Poetry-Inspired Art by Frieda Oxenham with StencilGirl® Stencils

My project this month was inspired by a poem by Ben Okri. I printed it out quite some time ago and it has been living on my work desk every since with me occasionally re-reading it. The words touched me deeply. Then a few weeks ago I saw it again this time accompanying a photograph on a photo site I am a member of. I made me think I wanted to do something to make it into a permanent reminder to myself.

I, like most of you I suspect, am always on the lookout for the “perfect” sketchbook and during the search have acquired so many that I very much doubt I will be able to fill them in my lifetime but that doesn’t seem to stop me buying more. And I think I have now discovered one that is as close to perfect as it’s going to get. It’s the journals by www.artbymarlene.nl  by StudioLight. The one I’m using here is the big version 8 x 11.3/4” and it has the most wonderful thick paper. My plan is to fill this journal with my illustrations of Ben Okri’s words. This page has the first few lines: “As clouds pass above our heads, so time passes through our lives. You will be getting more lines as part of future projects.

Here is what I did:

1.      Take a sheet from the journal (there is a textured and a smooth side to each page and I used the smooth one) and add white gesso using an old credit or hotel card.

2.      Water the paper using a brush or a spray bottle, and drop down light colored acrylic inks (I used Liquitex). Let them run into each other and where it gets too puddly, remove some ink with a baby wipe through Organic Zen Circles. Let dry thoroughly.

3.      Repeat step 2 with medium colored inks.

4.      Repeat step 2 with dark colored inks.

5.      Again using Organic Zen Circles add more circles using Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in matching blue colorways.

6.      Using the large stencil from the April 2014 StencilGirl® Club spray on clock elements with permanent acrylic spray paint (I used Liquitex).

7.      Repeat step 6 using Lindy’s Starburst spray in Azure Sea Asters color.

8.      With Clouds and Stars, add clouds using a palette knife and Colourarte Radiant Gel in dark blue color.

9.      Once dry, outline the clouds with a sparkly silver gel pen and the clock with a permanent white marker.

10.  Glue on vintage German Xmas card with gel medium.

11.  Edge the vintage postcard and the page itself with a dark blue water soluble oil pastel and rub it in with your damp finger (or use a brush).

12.  Add silvery stars using Stylized Fireworks with Inka Gold gloss paint in Silver with a palette knife.

13.  Stamp on text onto vintage paper, using a mix of alphabet stamp sets and a permanent blue ink pad. Tear out the words and glue on as shown and edge with blue as in step 11.

14.  Glue on postage stamps as shown.

© Frieda Oxenham 2019. To see more of Frieda's work, please visit her BLOG.