Mixed Media Pastiche - We Honor Each Other

Hello Friends,

Shel Cee writing to you today :)

Our newest challenge from the StencilGirl® Creative Team was to create mixed media pastiche art. Art made in a way that honors another artist. A fun and creative challenge for sure as we are always developing our own style each time we work. And always hoping and wondering if our personal style shows through in what we do. 

Peg and I discussed what we would like to do for this challenge and we decided that since we work as a duo for the team, we would make art pieces that imitated and honored each other. Peg and I have often collaborated in many different ways throughout the years. We have sent each other materials to create with to see what would happen. We have started an art piece and then sent it to the other person to finish. We have done journal pages in round-robin journals. Currently, we do a YouTube livestream show each week as a duo. However, our styles are not the same. We do not use the same color palette or always grab the same favorite tools. We might do the same prompt challenge at the same time on our show, and our pieces come out completely different! We think this is why we work well together. Not exactly opposite, but not exactly the same either. It is more interesting that way!

So, how do you figure out how to duplicate someone else's artistic style while also honoring it? My take on this idea started with thinking about a color palette. Peg and I constantly joke that I do not like brown as much as she does. Concurrently, she does not favor purple and that is my confessed favorite color. So to figure out Peg's color palette was my first thought. I chose colors I know she likes, brown, golds, green, teal, and a bit of shimmery copper. 

Next, I thought about what are her favorite StencilGirl stencils? Well, I actually know that her #1 go to favorite is the Stone and Mortar designs by MaryBeth Shaw. We both have that design in multiple sizes...it's awesome! I also know that Peg enjoys Seth Apter stencils and she is really in love with a recent StencilClub® design by Rae Missigman. So these were the stencil choices I made. 

Next came the thought of what are Peg's favorite tools or products. I knew for sure the gel plate. Who does not LOVE a gel plate. I also thought about alcohol inks and distress inks. Some of her most used products. Lastly, I looked at Peg's Instagram account photos to pick a theme or motif. I noticed she uses lots of natural elements and seems to enjoy drawing leaves and vines. So, my plan was set! And here is what I made in 'Peg style' on a 5X7 canvas panel. I think it fits right in with her art!

S375 - Stone and Mortar, Version 2 by Mary Beth Shaw 

L185 – Unfinished by Seth Apter

StencilClub Sept. 2020 Modern Botanicals by Rae Missigman 

If you would enjoy watching the process of Shel making this art piece:

Without any discussion or planning, Peg started her pastiche piece exactly the same way as Shel did. She wanted to work in a multi-step way and needed to create printed painterly paper to use for collage. Of course, our favorite way to do that is with a Gel Press Plate.

Once Peg has her pile of collage materials, she broke them down a bit and adds them into a box she can rifle through to find just the piece of color and texture she wants to glue down.

Peg says - Shel has a fantastic method for collage so I am going to utilize her method to create a collaged animal image. I don't even know how many journals, tags, and canvases she has created this way but all of them are stunning. She was doing an animal monthly and many of her abstract pieces are also collage.

Don't you love all that yummy texture created by the paint and stencils? So I use these papers to glue to a piece of deli paper that contains my initial sketch. You can male multiple layers because the deli wrap is easy to see through and trace your drawing. I don't spend much time on this but I want it to be the right size for the substrate.

So it is all glued and collaged with layers and final stenciling to create a cute purple kitty. for complete instruction, you can find the video process here:

StencilClubMash-Up June 2020 by Mary Beth Shaw & Valerie Sjodin

StencilClubMash-Up August 2014 by Mary Beth Shaw

Small and Large Triangles S425 by Andrew Borloz

ATCMixup #1 by Mary Beth Shaw L543

ATC Mixup by Mary Nasser L763

SoulfulScribbles Dots and Dashes L605 by Traci Bautista

Boro S705 by Kristin Williams

Sidewalk2 of Puerto Rico S782 by Mary Beth Shaw

I am always fascinated When Shel Cee starts to glue papers down. I am never quite sure where the process is going to take her. Anyway. I can see influences from all three of these artists in this piece. Seth's layering techniques show up in the background while Mary Beth's love of the geometric and stitching play a part too. I hope you give this process a try. It is a lot of fun! 

Thanks for the visit. Peg