbooker from outside of Syracuse, New York, USA. I have been scrapbooking and creating mixed media art for over 25 years.  Mixed media allows me to get creative with imagery and still create a 3D effect using a variety of media. My pages lean towards the dramatic and I love experimenting with materials and pushing the limits of what is traditionally done. I’m inspired by nature, other artists, and my kids (both my own and those I teach)!
I’m an art educator in a public school and believe anyone can create meaningful Art! Teaching art is what inspires me and keeps me learning! My young students teach me so much!

Currently, I design for Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft, Wow Studio and Inside Out Visual Journaling. I have been published in several paper and online magazines.

“Nest” Artwork

This artwork is a mixed media encaustic piece.  I started with a piece of drawing paper and collaged vintage music paper with gel medium, being careful to not have it go beyond the paper’s edge as it could act as a resist. I used Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Stamper’s Big Brush Pen to stamp the text areas.

A couple layers of melted beeswax was put over the entire paper. I had taped off the edges with masking tape onto a firm board. Once the wax was cooled and hardened, I used Pan Pastels to create the colored areas.  A foam applicator was used to apply the pastels and blend the colors.  The nest was drawn using oil pastels, chalk pastels, graphite, and sgraffito technique.

Finally, I added more beeswax through a Crafter’s Workshop chicken wire stencil.  Before the wax completely cools, I rubbed gold leafing over the stenciled areas.   Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft’s Gold Texture Luxe was added at the edges of the artwork using a brush.  Encaustic is painting with melted wax but this work is more like drawing ON top of the melted wax.

I love the warmth and feel of wax as a substrate for drawing.  It has it’s limitations and finding materials that work on top of the wax and remain without movement is tricky but there are so many you can use!  I love the softness of the Pan Pastels for coloring the surface and the oil pastels for drawing because it’s easy to build up the drawing but also carve into with a sharp tool.  If you are interested in trying this technique, I suggest getting a high quality drawing paper that is mostly paper and not rag content.  It should turn somewhat translucent when dampened or when wax is applied.  I’ve been using encaustic for a couple years now and it has become my favorite medium!  I love how versatile it is and how gorgeous the results are!  Mixed media is easy to incorporate  with this medium!

Supplies

Strathmore Drawing paper 100lb.
Vintage Pianoforte music paper
Text stamp (unknown source)
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Stamper’s Big Brush Pen in black
Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gel Medium
Crafter’s Workshop chicken wire stencil
Pan Pastels in Payne’s Grey, Phthalo Blue, Turquoise, Violet Shade
Gold Leafing
Encaustikos Beeswax Medium
Sofft Colorfin Art Sponges
Sennelier Oil Pastels and Soft Pastels
General’s Powdered Graphite

“Dwelling” Artwork

The other artwork I created was on a ceramic house sculpture that I made a while ago.  I used low-fire white clay to create this slab house that is about 8” high.  After bisque firing, I applied beeswax over the exterior of the sculpture.  On the sides of the house, I applied laser copies of nature images in an image transfer technique.  I cut out the images, laid them face down on the surface of the wax and burnished (rubbed) well.  The paper was removed and the images remained on the surface. Some more beeswax was added and more image transfers added to create depth.  I added a number tag by pressing into the wax and also added a roof with different papers cut into shingles.  I also added some wooden banner pieces mixed in.  All were adhered with melted wax.  This was a fun project to make and I plan to make a series of different sized house sculptures with similar themes.

Melted wax (encaustic) can be applied over any porous substrate/ surface.  Flexible surfaces may crack but wax is very flexible and durable!

Supplies

Amaco Lowfire White clay
Encaustikos Beeswax Medium
Studio Calico wooden banner pieces
Book paper
coffee sleeves
DCWV cork and burlap paper
Laser copy images

We hope you have enjoyed today’s project courtesy of Jennifer Matott. Be sure to stop by Jennifer’s blog to see even more of her beautiful work (and let her know we sent you). You can also find Jennifer on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Happy Crafting!