Megan Whisner Quinlan: February 2021 StencilClub Stencils

When I first saw this month’s StencilClub stencil set (designed by Gwen Lafleur), I was immediately excited about creating a page that was going to really showcase the beauty of the birds. I loved that they seemed to be in various stages of motion, which is of course, the most fabulous thing about being a bird. Follow along for details on how to create a fun textured page using the new StencilClub stencil set!

I began on gessoed page in my journal and just did a loose sketch. I leave the sketch as a marker, and will fill in later. 

Next I tore old pages of text from dictionaries or my scrapbook pile, and added them around the edges. I like to have something on the page as a spring board for the collage layers and these always add a nice beginning layer to work from. I usually stick to random edges and leave the center of the spread open for the rest of the collage. 

I then start to build up the layers with paint and texture and let each layer dry. I usually do this several times going from a light layer to a darker layer, back and forth until the desired effect is reached. These days, I almost always finish off with Dina Wakley's Acrylic Sprays (Mineral and Sand) for the incredible drip effects. I like to use them at the end, because they take any pen or paint pens nicely if I decide to doodle on top.

For the top layer, I used a mini blending tool and Stenciled the 2 birds on the opposite page, in black gesso for a more matte finish. 

I then stenciled the beautiful feathers and little bird on a branch, onto some map printed scrapbooking paper. I then tore around the images for a more organic feel and glued them to my page. 

I finished my face with Dina Wakley paint and Stabilo All pencil. For my finishing touches I used the last stencil in the set to add texture to the blouse of my girl and around the spread for that last bit of detail. I also like to doodle on my pages so I added details with Posca pens around the birds as well. 

I finished with Carolyn Dube's Emotions and Feelings Journal Starter, because I liked leaving the page open for interpretation (this is an amazing set for the art journaling crowd). 

Join StencilClub by February 15 to receive these three exclusive stencils and accompanying video tutorial with PDF, and 20% OFF STENCILS EVERY DAY!!

Hello! My name is Megan Whisner Quinlan. I have been art journaling and book binding for about 20 years. However, I took a 10 year break from paper arts when I had my first 2 children. About 5 years ago, I came back into journaling after some big life changes, including 2 more children. Journaling had always been a part of my life, especially to work things out in life on paper. When I first started out, I really only focused on making books by hand and some basic collage and stamping. I was intimidated by the amazing art journaling artists out there who could create elaborate, mixed media spreads.  When I came back to journaling after such a long break, I decided that I was going to really push myself to learn all the techniques I had been too afraid to try.  Painting and drawing have really allowed me to find so much joy in my creative process, and I now almost exclusively create mixed media every day. I feel excited to have joined the art journaling community and you can find me on Instagram @Megan_Whisner_Quinlan or on Youtube: Megan Whisner Quinlan.