Whimsical Art: Paper-mâché Birds & Mushrooms for Beginners

Ready to shape your imagination into something delightfully quirky? Dive into the wonderfully tactile world of paper-mâché in this relaxed, beginner-friendly class!  

We’ll start from scratch, guiding you step-by-step as you learn to transform humble strips of paper and paste into lightweight, charming sculptures. You’ll craft playful beginner shapes—think cheerful little birds and enchanting woodland mushrooms—then bring them to life with paint and personality.  

By the end of our time together, you’ll not only understand the basics of building strong, airy paper-mâché forms, but you’ll also turn your creations into unique hanging art pieces—ready to add a touch of handmade whimsy to your home, porch, or garden.  

About the teacher:

Christen McNelley of Artistic Wonderland is a mixed media artist living and working out of Chattanooga, TN. She has been making things as long as she can remember. As a child, she was surrounded by super creative women who always let her work right along side them. From pot holder weaving to clay sculpting and acrylic painting, nothing was ever off limits. This sparked a love of exploring all types of mediums and watching an idea be born into existence. 

After raising a family and spending 12 years as an ER trauma nurse, Christen decided to chase her childhood dream of being an artist. She creates in a wide variety of mediums from paper mache, photo props and living canvas to watercolor and resin work. She most often creates intuitively and loves to explore new ways to mix mediums to create texture, depth, intrigue, and maybe even a hidden message or two.  Recycling and upcycling vintage materials to give them a new life inspires her. 

Christen has taught fluid arts, mixed media techniques and intuitive creating workshops. She has shown her art at pop-ups, at ClearStory, in her shop at Vinterest Southside, at Wanderlinger Art Gallery and AVA. 

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -Pablo Picasso

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