Megan Whisner Quinlan: October 2021 StencilClub Stencils

There is something about shapes that remind me of certain color combinations. For example, in this month's StencilClub stencil set, there are some very Matisse-like shapes that immediately triggered thoughts of bold contrasting colors. Follow along as I play with these themes. 

Using Dina Wakley Turquoise paint and her 2" brush, I swathed two pages of white cardstock with swirly strokes of color. I then sprayed some water to water down the paint and give a softer look. 

Using some Dina Wakley White Gesso I stenciled shapes randomly around my papers and allowed to dry. 

I then repeated the same process, this time with Neon Pink acrylic paint from Lukas. 

I found some interesting images from Tim Holtz's Ideology paper dolls to use as focal points. Next, I cut out some shapes with punches and scissors to use as my main substrate to build on. 

Once I had some shapes and designs that worked for my focal points, I edged them in Jet Black Archival ink for more depth. I then glued them down to their backgrounds. 

I then glued down my focal points and began to build out my assemblages with doodles. I finished off with some Dina Wakley washi tape with some inspiring phrases. I tore the strips and added them to my scraps to brighten them up for the final finish. The wonderful thing about working on this project, is I now have plenty of scraps to use for future projects. 

Join StencilClub by October 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.