Tag Archives: layers

March 27, 2016 · 1:18 pm

Growing in Art–Part Two

Hello again and Happy Easter!

This piece seems like a fitting way to start. I was in a state of joy when I created it, in a place of geographic joy, and a with people who bring me joy!

Used lots of found and upcycled items in the construction–scrap wood, muffin papers, sari ribbon, and circuit board remnants.

Another piece on canvas panel. Experiments with dripping Izinks ink, acrylic paints, stencils, ink pens, foam letters on corrugated cardboard colored with Shiva Paint Sticks, also used heated molded plastic, and Pico embellishers. I am learning more about water soluble vs. non-water soluble as evidenced by smearing of some of my details.

I still like to upcycle certain used clothing tags and here is a batch I did at Christmastime. It is a good way to use up all those little bits and bobs I have leftover from other projects.

Because who doesn’t love a pic of art supplies??!!

A sweet and swirly Valentine!

My latest on a canvas panel. Mounted on an upcycled backing from a frameless glass frame. I used modeling paste, a Patti Tolley Parrish stencil, Silks acrylic glaze, glass bead gel, Shiva Paint Stiks, a frame I filled with resin (and a worry doll), heat moldable plastic, a fortune from a fortune cookie, Pico embellishers, and well over a dozen layers. At one point I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I covered 95 percent of it in black paint and then uncovered parts and continued on. I really think that you have to hate your project at some point before you really get to something. Or maybe that’s just moi….

In any case I wish you all a good day and I welcome all comments!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

4 Comments

Filed under Doodlydoo, Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as black, flowers, glass bead gel, katyoparty, layers, mixed-media, paint, Patti Tolley Parrish, sparkle, texture

May 31, 2013 · 4:59 pm

Picture This–Hands and Hexagons

Recently I had the pleasure of hosting the May Swirly Girl Challenge on http://www.swirlydoos.com/sd_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?206934. As host I had artistic control over the theme and guidelines for the challenge. What to do? What to do? I’d recently started playing with the hexagon paper shapes and was considering ideas for using them. While brainstorming with them I placed a couple on my fingers thinking they would be the perfect size for use as rings. That got my little wheels turning and that is how my challenge theme was born. Hands and Hexagons.

I began looking through my photos for a candidate for my layout and hoping for further inspiration for using hands and hexagons. I came across this picture I took in Alexandria, Egypt, of one of the fisherman fishing off the ocean shore. I was amazed by how long the fishing poles were that they used. This particular picture I had printed in a rose colored tone for no particular reason. Perhaps the Universe knew all along I would need it to fit perfectly with the color scheme of this layout.

I traced my hands and cut them out. I am fascinated with the art of Mehndi so I used one of my stamps to simulate the look of that by stamping on the cutout hands. I shaded the edges to add some dimension and eventually glued them down around the picture as if they were framing the scene for the shot. Lots of layers and distressing underneath. Added my hexagon “rings” and simply could not resist some glittery nails!

I have a great appreciation for well-done hands by artists. One of my favorite hand artists is J. D. Hillberry. He does charcoal and pencil drawings and I own a few of his astounding pieces.

Here are links to a few:

Thanks for spending some of your time with me today. Your visit is appreciated.

Art Out With Your HeART Out

4 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as distressing, glitter, hands, hexagons, katyoparty, layers

March 20, 2013 · 10:48 pm

Spring Tag Tutorial

Hello Hello! Today I have a tag tutorial that features another SPRING theme. In spite of the snow that is forecast in the next couple of days I am moving headlong into spring. So–alittle background for this tag–

I have a thing for recycling. Not unusual–recycling is very popular right? I recycle cans, and paper, and glass, and all the usual stuff but I have a couple of less usual things I like to recycle art-wise–non-styrofoam packing materials and clothing hangtags. I’m not sure why I’m so enamored of these two items but I am. Sometimes when I unpack a new item I’m almost more excited about the packing than the actual item. When I look at packing materials I see all the texture and layers and it makes my heart go pitty-pat. Sometimes it’s hard for me to put packing material in the recycling bin and I can totally see myself hoarding it but as you know my art shack is small so I can’t.

Hangtags are my other weakness but on these I’m a bit more discerning. I don’t go for just any hangtag. They have to be a certain weight and it helps if they have interesting texture or pics or graphics or shape. It’s amazing how creative companies are getting with their hangtags these days! I really enjoy upcycling these tags into little works of art that I then use on greeting cards or presents.

So I made one spring tag and then decided to do a step-out photo tutorial and make another one. I started with these items

I first covered the Calvin Klein tag with gesso and then painted it with craft paint.

I used a couple of coats of gesso and then covered the tag thickly with paint. I applied the paint with a foam brush and let ridged brush marks form for extra texture.

I colored my flowers with Lindy’s Stamp Gang Starburst dye using the foam stamping applicator tip. I then spritzed with water to allow the color to blend a bit.

I like the distressed look so I roughed up the edges of my accent tag using my old school Making Memories distress tool.

I also did some inking of some of my elements to get that grungy distress look.

Then it was time to start putting all the pieces together.

I really like the way my background looks like painted wood with all the texture and the graining highlighted by the ink.

I use PVA glue to adhere most things. It dries clear and is virtually indestructible once it dries.

I added leaves and layered the flowers and a bit of raffia. Also added a butterfly stamp to the accent tag.

Put a few touches of gesso on a few areas to add a bit of shabbiness.

Here’s a couple of sprigs of spring! In my next post I’ll show you what I did with these tags! TFL!

1 Comment

Filed under Photo Tutorials, Tag Tutorial

Tagged as flowers, katyoparty, layers, recycle, shabby, spring, tag, upcycle

March 18, 2013 · 8:49 pm

Spring Has Sprung

Well at least in MY art shack! I am loving that there are warmer and sunnier days popping up more often. It has put me in the mood for vibrant colors and fresh new starts. I am so energized by sunshine. After the shorter and darker days of winter I love the renewal spring brings in nature and in my spirit as well.

Recently I created a mixed media canvas. The first one I’ve ever done completely on my own. I created one other mixed media canvas a couple of years ago at an art retreat class I attended, but that one was under the guidance and supervision of a wonderful and talented instructor (Kim Geiser of Persimmons Studio). This time I was under the influence of only myself and my sunshine energized spirit…. and, well, some chocolate. Rich, creamy dark chocolate….but I digress–back to the story of my canvas. A few months ago I was introduced to the Faber-Castell Gelatos by the Swirlydoos Kit Club (swirlydoos.com). I’d heard of gelatos and actually even had one in my possession from a gift bag I’d received at an art retreat, but I’d never actually tried it out. I received several gelatos in the kit from Swirlydoos and I’d had a chance to experiment with them and had fallen in love with them. Gelatos are water-soluble creamy crayon-type yummy goodness that come in many colors–many rich, vibrant, and very tempting colors. I knew I wanted to use gelatos to make a background for whatever I was going to do on my small (half-off clearance bin) canvas and I knew I wanted to use a particular flower stem that I had in my stash–again from Swirlydoos–so I set about working on my canvas. I primed my canvas with white gesso and used a combination of coloring and spritzing with water and blended with a brush.

I had no firm plan so I kept experimenting with the water and combining the different gelato colors and was finally satisfied with my background.

I wanted to add some texture so I got out my Golden Crackle Paste and a couple of Crafters Workshop stencils and some Luminarte Silks acrylic glazes. Here is the result:

I liked that the elements of the stencils I chose were of similar size and had a similar pattern.

Once I finished my background setup I wanted to incorporate my flower stem inspiration piece, some textured packing material, and some delicate butterflies I had previously misted. Over the next few days I worked on my canvas off and on in between other projects. I arranged, I rearranged. I added, I subtracted. I adhered my flower inspiration but I just couldn’t decide WHAT NEXT??? So I did what I often do when I’m troubled by ~~anything~~ a major dilemma—retail therapy. Art supply retail therapy. During the course of my “therapy” I found some really gorgeous and so so so beautiful trims in the color palette I was using on this project. It was the inspiration I needed and my project FLOWED!

I added my packing material.