Fabulous New designs From Jennifer Evans and an In-person Workshop!

Check out Jennifer's latest designs and the Paint with Periwinkle Workshop Jennifer is co-hosting this fall in Colorado.  

When I begin an abstract, I usually start with mark-making. I create a series of expressive wide and rough marks made with charcoal or pastel, followed by thin and whispy pencil marks. Before the addition of paint, I stand back and look at the main shapes created by the overlapping marks. Although we recognize geometric shapes, I prefer a rougher, more organic look. These stencils are the result.

Evans Abstract 1 - L981

These rectangular shaped designs include spheres and curved intersecting lines. Use this stencil to block off areas by using just a portion, or the whole design. Play with negative space by adding color around the spheres. If you're working on a large substrate, continue building the abstract out from the center (like a web).

Evans Abstract 3 - L965

If you're working on a long vertical (or horizontal) canvas, stack these stencils on top of one another (or side by side) to continue the movement of lines. As you build your abstract, notice what you "see" -- what shapes could be combined and which should stand out? My example uses pastel and colored pencil to outline shapes for emphasis.

Evans Abstract 2 - S965

I love a square abstract. Especially ones that can be used on a 6"x6" canvas or on a Gelli plate. This abstract introduces triangles to the rough sphere shapes.

Cherry Blossom - S966

I love to paint cherry blossoms, both the full tree in bloom and the individual blooms. They are so vibrant and cheerful. Although this stencil could be used for any blooming branch by altering the color palette, my artwork sample is inspired by the traditional bright pink flowers.

Loosestrife - S967

This stencil design was inspired by yellow loosestrife from my mother's garden. It grows in a vertical spire. Yellow flowers always brighten the mood. For this design, I zeroed in on one single bloom (macro style). It's amazing what details you can see using the zoom feature on your camera phone or using a macro lens on a traditional camera.

Flowering Branches - S968

Inspired by the point of view of looking up a single cherry blossom branch, this stencil can be repeated for a border. Use the design in typical fashion, then clean your stencil, flip it over and repeat the design at the top or bottom of your first imprint. (Refer to example for visual).

Jennifer's stencils are available now at stencilgirlproducts.com.

The Woodgrain Collection from Bridget Benton, Encaustic Artist, and Our Newest Designer!

 

The stencils in this collection are all inspired by my nature prints, actual prints done by directly inking and printing the visible woodgrains in tree stumps, logs, and lumber ends! I love these natural textures and the ways that the patterns echo other natural elements like the whorls of fingerprints or ripples on the surface of the water. The stencils can lean more industrial with the lumber ends, or more organic with the full tree cross sections. 

 

I do a lot of collage – whether in acrylic or encaustic - and am always looking for interesting textures to add interest and depth. And I’m a symbolism junkie . . . Woodgrain represents years of growth and the passage of time. Trees and wood provide us with shelter and warmth.  As I’ve been playing with these stencils, I began to see them not only as background textures for a forest-themed encaustic piece or fabric for a cabin quilt but as clock faces and the sands of time in an hourglass! I hope you are similarly inspired. 

 

 

 

Stacked Lumber Cross Section  (L959)

These woodgrain patterns, taken from scrap lumber ends, are both organic and industrial. Stack or stagger the lumber shapes, and you can create the look of rough boards, floors, or walls. Focus on just the curving lines, and you’ll see they resemble the whorls of fingerprints, the ripples on the surface of the water, or even topographic maps. Ideal for creating textured papers for collage, printing fabric, and creating backgrounds for art journals. Use with paint, gel plate printing, stitching, and encaustic.

 

Post Lumber Cross Section (S952)

 

Stacked 4x4 lumber, intended for fenceposts, became the inspiration for this stencil! The whorls of woodgrain come straight from nature, the strong square shapes straight from the hardware store.  Ideal for creating textured papers for collage, printing fabric, and creating backgrounds for art journals. Use with paint, gel plate printing, stitching, and encaustic.

 

 

Big Tree Cross Section (L960)

 

Based on a nature print done by directly inking and printing the visible wood grain in an old tree stump, this captures the rough texture of the bark and the variation of the tree rings. This stencil is so full of possibilities. Woodgrain represents years of growth and the passage of time. Trees and wood provide us with shelter and warmth. Use this gorgeous texture to enhance any nature-based project, to call in the essence of home, or celebrate a major milestone.  Ideal for creating textured papers for collage, printing fabric, and creating backgrounds for art journals. Use with paint, gel plate printing, stitching, and encaustic.

 

Small Tree Cross Section (S951)

 

This stencil was adapted from a nature print created by directly inking the cross-section of a small log. It captures not only the visible wood grain of the tree rings but also calls to mind labyrinths, halos, spinning wheels, a vibrating aura, and even a glowing sun! Ideal for creating textured papers for collage, printing fabric, and creating backgrounds for art journals. Use with paint, gel plate printing, stitching, and 

encaustic.

About Bridget

 

Bridget Benton loves making stuff, and helping other people make stuff! She has been a working artist and teacher for over 20 years. 

 

Bridget has always been drawn to mediums that support working intuitively and building layers - printmaking, photography and collage, fiber, and assemblage. In 2006, she began incorporating encaustic into her work, and found her “perfect medium.” She comes to encaustic with a collage sensibility, combining encaustic with nature print, her original photography, and joyful mark-making.

 

Her work has appeared in Wax Fusion, Mixed Media Art Magazine, Professional Artist Magazine, and in galleries from coast to coast. She has taught for Art Unraveled, The Nature Printing Society, and the Painting with Fire online encaustic masterclass. 

 

Bridget’s passion as a teacher is helping people discover and develop their own creative voice. Her workshops focus on techniques and processes that facilitate self-discovery and creative exploration. Her workshop-in-a-book, The Creative Conversation: ArtMaking as Playful Prayer, is a guide to creating flow in your creative work and building intuitive artmaking skills. In 2012, the book was awarded a Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal as the best book of the year on Creative Process. Bridget is currently the lead encaustic instructor at 310 Art in the historic River Arts District in Asheville, NC.

New Stencils and Tag Book Project from Rae Missigman

The Greenery Bouquets set was prompted by Rae's long-time love affair with foliage. She is known at her local florist for ordering beautiful bouquets of leafage, stem upon stem, and verdigris in the color of green. The many shapes, sizes, and shades of green that each of these stems offers are what attracted her to their leafy stalks. The many variations of the Eucalyptus, perhaps her favorite of all the green stems, inspired her to re-create unique branches, leaves, and buds, adding her own artistic twist to each one as it was designed.

 

Rae loves to work with both acrylic paint and watercolors as well as texture mediums with these stencils and always reaches for the masks when creating on her gel plate. She loves the pop of color that peeks through after painting over a mask in her Pocket Journal. 

Eucalyptus Bouquets - L951

These tall bouquets were inspired by the clusters of Silver Dollar Gum Eucalyptus found in Rae's Greenery Bouquets. They are also known as the Argyle Apple Eucalyptus.

 

Eucalyptus Stems - L952 

Robust stems of the larger variety of Eucalyptus Camphora inspired Rae to create something that spoke to their famous heart-shaped leaves. 

Eucalyptus Bouquets Mask Small - S940

Rae couldn’t help but create a mini bouquet that intertwined her love of the Blue Ice Cider Gum Eucalyptus leaves with the imaginary buds that find a way into most of her work.

Eucalyptus Stems Mask Small - S941

A mini version of Rae's beloved favorite, the Silver Dollar Gum Eucalyptus.

Eucalyptus Bouquets Stencil Small - S944

A stencil partner for the 6x6 bouquet mask that intertwined Rae's love of the Blue Ice Cider Gum Eucalyptus leaves with the imaginary buds that find a way into most of her work.

Eucalyptus Stems Stencil Small - S945

A stencil partner for the 6x6 stem mask which allows for a bit of layering play of one of Rae's favorite smaller Eucalyptus varieties.

Rae's stencils are available now at stencilgirlproducts.com

Fantastic New Florals from Rae Missigman!

The inspiration for these was gathered from a wildflower garden that I visited in Washington DC. I remember that there were rows and rows of colored stalks that peeped over one another, row after row. It was their crowded space and tangled web of color that really caught my eye. And even in all of that jumbled tangle that was a garden I was able to pick out different shaped leaves, petals and stems. It was almost as if they were riding a line between realistic and imaginary in their chaotic little habitat. 

I envision using these on the Gelli Plate (with acrylic paint) as masks have the power to create such beautiful layers of color and lines using this medium. I also appreciate and LOVE the mysterious and unpredictable results that come from mixing inks with masks. The fluid lines that result are always a beautiful surprise.

Rae's newest collection is available today at stencilgirlproducts.com

Gloriously different floral stencils from 2 designers

Rosette stencil? You bet. Designed by Jennifer Evans 

 A Lemurian garden ATC stencil? Of course. Designed by Linda Edkins Wyatt.

Tutorials? Gladly provided for you by Jennifer and Linda.

Here's Jennifer to introduce her stencils:

Abstract Rosette Stencil, M329, 4" x 4"

Jennifer Evans adores flowers so her Abstract Nature set could not be without a stand-alone the Abstract Rosette Stencil. Perfect for when you want a loose flower or to tuck this mini stencil into your traveling art supplies. 

She how she paints wet on wet watercolor:

Inspired by her own Mid Century Modern Rocks and Leaves Stencil, Jennifer’s new Abstract Natural Sun Stencil was built off shapes you might find in a landscape, the sun, rocks, leaves, and linear elements.

Abstract Natural Sun Stencil, S870, 6" x6"

The Abstract Botanical Grid Stencil was designed by Jennifer Evans for versatility. The series of shapes and lines of the four quadrants may be stenciled, one with a flower, the rest with landscape textures, or you may choose to use the entire design in your art.

“Landscapes to me have a lot of horizontal and vertical lines so I wanted to give you lots of options to use within the same stencil,” Jennifer says.

Abstract Botanical Grid Stencil, S869, 6" x 6"

There are four strips in the Abstract Grid Stencil designed by Jennifer Evans. Each strip is wonderful for mixed media stenciling or you may choose a grouping of elements. The large triangular area is perfect for layering another stencil in your large art on canvas.

Abstract Grid Stencil, L850, 9" x 12"

NATURE TRIAD

Paint the Nature Triad

Additional Supplies:

• Substrate of Choice (I used 9”x12” Watercolor Paper, 140 lb. Cold Press)
• Acrylic Paint
• Plastic Card or Angled Palette Knife
• Water-Soluble Pencils (Jennifer used Derwent InkTense)
• Water-Soluble Pastels (Jennifer used Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Aquarelles)

1. Tone your substrate with the background color of choice. For the dark background, I used Golden Fluid Acrylic Payne’s Gray.
2. Begin stenciling areas of the grid. For the bottom 2/3rds, I used part of the 9”x12” Abstract Grid stencil. For the top 1/3, I used the bottom left quadrant of the 6”x6” Abstract Botanical Grid, the 4”x4” Abstract Rosette, and a portion of the right side of the 6”x6” Abstract Natural Sun. I used a combination of paints including white, warm gray, and light blue to frame the details of each stencil.
3. Add marks by scribbling and coloring with colored pencils and pastels. Introduce greens, blues, purples, and browns by imagining what each vignette would represent in nature. Scrape paint over some areas using a plastic card or palette knife. Don’t worry about whether you’re covering up some of the stenciling. Just have fun and layer color.
4. Allow drying time.
5. To gain definition in any areas of your grid, reposition stencils one at a time and trace openings with a pencil. In some areas, block in color with a topcoat of stenciling to bring back any solid shapes. Use a brush to paint in colorful accents.
6. Trim excess paper. My finished size is 9” wide by 10” high.

Blooming Violet Stencil, M332, 4" x 4"

This sweet Blooming Violet Stencil was developed by Linda Edkins Wyatt from a doodle, reminiscent of the wild violets that grew wild in her childhood yard; seeing them was one of Linda’s first joys of spring.

Blooming Violet is lovely for use with watercolor, in delicate shades of lavender and purple, but it also looks great in all shades of the rainbow.

Lemurian Leaves Stencil, S875, 6" x 6"

"I constantly doodle, and most often, the doodles are leaf shapes," Linda says. "I realized as I was using my first stencil collection, Lemurian Garden, that I lacked small leaves, so I gathered my doodles and created an assortment of leaves to fill the need. The Lemurian Leaves Stencil works with the florals in my new ATC Mix-Up, as well as the Lemurian Garden designs, but they also stand on their own. 

"With a pastel palette, they say Spring and Summer, but with deep greens and red accent, or done in blues with gold and silver, I can also visualize them used for holiday décor and greeting cards."

Linda has been making and trading ATCs for about 15 years, so creating the ATC Mixup was a natural idea.

The designs for her ATC Mixup Stencil sprang from her fabric designs, silkscreens, and hand-carved blocks; she also adapted some of her Lemurian Garden designs to ATC size. Each of the 9 bold or small and subtle motif stands on its own yet combines nicely with each other as well as any in her Lemurian Garden stencil collection. 

Use these designs for fabrics, wrapping paper, home decor, greeting cards, and art quilts. They would be right at home on an art journal page or, of course, as ATCs.

ATC Mixup Stencil - Wyatt, L852, 9" x 12"

Linda combined her new stencils on paper and created this cute book:

Discover all of the latest stencils at StencilGirlProducts.com.