Mixed Media Textile Challenge

I've been working on this mixed media piece for a textile challenge in my Embroiders Guild group. I wanted to use lots of different materials. The challenge was to include polystyrene balls and metal.

First off I took some Khadi paper and used stencils to add some texture in gesso. You can just about see it in the picture below.

Next I decided to stay with the challenge and melt some polystyrene sheets to give a lacy texture. It gets quite thin and delicate.

I added colour to both the paper and the melted polystyrene with fluid acrylics and metallic acrylics. I sprinkled on some salt for more texture.

Once it's dry you can really see the gesso stencil marks and the speckled pattern where the salt has soaked up the paint.

Here's the coloured polystyrene piece.

I decided to tear both the paper and the melted polystyrene into strips and then I layered them to see how it might look.

I needed a bit more bling so I used foiling flakes to add some shine.

Next the paper was attached to a felt background using free motion embroidery.

To integrate the stitching and the paper I used Shiva oil sticks to add some colour to the background and cover up some of the white paper.

Meanwhile I used the soldering iron to melt and shape some thicker pieces of polystyrene to make some ammonites and a sea urchin. I painted these with acrylics.

I dry brushed on metallic paint to highlight the texture and then used a variegated thread to hand stitch some detail.

The challenge also had to include metal. I used Satz-On ink to stamp an ammonite onto some really thin copper sheet.

The ammonites were then free machine sewn onto the background.

To assemble the whole piece I cut some foam board slightly smaller than the frame I wanted to use. The felt background was mounted on this and stapled on the back (shhh don't tell the embroiders, they'd lace it properly!). The thin foam rock layers were mounted by pinning them on with small beads to support them underneath. The larger foam ammonites and urchins were glued on top using gel medium.

The piece is called "Teetering on the Edge of Extinction".