Wednesday, June 13, 2018

StencilGirl® Steampunk Fish Sculpture by Marge Taylor

Hello! Marge Taylor here, and I am delighted to share a recent project with you!

Like many artists, I’ve bought all sorts of supplies over the years, some of which got tucked away to languish on a shelf. I realized I had some things for years and recently made a resolution to try and use some of these supplies. I had purchased the wooden fish years ago and don’t even recall my initial plan for it. After it resurfaced, I contemplated several possibilities. I also had supplies I had picked up over time with the vague idea of doing a steampunk project someday, so I decided to do a steampunk fish.

Materials used: Unpainted wooden fish
                          Paint primer and assorted acrylic paint
                          Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste
                          Craft foam sheet
                          Metallic seed beads
                          Assorted metal gears
                          Liquid Fusion adhesive
                          StencilGirl® stencils

I sanded any rough spots on the fish and applied a coat of primer and a coat of metallic paint.

I wanted the fins to have texture, so I applied a thin coat of flexible modeling paste to the fins.
I used a craft stick and a comb to etch out fin lines.

I decided I wanted a raised panel on the fish back to contribute to the steampunk look, so I cut a strip of craft foam and glued it to the back. I painted the entire surface in a neutral metallic color.

I washed a thin coat of green paint along the back and belly to give the fish some color.
I sponged paint on the back panel in several grey tones to give an industrial look.

I lined up the Circles Layer Me Stencil on the spine and painted a line of circles, then lined up and added the coordinating smaller circles.

I put a line of paint dots along the edges using a paint brush handle. 

I glued a metallic bead in the center of each circle.

This gave the look of bolts and rivets that steampunk requires.

I shifted to the sides of the fish and used the Connected Eyes Layer Me Stencil to give the look of scales. I added some small circles from the Circles Layer Me stencil along the belly. I decided the Border Circles Stencil could be adapted to give the look of gears. I placed them along the back spine and stenciled them in. I added hand painted circles to them.

I had a collection of gears I was able to glue to the sides. I used an adhesive called Liquid Fusion, which works on non-permeable surfaces. I used a combination of gears and a flat back bead for the eye.

I hung the fish. I was happy that I was able to achieve a steampunk look with stencils that could be used in many other ways. I was also thrilled to finally use some supplies I had on hand. This was my first time using the flexible modeling paste, and I found it easy to use with excellent results. I will definitely use it again.

Thanks for checking out my project! Come visit me!
Marge Taylor

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