Paper & Skin: A Mixed Media Photo Transfer Project
There’s something quietly magical about lifting an image from the page ~ and watching it take on a whole new life.
That’s exactly the feeling I kept coming back to when I was working on this project. I played with photo transfers using gel medium, a technique that’s equal parts delicate and delightfully unpredictable.
With a few favorite photos and some simple tools, I explored the art of creating translucent, weathered images that look like they’ve lived a life.
Some images I chose were moody black and white trees. Others were bold with color. But every image had a story, and every transfer added a little more soul to stitched books, swatch cards, and journal pages.
I love working with a mix of image styles and sizes, the contrast of grayscale and vivid tones, and how softening the lines creates a worn, soulful finish. The beauty of this process? It’s wonderfully imperfect. And that’s where the magic really blooms.
Here’s what made this project so inspiring to me:
Those “less-than-perfect” edges give photo transfers their beautifully aged feel (and I’ve learned to love them completely).
Personal photos layered into a piece can evoke so much emotion and memory. There’s something about seeing a familiar image in a new context that stops you in your tracks.
The tactile experience of working with skins and paper is a chance to slow down and get your hands messy in the best way.
Stitching and swatching met image and ink in unexpected, joy-filled combinations I didn’t plan (they just happened).
Paper & Skin is about showing up, playing with materials, and finding joy in the process. No pressure. Just possibilities.
