For this exercise we are asked to experiment using different materials ‘from the landscape’ mixed into paint to build up texture. Various materials are suggested.
As a bases, I decided to use gesso, mixed with PVA and a small amount of cadmium yellow acrylic paint, to create a clotted cream type of colour with thick consistency and laid my strips of texture down onto A2 Clairefontaine mixed media paper.
I used: Egg shells – ground and bashed up with a hammer; Sand texture gel (Galeria brand); Tea leaves taken from a tea bag; Crushed dried leaves from the garden; Dried Egg noodles, again bashed and broken up with a hammer and my hands; Rice; Pebble shards from the garden; Sisal fibres
tea mixing in with paint 
close up
I sprayed a dilute mix of orange/brown and red ink and water onto some of the strips and dripped isopropyl alcohol into the ink to see how it would react with the gesso and thick texture. I am pleased with this final piece – for me the tea bags created the most interesting effect. I made a short video to show the texture in more detail.
