It's NOT just your Hubby's Garage!!

I was inspired by the show "B. Original" on DIY. They make some really funky stuff on that show, but I liked the epidsode when she worked with washers. These are really great for all sorts of things!! Check 0ut the episode for more fun ideas:

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_dbor/episode/0,3110,DIY_27276_45352,00.html

-----------------------

I decided to do the Washer "Stencil" Technique with my Color Mists and watercolor paper. Now, you can use your imagination and think of all sorts of mediums and papers to use with this technique!!!! FUN!

For the first side of the paper, I decided to stencil directly over the white paper. I just laid the washers out in a random design and sprayed 2 colors over them.

On the other side, I sprayed down a layer of 2 colors first and THEN applied the washers over the Color Mists.

After the first side (with the white base layer) was partially dry, I sprayed some Copper Kettle over entire side. (My son helped me! :)

On the opposite side, I sprayed some Lemon Yellow over the washers. Some of the washers I laid down on this side "ink" side down and some ink side up. (these were the same washers I had covered with spray on the first side.....I did not clean them off!)

My son's comments were: "The pink and green one is pretty, Mommy" "The blue and green one is not pretty, but it's COOL! Look at all of the spots!" (LOL)

---------------------------

Some other ideas for mediums:

Any color wash spray

Acrylic paints

Stamping inks- Dye and/or Pigment (use the washers as a stamp for some of the images and emboss them!)

Watercolors

===============

Other ideas for paper:

Glossy and/or Matte cardstock

Freezer paper

Mulberry paper

Deli paper

----------------------

Also.......check out your garage or hardware store for all sorts of stencil ideas. There are all sorts of washers, nuts, bolts, fixtures and gobs of other little gizmos that are cheap and would make interesting patterns!!!

Ann Baldwin Inspired Collage

I have the Ann Baldwin DVD - Telling Stories with Collage and Paint. (a birthday present to myself back in April! :) I really enjoyed the DVD and decided that I wanted to make an "Ann Baldwin" inpired collage for my In-Laws 50th Anniversary.

Thier party is in August and I'm waiting for some photos that I requested from them. In the meantime, I decided that I best do a couple of "practice" collages so they don't get my first attempt at this technique!! LOL!!

------------------------------

Here is my first run:

8x10 stretched canvas. All of the images are from Twisted Papers. (the only exception is a very tiny image that you can't really see at the bottom of the canvas).

I pre-painted my canvas w/ a greenish acrylic base coat. I copied and cut out or tore out my images. (all inkjet printed on matte photo paper.) Then I glued all of my images down using Matte Medium.

I did some highlighting of the images with colored pencils. I added a white outline to the main image on the left. I think it makes her pop out a little more. Also added some color to her lips.

The blindfolded women and all of the wording come from one Vintage Ad image. These particular images were the ones that jumped out at me and screamed - USE ME!!! :)

-------------------------------

I have lots of layers of glazed acrylics and Titan Buff. I added textures with a crumpled kleenex and some molding paste, scratching with my fingers, and I also did some paint splattering. I sealed the final collage with some of my new PYMII.

--------------------------------

In person you can make out the words much better. They just don't show up well in the photo. You can see more detail, of course, if you click on the image to enlarge it.

Close up of men looking down on the woman on the left. The words say: "Now that her eyes are wide open"

Close up of the image on the upper right. Words: "She can't believe" "She can't see how she ever did"

Close up of the image on the lower right. Words: "Doubtful Woman"


Overall I'm pleased with my first attempt. I know I will do some things differently next time. I'm hoping to get one more practice collage done before I work on my final project! :)

I would very much appreciate any constructive feedback on this piece. I'm really trying to smooth out the look a little and I plan on my final collage for my In-Laws to be a little "cleaner". I don't think they would appreciate the excess "grungy-ness" of this particular piece. (although, I rather like it...........)

Please include your email address so I may contact you after you leave your comments! Thank you!!! :)

My Art Journal Collage..........

I signed up for an Art Journal Card swap with Belinda over at the Arttechniques Yahoo group. She generously sent out these really cool 5x7 inch playing cards to use for the collage. We are to do some personal journaling on the back of our cards for Belinda to read. I have not completed my journaling yet, but I know what I'm going to write about! :)

------------------------

This particular collage is a personal representation of my personality. It is my 2nd "life-of-its-own" collage. I knew I wanted to use the 2 main images, but the rest just sort of developed as I went along.

------------------------

Ms. Janet Leigh is my first Omin Gel Transfer. I left the "white fuzzies" on the back on purpose and glazed some acrylic color on the back before I attached her to the card. I just printed her image onto plain ol' white text paper with my HP inkjet printer. Overall, I'm very impressed on how the transfer turned out! (Thank you Queen Katherine!! :)

I used some paper towel for texture--this was some that I had used as a protective layer while spraying some Color Mists on other pieces of paper.

The funky metal object on the upper right corner is one of my treasures I found during my "shopping spree" with Sherre at the salvage yard. I just painted it with a few layers of acrylic glaze.

I finally spayed 2 light coatings of PYMII over the entire collage for a nice protective layer. (Great stuff! Check it out!)

Vintage Hawaiian Collage

Well, hello there!! :) Whew.....got the kids out of school, back from vacation, quit my job, and I'm ready to create! :) (with the kids home all summer, however, my creative time has drastically been cut until mid August) I'm looking forward to working on a few scattered projects throughout the summer and will hopefully have a little more creative time come this Fall.

=======================

I adore Hawaii and have wanted to do a Hawaiian collage for a long time. I have been working on this off and on for several months...... I think I'm finally done! :)

========================

I found the main image surfing the web and I just love him! I have oodles of layers of acrylic paint, a few botched gel medium transparency transfers, and a few stamps (I have a great rubber stamp of vintage Hawaiian men......a bit of it shows on the upper right corner.) Believe it or not, there is some textured text pages hidden underneath everything........

I worked on an 8x10 inch canvas board. I mounted the canvas board to a bamboo placemat that I got at the Dollar Store! :) (I removed about 12 of the sticks and retied it) I added a few seashells and some sand from my son's sandbox.

(cat free!! Dont' worry!)

This is really my first freeform collage that went WAY beyond it's original design. I would really like to become more comfy with a more "free" syle of art/collaging.

========================

Here are a few close ups to see some of the detail. :)

I'd love feedback from you....... Let me know what you think! And, as always, feel free to ask any questions! :)

Don't forget to include your email address so I can post you back!

Toods for now.......off to cook some Mac 'n Cheese! :)