Adding Fabric to the Mix

by Karen Lynn Ingalls

"Begin It" • 12" x 12" • Acrylics and fabric on canvas • © Karen Lynn Ingalls

I've been working on a mixed media series, using quotations and a strong orange palette (it's such a joyful color!). I have a treasure trove of fabric scraps to cull through, but only a few of them worked with my colors. So, I was off to the fabric store, where I found a wonderful assortment of new fabrics to incorporate.

A good resource for mixed media artists wanting to incorporate fabrics into their work are "fat quarters," small portions of folded fabric intended for quiltmakers. I managed to find some beautiful batiks, three of which I incorporated into this painting, along with a fourth piece of material fished out of the treasure trove. 

The quotation, by the way, is a favorite of mine, from Goethe: "Whatever you would do, begin it. Boldness has courage, genius, and magic in it." It seemed appropriate for this group of images – what they asked of me was simply to dive in and begin.