So I’ve been home feeling crap-tacular for almost 2 weeks. Basically living on the couch watching YouTube videos on the ipad and sleeping in the air con. I have been too sick to go out to buy supplies but did manage a mean bit of online shopping – I blame the fever. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
I did a ruthless grab in the art room and took an already completed canvas off the art shelf. Now, when I say finished, what I mean was I did a simple background and got too impatient to do more to it before I leapt into Teesha Moore style journal writing. And then because the writing was so busy, I couldn’t do much over the top. To be fair, I didn’t really know what else to do to finish it off anyway. So it wasn’t my best-est ever work, which is why I had the courage to paint over it. That and the fever meant the care factor was a lot lower than normal.
I used some of my brand new Titan Buff Golden Fluid Acrylic Paint from my online shopping spree and painted over most of the writing. I left a lot of the existing blue still showing because I was going to run with that colour. The Golden paint is quite see through, so you could still see the words but I figured they would get covered up from every thing else.
I stuck on some She Art coffee filter paper from Christy Tomlinson and scrapbook paper I had left over from here with matte medium. I’m a bit obsessed with red stripe paper at the moment. Not sure why. I’m turning into a red girl.
Then I used a Rhonda Palazzari stencil (baubles and circles) and Claudine Hellmuth blue Studio Paint. I love doing the reverse print after you’ve used the stencil the ‘proper way’. I often prefer the print you get that way too. I use my stencils to monoprint A LOT.
Then I used another Rhonda Palazzari stencil (arty marks) with some modeling paste and Ranger Jenni Bowlin red paint. It’s a beautiful maroon/aged red. Gor.ge.ous. I also added some Tim Holtz rub ons. Bit obsessed with numbers at the moment too. I put a layer of matte medium over these just to make sure they stayed stuck down and didn’t get scuffed as I handled them. I am very careful about how I use my rub ons. Always thinking “I don’t want to waste these on the project I’m working on now. What if I make something even nicer and I’ve used ’em all up”. I know, I’m an idiot. But I bet I’m not the only idiot. I’ve become a bit more ruthless about using stuff in my stash. And once it’s gone, it’s gone baby. Again, the fever may have helped a little with my ruthless abandon.
I kinda got to there and had to stop. Yes, because I felt like crap but also because I didn’t know what to do next. I did what I always do – I fell in love with the back ground and didn’t want to ‘ruin it’ but putting something over the top. I’m a shocker for that. I got up the next day and had one simple idea – rub some of the paint around the edges to give it a bit of a border. Next thing I know, I was on a roll. I added some credit card paint swipes over the areas that still looked like they needed a little somethin’ somethin’. Put a picture in the middle? Draw a face like my Jane workshop? I settled on a word and went rumbling through my small but sufficient lettering stash. Aha – after playing with some chipboard, I went with some army green fabric letters. I’ve loved those letters for a long time and I was finally gonna use them.
“I reckon I could paint over those with matte medium then sprinkle glitter on them”. I was lucky all the letters I needed were there and stuck them down with matte medium. While it was drying, I went looking for the pack of glitter I know I had around here somewhere…. Alas, the desk looked like a bomb had hit it (so in it’s usual state) – let’s just say I will never be featured in Where Women Create. And of course, I couldn’t find the glitter. I rubbed some red Neocolor II crayon around the letters which were almost kinda dry-ish – I am the Queen of Impatience after all, so you know they really weren’t even close to being dry. I blended the crayon with an Aquash brush.
Then I went through the drawers again in case I’d missed seeing the glitter and found some glitter glue from a long ago ‘planned but never started’ project. That’ll do. That’s not my usual catch cry but… fever. So I ran the glitter glue in a line over the letters and then gently smeared the glue, trying not to go over the edges of the letters.
As I was letting that dry, I drew around the letters with black pen, occasionally getting bogged in the still not dry matte medium I stuck the letters down with. I added some black water colour pencil and more Aquash water brush.
A couple of other ‘finishing off pieces’ like torn tickets, white Neocolor II crayon and it was all done. Not my usual style – this one was Christy Tomlinson inspired. But I learned lots playing with it. Making contrasting colours work together, layering, improvising with materials, using up your stash, how I work vs who I learn from – something that is really important to me. I don’t want to copy anyone and I think this still has the signature elements of my own style. Simple and not too busy. Vintage hues of colour. A strong, bold look. Super happy with it as a finished project. Go to whoa in two days. Yay for me!
That doesn’t happen very often. But, oh baby, it feels good when it happens.
Coral. xo
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