Eye Of The Beholder

March 09, 2017

“It’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

— Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, 1878

“It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.”

— Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling

The other day I came across a picture of a Brahmaea Wallichii. What's a Brahmaea Wallichii you ask? Why it's a beautiful moth typically found in parts of Asia. According to the article, it does not fly away when disturbed, but shakes fiercely...much like myself when bothered before my morning coffee. The distinctive 'eye spots' on its wings are striking as are all its intricate markings. It's like a flying Zendoodle!

Now you know the belle of the ball in the insect world is the glamorous butterfly, gliding on a gentle breeze and flitting gracefully among flowers .... rather than beating herself against a lightbulb like our lowly friend, the moth. Maybe the allure of the nocturnal lightbulb is the moth's attempt to be in the spotlight for once, instead of hiding out in the shadows while the butterfly wows the crowd.

So, without further ado, here is my latest canvas in which I showcase a moth, for beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I began by constructing my moth. Having no experience in moth making, I decided to make a template which I used as a pattern to cut the cardboard. I made a mirrored sketch from one wing to the other and used embossing powder over the pencil lines. Before I began painting the moth's patterned wings with acrylic, I scrunched some paper scraps and glued these around the wing edges. The moth's body is also made out of cardboard, but I added some cut up yarn to black paint for a fuzzy appearance. My two finishing touches were melange discs over the wing eyespots and the antennae made from tiny springs.

Moving on to the canvas, I coated the entire inverted surface in black gesso followed by modeling paste through stencils for the initial texture layer. The second layer consisted of crumpled tissue paper, string, thick felt circles and more stenciling. Another coat of black gesso was applied (I really need to buy stock in gesso). Layer three of texture included the corner floral section, mélange discs in various sizes and art stones. Anybody care to guess what came next? That's right! Black gesso!

Now for some color, albeit dark color: black, blue and brown were my choices for the nocturnal background. However, I also wanted a strong contrast to bring attention to the moth, so the fourth and final layer was done in light tones. This montage in the center was composed of twisted paper rolls, inked scrapbook paper, punched paper, a disassembled wooden birdcage and dyed cheesecloth. I splattered a bit of white paint and sprayed some Lindy's "Whale Watch Blue" before adding my moth to the middle.

More dyed cheesecloth and bronze micro beads were added here and there followed by the final embellishments: a lightbulb, magnifying glass, the domed word 'moth' and the phrase 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'

Smiles!

Leslie

So, I'll be honest, I created this piece after I saw the challenge at More Than Words to create an entry with the prompts Beautiful and Butterfly. I'd like to enter my piece in that challenge fully knowing I'm bending the rules a bit....However, butterflies and moths ARE from the same family, Lepidoptera ;)

Go Underdog!

Also, I've just discovered the fun-tastic moodboards at DeeDee Catron's Our Mixed Media Moods. Their latest board was a great nocturnal inspiration for my project.

And lastly, my favorite little steampunk corner, SanDee & Amelie's. I know my moth with his spring antennae will feel so at home there.

Product List

Prima: Art Basics Modeling Paste and 3D Gloss Gel; Art Alchemy Métallique Acylic Paint "Steampunk Copper"; Art Ingredients "Bronze" Microbeads and Mélange; Art Extravagance Art Stones and Mini Art Stones; "Cherish" Stencil

Tattered Angels: Bare Metal "Weathered Copper" Naturally Aged Paint System

Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays: "Whale Watch Blue", "Frozen Jack Frost"

DecoArt: Dazzling Metallics Acrylic Paint in "Worn Penny", "Champagne Gold" and "White Pearl"

Folk Art Metallic Acrylic Paint: "Sequin Black", Color Shift "Black Flash", Brushed Metal "Brushed Gold"

Ranger: Dylusions "Black Diamond" Stencil; Distress Ink in "Black Soot", "Walnut Stain" and "Vintage Photo"

TCW: "Mini Netting" Stencil

Weldbond

16" x 8" canvas, white and black gesso, tissue paper, string, felt pads, artificial flowers, cheesecloth, patterned paper, cardboard, tiny hole punch, magnifying glass, wooden birdcage, springs and lightbulb.

Brush Strokes

February 22, 2017

I love paint brushes! I have well more than I need and generally pick the same old favorites to create with, while others are simply 'bench warmers'. One evening, after working many long hours on a canvas and feeling a bit punchy, I gave a third stringer a chance after I thought I heard it say, 'Put me in coach, I'm ready to play'! Ah yes, everyone loves those uplifting sports stories where the underdog finally gets a shot at the big time, wows the crowd AND gets the girl! This, however, is not one of those stories... Yes, that's right, this young newbie paintbrush lost it! Lost it big time, coughing up bristles all over my wet canvas!

Newbie couldn't cut it as a player, but guess what, he got a second chance! In all his technicolor glory, Newbie became the leading actor in my new canvas, "Brush Strokes"! Don't you just love happy endings!

I started with applying white gesso to three 4" x 5" mini canvases. I wanted to build up layers, so I began with modeling paste through stencils, drywall tape and yarn, followed by cardboard, string, thread, cheesecloth and torn pieces of a teabag. I add a little more interest with a script stamp and Sepia Archival ink. Art stones and mini art stones were the last base items added prior to beginning my monochromatic background tones.

I sprayed, misted and dropped dots of several colors in the the Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst spray line and in Prima's Color Bloom Spray Mists. After achieving the color effect I wanted, I set my canvases aside to work on the focal brush.

I often work in monochromatic and neutral tones, but I must say, painting the brush in it's vivid colors was like going to a party: I need to get out more, color-wise! I started painting the bristles first, those troublemakers I mentioned earlier, and then I worked down the brush handle, merging one color into the next. I finished by splattering paint on the brush...and myself and my workbench and my stool which I also sat in. Like I said, it was a Party!

Gluing the brush onto the three prepared canvas secured them together. I added some accent around the brush with bronze micro beads. The canvases were then wired onto a metal rack I had picked up at a thrift store.

Lastly, the final touches: the letters for the phrase Brush Strokes and two additional 'aged' brushes, all of which, after being altered, were wired to the background rack.

The wood letters were gessoed and triple-emblossed in the following order - First: clear distress ink and Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder; Second: Vintage Photo Distress ink and clear embossing powder; and Third: Black Soot Distress ink and a mix of clear and gold embossing powder.

The two 'aged' brushes began as brand new, shiny-white dollar store brushes. I applied white gesso followed by Lindy's Steampunk Sepia Starburst spray and gave the handles a blistered finish with the heat gun. I dabbed some of my homemade rust paste on the ferrules of the brushes and painted a heavy coat of DecoArt Media's Crackle Glaze onto the handles, leaving it to dry overnight. The next day, I sandpapered some of the glossy finish off the crackle glaze and coated the brush handles in antiquing cream, wiping off the excess with a soft cloth. I was happy with the result of the aging process, especially the fabulous deep crackle of these two brushes in contrast to the colorful focal brush - our rising star, "Newbie".

Smiles all!

Leslie

Product List

Prima Art Basics: Modeling Paste, 3D Gloss Gel; Prima Color Bloom Spray Mists: Frost, Worn Leather; Prima Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint Metalliques: Fresh Orange, Emerald Green, Rusty Red; Prima Art Ingredients: Art Stones, Mini Art Stones, Micro Beads Bronze; Prima Cling Stamp: So Happy Memories with You.

Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays: Clam Bake Beige, Steampunk Sepia, Creme Brûlée Creme, Down The Rabbit Hole.

Ranger Dylusion Paint: Fresh Lime, Lemon Zest; Ranger Distress Inks: Clear, Vintage Photo, Black Soot; Ranger Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Distress Embossing Powder; Ranger Dylusions Stencil: Black Diamonds.

DecoArt Media: Crackle Glaze, Raw Umber Antiquing Cream, Titanium White Antiquing Cream

TCW: Mini "Art Is" Stencil

Folk Art Acrylic Color Shift Paint: Pink Flash; Blue Flash

4" x 5" canvases, white gesso, string, thread, yarn, cheesecloth, teabag, wire, paintbrushes, drywall tape, cardboard, metal rack, gold wire, clear embossing powder, gold embossing powder

I will be entering this canvas in the Scrapki-Wyzwaniowo February Challenge - BRUSH!

I also would like to enter the Stamps & Stencils Challenge: Texture, Crackle and Paint

And lastly, the February Challenge at Creative Embellishments, spreading my love for art!

Space Junk Galaxy

January 20, 2017

First load of laundry for 2017, washed and dried. Fascinating blog beginning, no?

I have a purpose for telling you about this laundry room chore, however. You see, one sock did not make it back from this domestic journey. Just like that - Vanished!

Not one clue, other than possible evidence in the lint trap. Forensic results: Inconclusive. Lint trap remains may be from the lucky survivor, sock 1, who has no memory of events following the spin cycle. Is sock 2 in an endless spin cycle in another dimension? Endlessly circling in a black void with lost keys, earrings, buttons and various other doodads that have been reported missing? I believe so!

You could say my theory is supported by a Popular Science article featuring a website developed by a brilliant young man named James Yoder who has established the stuffin.space website. Check it out, it's super cool.

Speaking of SUPER COOL, I am honored and delighted to report that I was invited to be a Pinworthy Guest on the wonderful Vintage Journey website! When I learned the challenge theme was "Going Round in Circles", I knew I would create a canvas in memorandum of all the mysterious missing objects in our lives.

That's right, I knew the time was right for... Space Junk Galaxy!

In a

Galaxy

Far, Far Away

I Began by Covering a Canvas

with black gesso. I cut a spiral out of paper to use as my galaxy template and temporarily adhered it to the center. I applied a light coat of texture paste inside the spiral pattern to use as my reference for adding my space junk. The template was removed when the texture paste was fully dry and a coat of crackle paste was applied to the outside spiral outward to the canvas edges.

Next up, adding all the goodies! This took ages, but I do love picking through all my random bits and pieces and organizing them on a canvas. Caught in this interstellar circle, you can see nuts and bolts; flowers, shells and screws; stars, wire, beads and buttons. Many light years later, I applied black gesso to the entire loaded canvas.

My space background was painted next. I started with Finnebair's Art Alchemy Metalliques in blues and purple and Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays in the same color scheme. I splattered Lindy's Frozen Jack Frost for the stars.

While the canvas was drying, I stenciled and textured on 4 wooden circles that would later be glued to the corners of my piece. I painted the prepared circles in acrylic paint and added embellishments followed by Tim Holtz Rust Effect Distress Powder.

The spiral of space junk was painted next in Finnebair's Art Alchemy Silver Spoon and highlighted with Pearl Ex Powder Pigment in Silver and Macro Pearl.

Before adding my circle 'gauges' to the canvas corners, I sprayed Finnebair's Art Stones with Lindy's Sprays off canvas. After the stones had dried, I glued the stones, metallic thread and, that's right, sock yarn onto the canvas. See, I think that was borderline genius...missing sock from the laundry...then sock yarn in space...Okay, maybe not genius, but...oh let's just move on, shall we?

I finished off my piece with adhering the gauges to the corners and adding rusted gears as a final touch.

I hope you enjoyed Space Junk Galaxy and maybe even spied something you lost in the spinning circle. I certainly had fun making it for the Vintage Journey Challenge as a Pinworthy Guest and would like to invite you to visit their site by clicking on the image below. You will be so inspired by all the talent and inspiration of the Design Team and will want to visit their site again and again!

Supply List

Prima: Art Extravagance Texture Paste - White Crackle; Art Basics Modeling Paste and 3D Transparent Gloss Gel; Finnebair's Art Alchemy Metalliques in Dark Velvet, Deep Waters, Rich Turquoise and Silver Spoon; Finnebair's Art Ingredients Art Sones and Mini Art Stones.

Lindy's Stamp Gang - Moonshadow Mist Sprays in Pegleg Pete Purple and Smoky Sapphire; Starburst Sprays in Afternoon Delight Denim, Tibetan Poppy Teal, Tiffany Lou Blue, Whale Watch Blue, Screamin' Banshee Black, Autumn Maple Crimson and Frozen Jack Frost.

Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments in Macro Pearl and Silver

The Crafters Workshop Stencils - Mini Geodesic and Mini Specimens

Rebecca Baer Stencil - Steampunk Clockface

Stampers Anonymous Stencil - Tim Holtz Schoolhouse

Ranger - Tim Holtz Distress Powder in Vintage Photo Rust Effect

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Clock Hands

Black gesso, canvas, wooden circles, gears, found objects, metallic thread, sock yarn

Catching Snowflakes

December 14, 2016

Don't you just hate it when you misplace something? Is it lost for good or can you just not find it at the moment?

I misplaced November.

I vaguely remember having it shortly before Thanksgiving, but that's the last I saw of it. Now it is mid December, and I'm thinking maybe November 2016 is lost for good.

Not only that, but I have contracted a cold. Not the 'common cold' variety, but something much more nefarious. Far be it from me to do the 'common' thing. This cold should have a name - something ten syllables long and unpronounceable.

In case you missed it, everything you've read so far is a disclaimer for the rambling words to follow. Here's one more - in an effort to clear my head, I am in a Salsa and Vicks VapoRub stupor. Ah, yes. Vicks VapoRub. Awesome stuff which, according to the label, contains nutmeg and turpentine oil - much like my Grandma's fruitcake... How could this not drive out the cold banshee?

Speaking of nutmeg (were we? yes, we were) let's talk about Christmas (nutmeg, eggnog...you get the connection right?)

I was formulating some ideas for a Christmas canvas when I noticed a page by the fabulous More Than Words website. Their monthly challenge for December was Tradition and Handmade. I love traditions and nostalgia and always incorporate a handmade embellishment into my mixed media, so I couldn't resist participating in this challenge.

Remembering traditions of my childhood, my canvas celebrates several annual yuletide memories: traveling into the mountains of Montana to pick out our Christmas tree, caroling (hence the sheet music) with a group of children from our church and making snow angels! My handmade embellishment is a play-on-words - a snow angel herself, a guardian of snowflakes!

This canvas, Catching Snowflakes, is about tradition and the magic of a woodland Christmas. I wanted to create a sense of stillness and peace in a winter forrest. A place where a 'snow angel' catches snowflakes.

After applying white gesso to a blank canvas, I added a page of Christmas sheet music followed by a coat of clear gesso. To this layer, I adhered ribbon flowers. Texture was next. I used a snowflake stencil with Frabrika Decor marble paste, Finnabair's Art Stones and White Crackle Medium and my recipe for faux snow. I used this mix also in a plastic baggie to 'pipe' on the icicles. I used Decort's antiquing cream in Raw Umber to accent the fissures in the crackle. (Crackle paste and antiquing cream were also used on the wood star in the upper left corner.)

1) Canvas background includes Christmas sheet music, ribbon, texture paste and white crackle medium   2) Plastic baggie filled with 'snow' for piping icicles  3)  Clamps hold my 'snowy slope' (foam board) in place while glui… — 1) Canvas background includes Christmas sheet music, ribbon, texture paste and white crackle medium 2) Plastic baggie filled with 'snow' for piping icicles 3) Clamps hold my 'snowy slope' (foam board) in place while gluing 4) Antiquing cream applied to accent crackle medium

Wintery colors were applied next followed by various add-ons like pinecones, dried flowers and hemp cord.

I love making my own embellishments for my art pieces. My snow angel began with polymer clay, bake and painted. I fashioned her blonde wavy hair from yarn and thread and her gown from muslin, modeling paste, paint and glitter.

1)  Modeling paste applied to a square of muslin  2)  Gown shaped and allowed to dry before painting  3)  Yarn and thread used to make angel's hair  4) Almost done... — 1) Modeling paste applied to a square of muslin 2) Gown shaped and allowed to dry before painting 3) Yarn and thread used to make angel's hair 4) Almost done...

Supplies

Prima: Art Extravagance Texture Paste - White Crackle; Art Alchemy Acrylic Paint in Opal Magic Green Gold, Yellow Blue and Ancient Coin; Color Bloom Spray Mist in Frost; Art Ingredient Art Stones & Mini Art Stones; Art Basics Modeling Paste and 3D Transparent Gloss Gel

DecoArt: Antiquing Cream in Raw Umber; Satin Varnish; Acrylic Paint in Snow White and Light Buttermilk

Fabrika Decor: White Texture Paste with Marble Particles; Metallic Paint Olive

Shimmerz: Vibez Spray in Don't Rain on My Parade

Pearl Ex: Powder Pigment in Sunset Gold

White Gesso, Clear Gesso, Snowflake Stencil, Muslin fabric, polymer clay, yarn, white and gold glitter, sheet music, ribbon, hemp cord, star wood piece, buttons, dried flowers and pinecones

“One, Two
This Nightmare’s For You
Three, Four
It’s at Your Back Door!”

Fright Night!

October 23, 2016

I LOVE Halloween! Ever since I was a little kid and dressed in a hand-me-down Mighty Mouse costume, no doubt flammable in those days. Then I graduated to the gypsy costume because my mom had old full skirts and beads and I could rouge my cheeks and put on lipstick. Next was the vampire stage which lasted for more than one season, and I could still put on bright red lipstick plus the added bonus of plastic vampire teeth! I was fascinated by that set of fangs and it seemed like I would be Count Dracula forever...

But then, that fateful day when my mom dragged me to the fabric store to buy material for a groovy smock she was sewing for me. (The smock is another story entirely.) Anyway, nestled among the bolts of polyester and chintz was a rare beast I had not seen before: FAKE FUR! Oh my, I was mesmerized by this Cousin It of the fabric family! I negotiated with my mom (in other words, 'whined') and she relented into letting me take home a swatch of the long, black haired hide.

Now, I wasn't willing to forego the fangs for fur, so, brilliant (haha) child that I was, I combined the two for a werewolf costume. I use the term costume loosely, because by time October 31st rolled around in Montana, the body of the costume was most likely a snow coat. No worries, I was mainly concerned with my fur/fanged face.

Logistics: how to adhere fake fur to your face?? I had no idea and pleaded with my solve-all mom to help. She was also stumped, but finally came up with the idea to put peanut butter on my face in order to 'glue' on the fur. And it worked! I looked fabulously werewolf-y! Out I ventured with my best friend and our pillowcases in search of some sweet loot. But then, trouble! As the temperature dropped, the peanut butter hardened and cracked. I shed my fur like a shaggy dog, with only clumps hair stuck here and there in the cold, cracked lumpy peanut butter. Yikes! I remember one of the last houses we visited, the man who answered the door called his wife over saying, "I don't know what she is, but she sure has a scary face"!

Here I am, many years older and still so excited about Halloween! Of course, I had to do a Mixed Media Assemblage Canvas for this spooky season.

I started with framing-in the sides of my canvas with stakes I'd bought at my local hardware store because I wanted to convey the feel of 'something wicked' on the verge of coming through a window or door. I textured the stakes with my homemade paste and used white crackle paste on the upper half of the canvas. The texture in the lower half is done with torn paper strips and string. Everything got a healthy dose of black gesso, with the upper half rubbed partially off with a baby wipe in order to conserve the crackle.

Next - assemblage. I went through my bins of found objects (some of which is considered to be trash by the general public) and adhered all sorts of goodness, like gears and plastic skeleton bones, beads, caps, springs, screws, broken toy pieces and the infamous orange zipper. While these goodies were drying, I began forming my polymer clay accessories. To name a few, I created a voodoo doll, a jack-o-lantern, a scary bone fish (which I named Kyle, don't ask me why), eyeballs, and a hand digging out of his grave - ooooooooo! After baking the clay, all the polymer pieces were painted with black gesso.

I know I am not alone when I say clowns give me the creeps!! So of course, that's the focal point of 'my nightmare'. From Modge Podge, foil and torn paper, Mr. Twinkles came to be. Then black gesso, crackle paint, acrylic paint, polymer clay and, yes, fake fur fine tuned him to all his glory. I wanted my clown to have skeletal hands, but saved that clay challenge for last, as I was quite intimidated by modeling them. Once they were formed and baked, the hands got the gesso- crackle-paint treatment. Quite by accident, my gnarly tree came to be from the leftover paper mache torn paper. I was wadding the strips of paper to throw out and noticed one almost looked like a branch. I set to work twisting and turning the paper until my tree (warning, bad pun ahead) 'took root'.

I loved (ok, love) hidden pictures! It was THE favorite part of my childhood Highlights Magazine. So, in the phrase from the scary movie Saw, "Wanna play a game?"

Find:

2 monopoly houses, a zipper, a birthday candle, 10 items in a sewing basket, 8 cocktail forks and 8 hands!

“HAPPY HALLOWEEN! GET YOUR SPOOK ON!”

Supply List

Prima Art Alchemy Métalliques: Deep Waters, Fresh Orange, Black Berry, Dark Velvet, Steampunk Copper, Ancient Coin. Lindy's Starburst Sprays: Screaming Banshee Black, Black Orchid Silver, Bayou Boogie Gold, Opal Sea Oats. Dylusions Ink Spray: Ground Coffee. Deco Art Americana Acrylic Paint: Snow White, Light Buttermilk, Lamp Black. Prima Art Basics: Modeling Paste, 3D Gloss Gel, Texture Paste White Crackle. Prima Art Ingredients: Art Stones, Mini Art Stones. Liquitex: Black Gesso. Ranger: Inkssentials Glossy Accents.

I would like to enter Fright Night in the following challenges: