Open Call : The Big Book of Mixed Media Artists | Submissions Received so Far
There is something so exciting about watching an open call slowly fill up with artists from all over the world.
Since we opened submissions for The Big Book of Mixed Media Artists 2026, we have been seeing one fascinating approach after another land in our inbox. Different materials, different processes, different stories, and completely different ways of putting things together, and somehow, every submission reminds us of just how broad mixed media can really be.
We still have a few weeks to go, but there is already so much to look at.
So today, we wanted to pause for a moment and share a little of what has caught our eye so far. These are just 10 of the many wonderful submissions we have received, each one showing us a different way of thinking through materials, texture, image, and form.
The Big Book of Mixed Media Artists 2026
The Big Book of Mixed Media Artists 2026 is our celebration of artists who refuse to stay inside just one medium.
The project will bring together 100 artists from around the world in a professionally produced hardcover book, creating a collection that shows just how many directions mixed-media practice can take. Selected artists will receive a dedicated two-page feature in the publication, along with a certificate of recognition and promotion through the Arts to Hearts Project community.
There is no single look we are searching for. Mixed media can be bold and heavily layered, quiet and delicate, experimental, figurative, abstract, tactile, conceptual, or somewhere completely unexpected.
What we love most about this project is exactly that freedom. We want to see what happens when artists bring different materials and ideas together and make them their own.
What Exactly Is Mixed Media?
At its simplest, mixed media means bringing two or more materials, mediums, or processes together within a work. That could be paint and collage, photography and drawing, fabric and embroidery, printmaking and painting, found objects and sculpture, or digital imagery combined with handmade materials. There really is no fixed formula.
And that is what makes it so interesting.
Sometimes the materials are there for their texture or visual quality. Sometimes they carry memories, references, or personal meaning. A piece of fabric might connect a work to family or culture. An old photograph might bring a sense of memory into a new composition. A found object can completely change the story of a piece.
Mixed media is not simply about putting more materials into one artwork. It is about what happens when those materials meet, when one changes the way we see another, and when the process of combining them opens up possibilities that a single medium might not.
For artists who have never wanted to choose just one way of making, that openness can be incredibly freeing. And judging by what we have received so far, there are a lot of artists making very exciting use of it.
10 Submissions That Made Us Stop and Stare
Just like every Big Book series, we were over the moon when the submissions started coming in for this edition. And honestly, you have been giving us plenty to be excited about.
From intricate layering and unexpected material combinations to works where texture becomes almost as important as the image itself, the submissions so far have shown us just how personal mixed media can be.
Of course, these 10 are only a tiny glimpse of what has arrived so far. There are so many artists, ideas, materials, and stories still waiting to be discovered, and we cannot wait to see what comes through the door next.
For now, here are 10 submissions that made us stop, look twice, and stare a little longer.
1. Circuit Beach by Alexa Ashton
In the Artist’s words: “Capturing the rugged coastal topography of Lilli Pilli, this panoramic canvas fuses sculpted sand, clay, and rich earth mediums with layered epoxy resin. Churning, aerated white surf and vivid turquoise waters surge dynamically against weathered, stratified rock shelves.”
2. Multiflora by Frances Scott
In the Artist’s words: “Multiflora is a floral extravaganza. Hundreds of flowers, plants and shrubs grow in a luscious garden attracting butterflies and bees. Sunflowers, foxgloves and roses ramble through moss and ivy and in the undergrowth there are secrets hiding.”
3. The Guardian by Carolyn Hampton
In the Artist’s words: “A guardian angel who appeared to me in a dream — my intention was to create something that looks ancient, both Byzantine and Renaissance-inspired, yet also modern, with soft features. Many elements are hidden among the many layers of her dress: plants and flowers, hymnals, Bible verses, insects, etc.”
4. Man of the Sea by Michelle Larsen
In the Artist’s words: “Man of the Sea captures the strength and character of a life shaped by the elements. Deeply sculpted textures reveal a weathered face marked by wind, water, and time, creating a powerful portrait of resilience, experience, and the enduring spirit of the sea.”
5. Blue Bird Fly by Karen Leland
In the Artist’s words: “This series began as a happy accident. On an art day I set out to make photo transfers but the materials had other plans. So I followed the art where it wanted to go”
6. A Stroll in the Haagse Bos by Irina Rammos
In the Artist’s words: “Inspired by my walks through the Haagse Bos, this work reflects the sense of peace and grounding I find in the forest. Away from the pressures of daily life, these moments in nature offer a space to slow down, reconnect, and find quiet serenity.”
7. I’m Fine by Naba Faizi
In the Artist’s words: “I’m fine rarely tells the whole story. Women carry motherhood, relationships, and the worlds weight until rest becomes the only option — and only then do we ask what went wrong. This piece honors that quiet resilience: existing without being present, still creating something amazing. Women are powerful, wondrous beings.”
8. Azul by Jean Pederson
In the Artist’s words: “This painting explores the continuum of existence, from the smallest particles of the universe to the complexity of living creatures. Through layered mixed media, fragmented imagery, texture, line, and color, microscopic forms merge with life. The rabbit becomes a vessel, connecting unseen structures of matter with consciousness, movement, and being.”
9. Garden of Yellows and Reds by Lisa Brown
In the Artist’s words: “The sky is a brilliant blue which has had salt sprinkled on it to give it a texture. I added a garden by painting, twisting and folding specialty papers to create the flowers.and embellished them with beads. The foreground is painted lace paper which I tear. “
10. Summer Daisy by Helena Kotnik
In the Artist’s words: “This watercolor painting presents a surreal, dreamlike, encounter between a human figure, nature, and a Nordic-looking architectural landscape. The upside-down composition creates a sense of reflection and psychological displacement, while the soft colors, delicate lifework, and fragmented details evoke memory, identity, and the relationship between inner and outer worlds.”
Three Weeks Left to Share Your Work
And just like that, we are entering the final three weeks of submissions!
The Big Book of Mixed Media Artists 2026 is open until September 21, and artists working across mixed materials, techniques, and processes are invited to apply. Whether your practice combines painting and collage, textiles and drawing, photography and paint, found materials, digital processes, sculpture, or something entirely your own, we want to see it.
If selected, your work will become part of a hardcover collection featuring 100 mixed-media artists from around the world, with each selected artist receiving a dedicated two-page feature, certificate of recognition, and opportunities for promotion through Arts to Hearts Project.
So if you have been thinking about submitting, this is your little reminder: you still have time.
Bring us the layers, the experiments, the unexpected combinations, the materials you cannot stop working with, and the piece that feels most like you.
We cannot wait to see what comes next.
