Maryanne Rotelli aka Garden Witch

I have enjoyed making colorful things from a young age working with a variety of materials. In 2016, I attended a workshop on mixed media art journaling, and I fell in love.

Mixed media artwork allows the artist to use a variety of techniques and materials providing for endless creative possibilities. This art form feeds right into my need to use all my skills whenever I can. I’m a bit of a pack rat as well, so my art features materials such as: watercolor and acrylic paints, collage paper made using the gel plate press, colored pencils and pens, scraps from vintage books or magazines, pieces of fabric, you name it.

As I tell people, this art form feels very freeing because there is no right or wrong way to do it. If things aren’t working I can step back and reevaluate. Often I will just add another scrap of paper or layer of paint and find the project takes off in a whole new direction. I typically start a project with a theme, a color palette, or something that has caught my attention, and organically let the art unfold.