Art By Jan Bolton

Functional as well as beautiful, tile collages can be used as framed art, tabletop accessories, trivets, coasters, paperweights or installed on the wall as actual tile for kitchens, bathrooms, bars, countertops and more. They have a tough, resin finish making them functional against hot pans or tea kettles. Some have rubber backs making them resistant to sliding around. And if you’re looking for original gifts to give, these fit the bill beautifully!

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun these are to make. There is not a single step (and there are many), that I don’t look forward to. The time involved is extensive, but the results are magical–and they’re even more beautiful when you see them in person!

Since this is a combination of different mediums, it could easily fall into the “Mixed Media” category, but it is so unique I have given it its own special recognition.

I am attracted to fluid oil paints. The magic that happens when playing with this medium is nothing short of spellbinding because you can’t truly control it! But it is fun to find ways to manipulate the oils and create pieces that I pretend I had control over. There is a lot of mystery in paintings using this medium.

I have been working with Acrylics since I was a child and have discovered a simplified, easy way of painting that pleases my sensibilities while pleasing others as well. I have learned to not get too precise, too perfect in my strokes and to allow the freedom that comes when I simply express what I see. It took me many years to find that part of me.

I am still exploring new ways and new techniques with this medium. I love combining it with other mediums and finding what new ideas come from that journey.

Encaustic is an ancient art form utilizing beeswax, allowing you to fuse layers and layers of color and materials together creating a slightly hidden history while you are creating your piece. I'm addicted to the magnificent feel of it and love experimenting with a variety of compatible materials for my Encaustic collages, everything from pieces of string, to torn papers, to interesting and/or rusty objects, Looking for these unexpected objects is half the fun of doing the piece.

Mixed media is fun and has become somewhat of a signature for me. I am a bit of a scavenger by nature and this is a great way to use and reuse found objects I have hung onto because I liked the texture, or the color, or the shape or the novelty of it. Layering, glazing, embedding materials, drawing; I can get lost in my art for hours, often bringing in other mediums, tools and techniques to the process.

The silky, smoothness of the wax allows me to feel what the painting wants to be. I know that sounds weird, but as I make marks and shapes, it starts to talk to me and guide me through (until I start to overthink and get in my own way!). I am learning, not only about the art medium, but about myself as I explore (and battle) the process.

I love working with Alcohol and Waterbased Inks. The colors are so brilliant, and It is so relaxing and mesmerizing to watch the inks interact with one another, I kind of go into a trance or another zone where I lose myself and just react to the art process itself. I have yet so much to learn, but the journey is fabulous!