The joys and pitfalls of layering…

It was a busy day at work. Worked more hours this week than any week since I started my job this past July. Consequently, working on anything art related took a backseat. I spent the first day of my two days off mostly sleeping, trying to recoup my energy while treating head congestion. Luckily, the congestion seems to be subsiding and not advancing into anything major.

Yesterday was my second day off of work, and towards evening I decided to try and work on Week 32 of Life Book 2017. I started two pages at the same time trying to mimic what Jodi Ohl was teaching. However, one of them I started having issues with peeling paint off of the page after a variety of layers. The other one was way too dark to do anything with. I tossed the one that started peeling because it just got worse and worse no matter what I did. The second one I have kept for now probably just as a reminder of what not to do.

It was too late at night to try a third so I decided to wait until morning. Before going to bed, I hear clearly to work with what I love, which I knew meant to go with watercolor. When I got up in the morning that is exactly what I did. Here is the result:

This isn’t anything like what Jodi Ohl taught but that wasn’t the point of the class. The class is called “Unveiling Yourself” which is what this piece did. The first two attempts taught me that acrylic paint isn’t my medium. It confirmed thoughts I have been having lately about acrylic paint. Acrylic paint for me is becoming a medium which I use as an enhancer so to speak. Let me explain the process I went through when I made this so maybe you will understand what I mean.

I started out with watercolor paper, taping it down to help prevent curling because I knew I would be using a lot of water at first. I wet the paper thoroughly and then added a light layer of watercolor for the background using yellow, red and blue. I let that dry.

The next layer I chose acrylic paint to use through my stencil. I chose brown, yellow orange, and red. I used another stencil to add some black dots. I used a makeup sponge and a light layer of acrylic through the stencils. Then I returned to using watercolor, yellow, purple, blue and red, to add a deeper color around the stenciled areas. Then some green in the area where I used the brown paint through the stencil. This was to bring some of them to the foreground. I let this layer dry.

The next layer I chose to use a brayer to layer on some white acrylic paint, and some gold acrylic paint. Then I chose handmade acrylic sprays, yellow, pink, red, blue, bronze and black. Each of the sprays ended up spraying differently due to their nozzles being slightly clogged. Some people don’t like when that happens but I like the randomness and unpredictability of it. In some places the black was way too much so I blotted it with a paper towel. I let this layer dry.

I stopped using paint at this point and picked up my gel pens. It is hard to see in the picture but I used green gel pen around the pattern on the brown stencil, orange around the yellow orange stencil and purple around the red stencil areas. Then added the stems and leaves with blue, teal and green gel pens. The last thing I did was use black stabilo all pencil and a wet brush to add some shadow.

I love the results I received from this process much better than the previous two attempts when using acrylic paints layered with glue for crackling effect, spackle for texture and paper collage. I had problems on one of them with the paint peeling after several layers. The other one ended up way too dark. This one looks a whole lot better in person. The only thing I might add to the process would be a couple more layers of watercolor and stencils using acrylic paint to give it more depth and interest. I, however, am thoroughly satisfied with how this one came out.

When I used acrylic paint in this process I used very light layer of paint, applying it with a makeup sponge. The issues I had with peeling was either due to too thick a layer of acrylic paint or not letting my page dry enough between layers. Or it could have been because of using glue to create the crackle effect. I will have to buy a crackle medium to see if I have any different results.  The thing is I had the absolute BEST crackle effect with the glue this time. I had large crackles and I had some really small crackling. It was absolutely scrumptious. Unfortunately, it isn’t visible any more on the page I kept. At least I know now how to create such an effect or that I can do it with the Elmer’s white glue all that I used. I just might not be able to layer too much over top or I have to make sure it dries thoroughly between all the layers.

The other thing that pictures don’t show is the physical texture. Using a mixture of watercolor and acrylic paint gives that page a very pleasing surface texture than a page that is done only with acrylic paint. I didn’t use any texture paste or collage or crackle mediums on this page and yet the texture on it is like the taste of food on my tongue except it is texture on my fingers. If that makes any sense. It just feels yummy.

I will definitely be experimenting with this process in the future.

I decided to include the picture of the page I kept that was too dark. The second picture is a close up of the crackling effect I got using just Elmer’s white glue all. I might be able to save this page but I’m afraid I would end up covering up the crackling effect. Or I might use it as collage on other pages, just not sure. This page taught me a lot which I will definitely be able to use on other pages.

Multi Day Spread

I’m am taking Book of Days 2017 class which is a year long class given my Effy Wild. In Week 11, Effy has a lesson about creating multi day spreads. I LOVE THIS LESSON. I can’t go into the details of the lesson, so will just show my progress so far. If you want to learn more, you can join her year long course Book of Days. This class isn’t just about techniques on how to use your different mediums to create art. It is about meeting yourself on the page. For the content she provides, it is worth the price of admittance. She is unbelievably generous in pricing, otherwise, I could not afford it. Thank you Effy! I am learning so much!

I begin with Monday, my first day working on my MDS (multi-day spread).

Monday, focal image

I do not plan any of the days in advance.

Tuesday, view of complete spread

Tuesday, close up

Some days, I have no idea what I’ll be doing, and I just start adding color to the page.

Wednesday, full spread

Close up

Slightly different angle

Wednesday was one of those days.

Thursday a bit closer

Thursday close up

Thursday full spread

Thursday, I had a plan. It was a strange day, waking up hopeful, happy and excited, then by evening, after a nap, feeling as though I hadn’t accomplished anything, and feeling scattered.

The more I work on this art journal spread the more I feel the desire to try something like this on canvas. I have never worked with canvas before. I have wanted to for a very long time and I think trying something like the techniques I used in this spread would be the perfect thing to try on canvas.

I used mostly Inktense pencils in this spread so far, along with some acrylic sprays I created by just adding water to my acrylic paint in a spray bottle. I layer colors until I’m happy with how it looks. Paint pens, gelly roll pens, uniball signo white pen, pilot super color gold pen, are just some of the tools I used for the details. The stencils are my own creation.

Each day I am thrilled with how my daily addition has added to the spread and created a cohesive view of my week so far. I won’t be doing Saturday and Sunday but I would not be surprised to include them on future spreads.

Because it is Friday, I will wait to post this until I do my Friday addition and can show the completed spread. So, I’m saving this post so far and will return to it later tonight or tomorrow.

I’ve been having a conversation online with some friends about working through fear, finding what works for us, getting past the frustrations and what causes frustration to begin with. I’ve dealt with this very thing for most of my life.

In the past, two weeks, I picked up “The Artist Way”, by Julia Cameron. I only just started week two. Week one was powerful. It gave me insight into my negative thoughts, how to alter them into positive thoughts, and ways to discover their origination. What I find wonderful about this book is at the end of each week’s chapter she provides a list of tasks to work on. There are a lot of tasks. You don’t have to do them all. You can select the ones you want to do. These tasks reinforce the process she speaks about as well as help you dig deeper into your past to find out what is causing the blocks, negative thoughts and so forth.

I mentioned this book in our discussions because for me it is giving me a process to follow. A much needed process to work through what has blocked my way for so many years. I fumbled my way through my life for a long time, and at times,  stumbling upon things which worked for me. And… sometimes, forgetting about them as I got lost again in my internal self made drama, because I didn’t know the tools to stop the self-sabotage. This book is about learning the tools that you can use for the rest of your life.

Ever since, the end of last year, when I decided to make a concerted effort to heal, using art to do so, it has been like a tiny trickle of water has gradually grown into a river and the flood gates are being opened. I now find myself having a multitude of choices and having to let my inner wisdom be my guide as to which choices are the best ones for me. Each choice has opened up more gates increasing the flow of knowledge and understanding.

Someone once said, once you hear a thing, you can’t unhear it. Or something like that. For me, this is so true, once I know a thing, I can’t unknow it. Without the appropriate intent, it can end up left at the side of the road until something brings you back to it to take it back up again but the knowing is always there.

The problem is if you don’t know the process to acquire the knowledge you seek, it can be a very difficult path to travel. I am learning that until we show the great Creator/God/Universe that we are serious about our intention, then we will only receive the minimum amount of help, just a bit of bait dangling to see if we are serious enough to take a bite of it. We are given more and more opportunities if we continue to take what is offered and utilize it. This week’s spread and the classes I am being drawn towards definitely reflect this concept. I am being overwhelmed by the amount of help available, some of it free, some of it expensive, some of it not free but within my means.

Here is my completed spread:

I am absolutely thrilled how this came out. Considering how long I have been learning multi media art (not all that long), I think I’m doing really well. If this was done on canvas instead of in a journal, I would be tempted to hang this on my wall.

I really don’t care what others think of it, though it is nice to hear from time to time if someone likes my artwork. Any artist enjoys hearing when others like their art. It helps with the self-confidence if we are really honest with ourselves. It, however, doesn’t crush me if someone tells me they don’t like it. It just tells me their likes are different from mine.

This is the work I focused on this week. I worked on this along with “The Artist Way” which I mentioned earlier. My week was a combination of profound happiness mixed with being overwhelmed by the efforts I have taken on to improve myself and my artistic skills.  Overwhelmed though in a good way.

The one thing I know for sure, is I have gone from hating my life, to loving my life and that is a huge accomplishment for me.

~Patti