Mastering Mixed Media
Creative Session with Joan Martin
Ink and Rooibos Tea Portrait Play
Stained & Drawn: A Rooibos Portrait Study
This playful and exploratory portrait class invites artists to loosen control and experiment with rooibos tea and red ink as expressive, unconventional materials. The process begins with intuitive staining—pouring, brushing, and allowing the tea to pool and bleed across the paper—encouraging curiosity, chance, and discovery. Red ink is then introduced through spontaneous, energetic lines, capturing gesture, mood, and character rather than perfection.
Once the initial layers have dried, artists will playfully work back into the portrait using coloured pencils, responding to the stains and marks already present. This stage invites layering, colour exploration, and problem-solving, as artists negotiate between intention and surprise. Emphasis is placed on testing ideas, taking risks, and embracing mistakes as productive moments within the process.
Rooted in experimentation and joyful mark-making, this class celebrates play as a powerful creative tool. The result is a portrait that feels alive and expressive—shaped by curiosity, material exploration, and the freedom to discover the image through play.
Creative Session with Joan Martin
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Join Mastering Mixed Media, where 37 incredible artists share their expertise in 40 inspiring art sessions – all designed to help you explore, experiment, and elevate your creative practice.
While the event is free to watch for a limited time, you can keep every session forever with the VIP Package! Valued at $760, this exclusive offer grants you lifetime, downloadable access to all lessons, so you can learn at your own pace, revisit your favourite techniques, and never miss a moment of inspiration.
Don’t miss out – secure your VIP access today and take your mixed media journey to the next level!
Buy now for only £99 £63!
Joan Martin’s free gift:
10 Mixed Media Play Prompts in a PDF. The free gift can be accessed through this URL – https://tinyurl.com/4ab8jwpx
Artist’s Product Spotlights
Joan Martin Newsletter
A behind-the-scenes look into Joan’s creative process. This newsletter features personal musings on art-making, updates on new collections, and deep dives into the philosophy of “embracing the random” to overcome creative blocks and perfectionism.
Joan Martin Instagram
Joan’s visual diary and gallery. Follow her for daily inspiration, time-lapse videos of her “scribble” portraits, and a vibrant display of her experimental techniques using unique tools like charcoal, ink, and tea-staining.
Joan Martin’s YouTube Channel: Visual Arts & Tutorials
A dedicated space for art education and demonstration. Joan shares free tutorials on expressive drawing, mixed media “Fishy Tales,” and tea-infused portraits, all designed to help artists of all levels find courage in their own creativity.
About Joan Martin
Joan Martin is a South African artist and high school art teacher at Reddam House Umhlanga, based in Umhlanga, Durban, on the tropical east coast of South Africa. Working primarily in mixed media, her practice is guided by curiosity, intuition, and creative courage. Joan Martin deliberately disrupts control in her process, often using unfamiliar tools or unpredictable materials to invite chance, transformation, and discovery. Mark-making, layering, and experimentation lie at the heart of her work, reflecting a belief that art is not a fixed destination but an unfolding conversation between artist and material.
Deeply committed to the value of play and exploration, Joan Martin embraces mistakes as essential catalysts for growth—both in her studio practice and in her teaching. Her work has been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions locally and internationally, including in South Africa, the USA, Canada, and France. Alongside her exhibition practice, she is regularly invited to lead workshops and present talks at art studios, galleries, and creative spaces, where she inspires artists to work bravely, trust the process, and rediscover the joy of making.
Find out more about this teacher by visiting their site:
https://m.youtube.com/c/joanmartin
Unlock Lifetime Creative Inspiration!
Join Mastering Mixed Media, where 37 incredible artists share their expertise in 40 inspiring art sessions – all designed to help you explore, experiment, and elevate your creative practice.
While the event is free to watch for a limited time, you can keep every session forever with the VIP Package! Valued at $760, this exclusive offer grants you lifetime, downloadable access to all lessons- so you can learn at your own pace, revisit your favourite techniques, and never miss a moment of inspiration.
Don’t miss out – secure your VIP access today and take your mixed media journey to the next level!
Buy now for only £99 £63!
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