It's Not Your Mother's Decoupage

Trying some new and interesting techniques on this one. I used distress ink on top of the entire tree canopy (my fingers look like I was just printed...) but the messiness was worth it. It's supposed to create an vintage look for photographs, but I read about using it on mixed media pieces. I think it gives the tree an aged look, but also adds to the textural feel of it overall. Also, cut papers and stamps of leaves to create a tree top that I really am happy with.

This is what I got, so far. The messenger figure is salvaged from a vintage birthday card, and I created my own paper cut-out hearts. The acorns are from a magazine photo - when I saw them, I immediately cut them out, as knew I would use them eventually in a mixed media piece -this was the perfect spot for them. I also drew the basic outline for my angel on the left, and am thinking about distressing the entire angel image with ink before I paint it in. A mermaid will be swooping in from the right from cresting waves, (you can faintly see her), but I have yet to insert that last image. The finishing touches will be the inspirational words throughout. They'll have to wait till last.

Phase Two: defining images...the support rocks, and waves and sand -done; tree of life almost done. I think I'll be inserting some more smaller circles, but use metallic paint...keep the Klimt feel going. And the tree trunk will be more stylized too. My art always feels much more 'successful' to me when it does not become too 'painter-ly'. Even though I love Renoir, I always relate much more to Klimt. Know what I mean?? Anyway, it's all about trees lately people! And words with art. It's going. It's a beginning.

He's Got A Rider....

the seahorse, that is. I created the mermaid with colored pencils and then exacto-ed her out and onto the seahorse and the main piece. I've included her 'naked' photo too...thought it was kinda cool the way the simplicity of her outline contrasted with the pencils. I snapped that one when trying to decide on colors for her body. It's coming along...

The seahorse is in!

The seahorse is decidely in. This guy was drawn directly onto scrapbooking paper that I thought had a cool ocean feel to it. I used colored pencils to accentuate. Gotta love my exacto for all this stuff.

I made another art noveau motif, but this time in cooler shades and using silver in the background. I am now out of silver paint pens. This paper is killer! It is so luxuriously thick, that it is screaming for water colors...and wouldn't ya know...there are none in my house at the moment. What happened to the gajillion kid watercolor sets I used to find all over the basement floor? "I don't know" is the answer I got today, so they are on my AC Moore list...for me.

You can see where the paint pen started skipping and running out of paint. Also, another difficulty of using paint pens with marker (or I imagine any other medium) is that it is difficult to cover the painted areas. These are small enough that it is no big deal, and will probably be covered in part by other pieces in the 'big picture'. I'm looking forward to getting some watercolors and seeing the end results using this paper. Definitely not something I'll use often, but I think the textures it creates have a nice accenting effect.

My macabre answer

to a recent prompt on my favorite poet's page. It was for the word UNREQUITED, and it was supposed to be an acrostic poem. Of course, after I really looked up the definition of an acrostic, I realized that I could have used some more words per line, but screw it. The minimalist, hard core approach with which I created this beauty is totally in line with my mindset for several weeks. On top of the NEVER ENDING sickness in my household, I've also got a shitload of home maintenance problems...and it just started to get warm folks! Won't even brooch the 'happiness on the homefront' issues (not). sooooo, anyway.....this is what I got...

creepy, right! Yes! I like it too, I mean really...as far as composition goes, I think it really works, and it was fun as hell to create. It ain't pretty folks, but art often isn't. It helped me to see that I need to get back to my collaging efforts. I seem to have more fun with them, and all in all, I'm able to be quite more expressive.

On a brighter note, despite the recent shitstorm, I'm getting into shape and am consistently losing weight. So that's one really good thing. As long as the weather continues like it has been, I can schlep my kids with me to the reservoir, (or to the YMCA, in any event). Will try for something a bit more cheerful next post - but I'm not promising anything. :)

Something new from something old

Maybe it takes a snowed-in weekend to get around to creating something that's been 'on the table' for awhile. This collage is one such piece. I've had the parts of it -hand colored copies of photos, magazine cut outs and colored pencil drawings - for some time, but hadn't envisioned the collage as a whole.

 

It is a paper collage of me and my sister and our mom, from way back...much longer ago than I can remember. I guess snow days also allow quiet time to reminisce, to remember, to think about all that is, what could have been, and what is to come. Some people , they say, leave an indelible mark on our souls, even after they've left us. All of the memories I have of my mom are vague, at best - but, in my mind's eye, I imagine a loving steady relationship between the three of us...we three.