Creating art for art's sake is so rewarding! Today I am sharing my journey as I tried my hand at creating a collage using Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Line paints and Creative Layers stamps; pairing them with the whimsical, new Dylusions stamps. This quirky, fun style of art is most definitely outside my comfort zone, but I must tell you that when I do step outside my norm I have SO much fun as I get lost in the process. I would like to encourage you to take "risks" once in a while and explore; creating just for the sake of creating.
I am most definitely NOT an expert in collage - for me it is an experimental process at this point. So what I share here today is just my learning process. When I began this piece I had no idea what I was going to create. It was a rainy day again here in Seattle and I have to admit I am REALLY tired of the rain, but decided that this was my opportunity to turn my nemisis into something fun and so I grabbed Dylusion's Ruby Rainbow stamp set to inspire me. I then found a quote that would bring a smile, and set to work. I am pleased to report that we now have sunshine - woohoo - perhaps positive thinking does make a difference! LOL!
Referring back to the projects we created under Claudine's and Dyan's direction at Winter CHA, in which we focused on the different uses of Studio Paints and Perfect Pearls, I began to create my canvas, layering the pearls with the Studio Paints.
The background was created by painting directly on the canvas. I also mixed some of the teal, sky blue and white on my non-stick craft sheet to create color blends, which added softness to the canvas background. LOVE the look of the "swooshy" background which is meant to resemble sky and land.
Once dry I added some of the black details, once again stamping these with paint. I like to "ink" my rubbber and clear stamps using an ink blending tool as shown below.
Using the flying crows to resemble Sea Gulls and adding a border were the first elements.
Foam stamps work GREAT on canvas. To add paint to these stamps I place a dollop of paint on the non-stick craft sheet and then pounce the stamp in the paint until it is completely covered.
I was curious - would reverse stamping work? Using a clean red rubber stamp I placed it to the surface of the foam stamp. I love how it removed some of the paint to add texture! When I am working quickly I don't bother to add Extra Time to my paint, but if you are afraid of the paint drying out before you can stamp, simply mix in a little Extra Time to give you just that... extra time.
Highlighting some of the edges and dots with additional white made the details pop. I also dry brushed over the birds using white to reduce the contrast that the pure black brought to the birds. These were not meant to be my focal point and I felt less intensity would be better.
To add paint to clear and red rubber stamps is easy. Simply place a small dollop of paint on your non-stick craft sheet and pounce the ink blending tool in the paint until it is spread evenly over your sponge surface.
Then pounce this on the surface of your stamps as shown above and stamp. Once again I work quickly, if you want more time add a little Extra Time to your paint. Always clean your stamps immediately after use to avoid long clean-up times.
Curious as to whether it would be easy to "doodle" on my canvas I pulled out one of my PITT Artist Pens and added a polka-dot hill. So FUN! I also used this same pen to add a little more definition to the house details as they did not stamp as dark as I had initially wanted. I should have used paint rather than ink - LOL! These pens work great to fix those little "oops" items.
Add highlights to some of the images using Sour Apple Perfect Pearls --- these really brighten the canvas.
Once again I added additional white to "pop" the details.
Stamp the pieces that you want to paint or "watercolor" with Perfect Pearls using Archival ink. This is the perfect ink for any wet projects - it is waterproof and will not smudge when you get it wet. I used Neenah cardstock for my project. It is not the ideal watercolor paper, but I always have it at hand and so it makes my life so very simple. I am totally pleased with the result - it stood up to the "wet factor" just fine.
Spritz water on the surface of your non-stick craft sheet and scoop out just a little Perfect Pearl using your paintbrush. Mix and paint.
I love being able to create my palette right on my non-stick craft sheet. Mixing colors is so easy. To create the flesh tone I mixed Biscotti together with just a hint of Pink Gumball and Mandarin.
Leave the excess on your sheet until you are completely finished your project.
It does not matter if it dries as you can easily reconstitute it with a droplet or two of water as shown above.
To add charm to the words I added an outline using a PITT artist brush around each of the printed words.
To see if it was all coming together I then laid it out the cut pieces on my canvas. I realized the author's name was too large and reprinted it smaller. Seeing it all come together is magical I tell ya!
To adhere the pieces to the canvas I used Matte Multi-Medium. LOVE this adhesive when I need it to REALLY stick! Simply paint it on the back side of your cut outs and press in place holding for a couple of seconds. Allow your project to sit and dry for about 30 minutes for great results.
To add additional brightness to some of the Perfect Pearl painted areas I simply colored with my PITT Big Brush markers and used my wet paintbrush to blend the color out. I love how you can mix different tools!!! I can easily see airbrushing, spritzing with sprays and SO MUCH MORE! Oh for more time to play :-D
So in a nutshell following is what I learned from this experiment as I created my "collage":
- layering is good,
- selecting a color scheme will give you confidence as you add layers (I used a split-complimentary color scheme - blue, green and orange),
- PITT brushes can be layered over Perfect Pearls to add additional color dimension,
- Perfect Pearls can be painted over top of Studio Paints to add sheen and a fun contrast,
- Perfect Pearls are easily reconstituted after drying,
- don't be afraid to experiment!
Now rather than plodding through the puddles I am going to think happy thoughts and envision cute little Ruby Rainbow (or perhaps my friend Heather who adores rain) hopping over the puddles looking so cute in her happy colors! I would like to invite you to join me and try something a little different by creating a collage using your rubber stamps or try watercoloring with your Perfect Pearls! Try something new - it is creatively invigorating!
stamps: Dylusions Ruby Rainbow and Around the Edge, Claudine Hellmuth Creative Layers Clear and Foam Dwellings, Doodles Clear Stamps; Studio 490 Be Happy Make Art; Memory Box Distressed Crows
ink: Jet Black Archival Ink Pad
paper: Neenah Solar White Classic Crest
accessories: Studio Line - Blank Canvas, Charcoal Black, Classic Teal, Sky Blue, Studio Artist Brushes, Matte Multi-Medium, Sticky Back Canvas; Perfect Pearls - Sour Apple, Blue Raspberry, Mandarin, Pink Gumball, Biscotti; Faber-Castell PITT Big Brush & Artist Pens - #146 skyblue, #171 light green, #113 orange glaze, #118 scarlet red, #199 black
