Shattered

I have been on a painting whirl this last few weeks - inspiration is just got me going.  How individuals get inspired is different for each.  I am often simply inspired by a shape, a color, a doodle....what? a doodle? Yuppers!

I have been seeing many doodle images similar to the one I have used in this piece. I thought for a few minutes if I really wanted to actually 'doodle' all the shattered look...then I thought nope! I'm, going to stencil it!

Here is a look at my process...

Using an 18x24" gallery wrapped canvas - I got to work.  Even though most artist grade canvases come pre-gesso'd, I still prefer to put a good coat or two on - not sure why...one day perhaps I will try doing one without and see if there is a difference.

I used DecoArt Media Prussian Blue Hue and Titan Buff along with Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid.  I find using the glazing liquid offers me not only more open time, but also amazing blending opportunities.

I used a large painters angle brush to apply and then (the same but) separate one to blend. As I started with my layers, I added more Titan Buff to one side, making sure to use short yet fluent strokes.

I introduced a smaller firm brush (1"), my current fave is a bright brush - shorter bristles, yet still firm.  Really like the visual texture they provide. 

 

 Now it was time for the stencil to be introduced.  I have this in my shop - but alas I was not aware! I did a google search for 'shattered stencil' hoping I would find something - yes!! Once I discovered there was one, I searched my shop and luckily there were some still in stock. It is called Shattered Triangles by Crafter's Workshop (Designed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer #TCW562).

I laid it out over the canvas where the two colors intersected. I used Liquitex Heavy Body Titanium White Acrylic paint and applied using a Sofft sponge applicator.

I simply flip, flopped, turned, rotated and moved the stencil across the divide to get the effect I was after.  

Now came the time I was continually rotating the canvas to see where I wanted to go next.  There is something to be said about doing this, along with taking photos!  I would rotate it, take a photo, rotate, take a photo, rotate....you get the idea!  I would walk away, come back and look with fresh eyes, hoping it would speak to me as to which way I would continue on...

I finally decided it was going to be a vertical piece, but was now trying to decide if I wanted the light or dark side to be the focal.  Oh the struggles... 

Then came an idea!  I pulled out my Donna Downey Studios stencil that I picked up when I took one of her classes a year and a half ago. This jumbo stencil is fabulous.  I actually have two of them.  One is cut and the other is intact. This stencil is called Silhouette Duo and measures 21x28" and is fabulous!

I taped it onto the canvas so I could decide where I wanted it placed.  For a day it sat like this and I struggled, so kept walking away.  I was about to start putting it down and had moved the stencil to the left and voila! it came to me...I offset it and it all came together.

I taped the stencil down off to the left, and then laid the Shattered Triangles stencil over top of the silhouette image.  I once again used the Liquitex Heavy Body paint and started fitting it into the space.

I really liked how it was coming along.  What was othering me was the 'gaps' in the silhouette and the filled in triangles (solid white), so once again I had to take photos and sit back and look.

I pulled out a fineline bottle filled with Titanium White High Flow paint and 'filled' in the gaps.

There was still something really bothering me about this image - do you see it? The blob of white on the right hand side of the silhouette. This space would be the space between the arm and the waist - it was wrong.

I took a baby wipe and cleaned it off and then re applied the stenciled image over the silhouette stencil again using the heavy body white.

Much better... 

I have since added another string of the shattered triangles, however; I am struggling on whether it belongs or not.  I have stepped away for now. As I sit here and look at it I am thinking of taking it away and continuing the shattered towards the top right corner...hmm.

Anyhoo...for now it it will sit.  I have started work on another for my son - one he asked for back in January (mentioned in an earlier post here). I finally have the base done enough that I am happy with it, want a peak?

It seriously looks looks suede!  It is a mix of Titanium White, Black, Titan Buff and Grey along with glazing liquid of course.  The canvas is a Gallery Wrapped 16x40".

To get this effect, I use many sheets of deli paper (often crumpled then opened up again) as paint pick ups. Yes, simply lay them onto to wet surface, burnish with your hand (or brayer, depending on how much paint you want to pull up) and pull back.  I do this several times using the same sheet so the paint sticks to paint...it provides an amazing visual texture.  Next on the agenda is the image transfer of lyrics to many of his favorite songs.  Wish me luck...

You can usually find me more often over on Instagram or one of my Facebook Pages W2 Scrapbooking Mixed Media & Art Studio (only until end of 2018 then it will be removed) or the newer W2 Studio Arts (be sure to like & follow).

Don't forget to check out the online store - there are loads of great deals to be had with this being the last year - stock is moving fast! Be sure to use the coupon codes, they can be found on the home page.

until next time...

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REMINDER: The shop will be on 'vacay' for the first two weeks of June.  Even though you will still be able to submit orders, I will not be filling, shipping nor replying to emails.

Once Upon a Stencil.... Inspiration?

The struggles are real....

When ideas are going through your head, they do not always translate to the palette, in more ways than one!  Here is a gooder...

Using water on Yupo again, I adhered torn copies of the Traci Bautista stencil Soulful Scribbles (L608) that I scanned on my printer.  Using a good amount of water with the Golden Soft Gel Medium I placed them down.

Using Dina Wakley's new color release (Sedona) and a very wet palette, I applied a heavy coat using a crosshatch motion with my brush strokes.

Now using the stencil. I started wiping away some of the color.

I really like the image/texture you get when you start cleaning before it is dry.  And for a change, I actually dry it a this point.

The addition of Peacock...

hmmm, not really happy at this point - not liking my color choices. Just a tad too dark for me.

So I start to pull off using the same stencil, continuing to move, turn, flip and flop it over the paper.

Another layer of the the scanned stencil goes down in hopes of saving it...

The addition of Eggplant to the rescue? 

Marine?

Can you say HOT MESS?!?!

Stencil to the rescue? I start to clean up some of the color rubbing it off through the stencil with a baby wipe.

I added some Olive, thinking it would help....

I had way too much paint, not to mention moisture so was really getting a hot mess on here.

Stencil back to the rescue, along with a good amount of baby wipes!

Seriously Wendy...I was about to abort the piece...

When it doubt...fix it with white!!

I started applying white paint with my palette knife and tried to mimic some of the marks from the stencil ...epic fail!

So why not just add yet another lay of the scanned stencil to save the day?! Nope...

Heavy Gesso it is! And a good heavy coat of it!

Using my favorite mark making tool (the flower pick), I started making marks again similar to the stencil itself.  Again, I was about at a loss here...

Stencil it is!

Putting a sheet of Deli Paper over the stencil, I burnished it with my had to see if I could pick up some of the paint and hopefully leave some texture behind.

Success....however, now what can you do with that?

Why, bring yet another stencil into the mix of course! Traci Bautista's Soulful Scribbles Let Go (L607) and a baby wipe to take away some of this mess (hopefully).

Now we're talking!  Liking were it was going finally.

Really like how the white tone the sharpness of the color palette I had chosen.

Now I used my brayer in a why I like and that is to simply roll it over the entire substrate while still wet and blend it all together.  I also added some of the Olive back into the mix to take away the starkness and provide some depth. 

As some layers began to dry, the textures started to show through.

Of course I need to add more color....I just couldn't leave this one alone! You can even see some scribble marks in here as I was trying everything in my arsenal to save this!

okay...stencil to the rescue? yet again!

Getting there...look, I was scrubbing so hard I started pulling up the layers of previously adhered papers! 

Time to add some more color, this time I blended Buff & Olive together.

Only applied it in strategic areas and then used the stencil to pull some off of course.

Needless to say, I have pulled yet another stencil, Traci Bautista's Soulful Scribbles Unfold (L609)

Hope you are still with me, because needless to say, I am still not happy with how this is going.  So the addition of  Magenta to the rescue (I hope) along with the stencil & baby wipe!

One last ditch to save it...the addition of white!  Just a little through the stencil , picking and choosing the areas of the stencil I wanted to fit with my lines.

SUCCESS!! Finally! I know I turned the stencil and the paper so many times I no longer even knew which way was up anymore.  And do you want to know the funniest thing? From start to finish....

...it took me 67 minutes!

It may not be one of favorites, but knowing what I went though, I must say I am happy (enough) to finally walk away from it. You will no doubt see pieces of it in the future, somewhere in my art.

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You can usually find me more often over on Instagram or one of my Facebook Pages W2 Scrapbooking Mixed Media & Art Studio (only until end of 2018 then it will be removed) or the newer W2 Studio Arts (be sure to like & follow).

Don't forget to check out the online store - there are loads of great deals to be had with this being the last year - stock is moving fast! Be sure to use the coupon codes, they can be found on the home page.

until next time...