14. Gallery of Work: Mixed Media Photographs
30" × 30". Image Transfer on Birch. I layered a texture with a photograph of a mountain lake. The texture breaks up the image, creating a foggy rendition of the scene that completely changes the original mood.
Tea Pot
20" × 30". Pigment Print Transfer on Glass with Pearl Backing. I found this silver tea set in a local antique store and then placed it on crumpled paper to photograph it. After adding in a texture, I transferred the image to glass with a pearl paint backing. I really like how the light reflects off the backing so that the image glows.
Flint Nature
60" × 60". Pigment Print Transfer on an Archival Art Panel. Mike Weber combined image transfers of animals with painted backgrounds to create a vintage look. He says of his work, “Synchronicity is the orchestration of the balance of life on our planet as it takes place in nature. Nature is balanced. Nature is energy in life and restoration. We need only look at the animals of our planet, which live in harmony, to see how this is manifested. They should serve as an example to us of how to live in harmony as well with a plan to what we do.”
Dance Party
16" × 20". Pigment Transfer on Milk Paint Surface. I had fun making my own milk paint—the hands-on aspect to this is something I’d encourage you to try (search the Internet for instructions). The paint is very easy to transfer to and when finished with a varnish of polyurethane, it looks like an acrylic resin surface.
Table Setting
18" × 18". Pigment Print on Backfilled Venetian Plaster. I found this pile of dishes in a flea market and took a picture. Some of the dishes are chipped so it seems like a perfect subject for the cracked plaster process. See the bonus chapter for the Venetian plaster transfer process.
Green House Bundle
11" × 14". WonderSauce Transfer on Rust-Stained Bamboo Plywood. I used both WonderSauce Clear and White to transfer the image. I then rinsed off the inkjet emulsion so it had a matte surface, which created the appearance of a watercolor painting on wood.
Old Rain
18" × 24". WonderSauce Transfer on Black Acrylic. This vintage umbrella from the mid-1800s had a lot of wear and tear and is a compelling subject. I used WonderSauce Clear around the border and White in the center, with an irregular application to add to the character of the umbrella.
Chicken Legs
18" × 24". Laser Engraving on a Birch Box. I used black Venetian plaster to backfill the engraving and then sanded it smooth to reveal the wood. As you can see, you can adapt the basic cracked plaster technique to other media. See the bonus chapter for the Venetian plaster transfer process.
Lost in Time
16" × 21". Pigment Transfer on Evolon. This is a new paper I’ve started using to create a vintage look like antique black and white photography. After the image dried, I washed it to remove some of the ink and reveal the texture of the paper. I love how the old and new combine to make a very unique image.