If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that I’m an avid gardener. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of helping my grandparents in their gardens. Picking up rocks and potatoes, weeding, and biting into a sun warm tomato while I stood right there in the garden. Juice dripping down my chin, sun shining on my head and the aroma of soil and growing things all around. Heaven!

So when the good folks at Plaid asked me if I’d like to help them celebrate the 50th birthday of Mod Podge I jumped at the chance to create art that was inspired by my love of gardening and tasty veggies. Garden Inspired Mixed Media – Tomato is only part of what I came up with.

This is a sponsored post on the behalf of Plaid Enterprises and Mod Modge. All thoughts are my own. 

This is one of those projects where I had a basic idea of what I wanted to create but not an exact process. So, I started pulling supplies off of shelves and out of drawers and here is what I ended up using. This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. If you purchase an item after clicking a link I may make a teeny tiny commission at no extra cost to you.  Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Supplies:

• Mod Podge – Matte Finish
• FolkArt Ultra Dye in Venom Green
• Art Alternatives Wood Panel Super Value Gallery 12×12 Pack of 3
• Bernz-O-Matic Micro Flame Butane Torch Kit
• Scribbles Alphabet by Rhonna Farrer – old stock
• Faber Castell Gelatos Mix and Match Crayon Pack of 12
• Pitt Big Brush Pen – White
• Paint brushes – wide, stencil, fine line
• Tsukineko Inkpad, Tuxedo Black
• Scrapbook Paper – K&Company Que Sera Sera Designer 12-by-12-Inch Paper Pad plus more
• FolkArt Handmade Charlotte Laser Stencils
• EK Success Cutter Bee Precision-Cut Scissors
• Uchida of America Bundle, Two Sets of  Le Plume II Bright Pen Set and Le Plume II Garden Pen Set

Instructions:

1. Lightly sand the wood canvas and then brush Plaid Ultra Dye on. Let dry.
2. Coat the board with Mod Podge and smooth the base layer of paper over top. I use my fingers to smooth it down. Coat the paper with a coating of Mod  Podge and let dry.
3. CAREFULLY use the torch to scorch the board and burn the edges of the paper. Be sure to ventilate the area where you are working.
4. Set aside to cool and completely dry.
5. Pull out scrabook papers that have the colors of the vegetables that you want to create – in this case tomatoes and vines
6. Once the background is cool and completely dry use the stencil to paint a few areas with polka dots.
7. Add random designs such as lines and hashtags with the Pitt Artist Pen. Let dry.
8. Smudge a little blue Gelato onto a few areas and blend it in with your finger.
9. Cut out vines, leaves, stems and tomatoes from paper. I just eyeballed it and made it up as I went along.
10. Arrange the pieces the way you like and then adhere them with Mod Podge. After all of the pieces are in place seal with a coat of Mod Podge. Let dry.
11. Outline the vines, leaves and tomatoes with markers to add dimension and cover the raw edges of the paper.
12. Add highlights with the PITT Artist Pen.
13. Stamp the word “TOMATO” across the top with stamps and ink. TIP: You may want to go back over the inked work with a black Sharpie to fill in any areas where the ink might be lighter.
14. Add low lights with green and red Gelatos and smudge the color with your finger.

Garden Inspired Mixed Media – Tomato

I know it might look like a long process but it’s really not. And I totally love the finished piece. So much so that I’ve already started on TWO MORE! The process of creating this was so much fun!

Also, I loved creating on top of the Mod Podge, it makes a surface that accepts colors but you can also easily blend or even wipe away areas making it fun to create mixed media art with.

Now I’m off to the studio to work on those other pieces. I’ll share them when I have them done.

Garden Inspired Mixed Media – Pepper

Garden Inspired Mixed Media – Eggplant