Gwen's Gems - Get Translucent with your Mixed Media!

Hi all, it's Gwen back with the December edition of Gwen's Gems! This month I was intrigued by the idea of doing something that was transparent / translucent in some way as opposed to working in a journal or on a canvas or panel. I decided to do some experimenting, and ended up creating an abstract mixed media assemblage with a translucent background based in an embroidery hoop!

It's a bit funky, but I really like how it came out. Are you ready to see how I made it?

To start, I took my Art Deco Medallion stencil and just traced the outside border of the circle onto a piece of chipboard, then I cut out the ring.

I had a bunch of these mirrored triangles that I'd picked up at a creative reuse center, and I liked the idea of creating something reminiscent of a sun, so I adhered those around the chipboard ring.

From here I mixed up some Aves Apoxie Sculpt (2-part epoxy clay,) and rolled out a line of it which I then layered over the ring. This locked all of my triangles in place, and also gave me somewhere to insert a whole bunch of rectangular copper sequins which I added in random directions until it was full. I also took the slip from working with the clay and spread that over all of the triangles to prime them for the paint I'd be adding later.

I set the outside ring aside to give the clay time to cure, then started working on the inside elements. To start, I took a sheet of rice paper that I'd plasticized with polymer medium and used a gold texture paste with my Art Deco Medallion stencil to start making the background that would go in the ring.

While that dried, I gathered several different elements from my stash along with a sun shape cut from cardstock using Seth Apter's Sunburst Die Set and used waxes and a gray glaze to create consistency between them before assembling them as part of the focal point.

Above you can see a close-up as I measured things out... I layered my glazed components along with a piece of a broken necklace and a cool glass dome that fit perfectly over everything. 

When the clay was cured, I pulled my ring back out and painted it - I didn't worry about changing the color of the embedded sequins, just making sure that nothing from the base layer was showing. Then I added some embossing powder to enhance the rusted / patina look I wanted. (Just a note, the sequins are a thin plastic and will curl and melt a bit when you use this kind of heat gun. I actually wanted that effect - I thought it added to the character of the piece!)

With that done, I cut out my stenciled translucent background and adhered it to the back of my frame.

Then I adhered the focal point to the center of that and added some Turkish Nazar beads to each of the triangles (those covered up some small holes that still showed through the paint.)

Next up, I wanted to create more translucent elements that I could use to anchor the center section inside of my embroidery hoop frame (I sanded the front edge of the frame to a curve to get rid of that hard line, then painted it bronze.) 

To do this part, I used the Asian Character Impressions 3 Mini stencil by Carol Weibe and a few of the designs from the Circle 6 stencil by Michelle Ward with more gold texture paste on my plasticized rice paper. When they were dry, I cut them out and then arranged them until I liked how it looked, then adhered them in place.

Of course, the polymer coating made that paper much tougher than it was, but it wouldn't hold the weight of the center section, so I took out some 24 gauge annealed wire, poked a few holes through the translucent background, and wrapped some wire around my sun frame, then wrapped the other end around the embroidery frame. I did this in five places and it was a little tricky, but I got the whole thing anchored in place and it held perfectly! (Whew!) I used a few drops of polymer medium to seal the holes around the wires, then I was good to go.

Of course, you could leave it like this and it would be pretty cool! I almost stopped here, but more is more, right?

Next I took some sari yarn and wrapped it around the frame, skipping places where the translucent background was connected.

I also took some gold thread and wrapped it around, leaving long tales hanging off the bottom where I added some Turkmen jewelry pieces to dangle below the main piece. (Normally, I'd add something like that last, but I needed to have anything that would wrap around the frame done before getting to the next step.)

After that, I wanted to add one large background, so I cut some more rice paper off of a roll and stenciled it with teal paint and Nathalie Kalbach's Manhattan stencil. Next I coated this paper with polymer medium as well and let it dry overnight.

Once dry, I cut out the circle and adhered it to the back of my frame - I love the contrast from the color and pattern!

Before adhering completely, I took some more sari ribbon and tied it around at the top to make a hanger of sorts, then sealed that off as well.

With that, I was done!

Here are a few close-ups so that you can see more of the detail:

You can really see how the light comes through the translucent backgrounds - I love the effect!

I hung the finished piece on the door of my studio - the dangling jewelry bits act a bit like chimes when they move, which I love!

That's it for this month... I hope you enjoyed today's project and that you're feeling inspired to add some translucent elements into your own work!

Until next time, happy stenciling!

Gwen

Gwen's Gems - "Choose Love" Mixed Media Panel

Hi all, it's Gwen back again for this month's edition of Gwen's Gems! 

Have you ever had a project you completed that you really just couldn't stand? For the most part, I know that not everything is going to turn out perfectly and that it's all a part of the learning process - I'm okay with that. (Not to get too philosophical, but does "perfect" really even exist in art?) That said, every now and then I'll make something that I dislike so much that I don't even want to look at it! This happened with a project I did a few months ago that I disliked more and more as time went on, to the point where I hid it behind my guest bed so I couldn't see it. This month, I pulled it back out, gesso'd over the whole thing, and started anew. The feeling of relief as I covered it all up... I can't even tell you how happy it made me! 

Here's where I ended up, then I'll show you how I got here:

This is collage, clay, stenciling, and a few other things on an 18x18x1.5" birch cradled panel.

I didn't have any particular inspiration for this piece - not consciously, at least, but it just hit me as I was looking at something totally different. I was at work, so I grabbed a post-it note and quickly sketched out my idea, stuck it in my purse, and went back to work. Yes - I work this way a lot! I love an intuitive process as much as the next person, but it's also important to know what works best for YOU. I almost always work better with some kind of blueprint - mental or written. I like to start with a framework or general idea, then let intuition work out the details... as you can see here, this is not a detailed sketch! I'll write down ideas that come to me, and I'll frequently decide against them, but this helps me avoid that freezing that can happen when you sit down to work and get overwhelmed by the idea of starting something.

When I got home that night, I took out that old panel, gleefully covered it all with gesso, then used molding paste to cover over a few things and add lots of texture across the whole surface. When it was dry, I started collaging all kinds of papers over the background and around the sides of the panel. I used some block printed papers, a sheet from a Thai newspaper, printed tissue paper, and a few pieces of Japanese Chiyogami (Yuzen) paper.

The pink from the pieces of Thai newspaper that I used started to inform the color palette, so I just went with it. I free-handed a large heart, painted with Salmon Matisse paint, then I let it dry.

I used a bit of glaze to knock back the collaged background (you can just mix some brown paint with glazing medium - I like to add some interference gold too.) I also used a bit of gold paint to help blend over hard lines and unify it.

I used the Unfinished stencil by Seth Apter with some fluorescent magenta paint to add some words and texture. 

Next I started prepping some of the other layers I was going to add. I started by putting some gold crackle paste on deli paper through my Art Deco Sunburst Background stencil and set that aside to dry.

While it was drying, I traced a heart onto a piece of chipboard and cut it out, then painted it with some China Red Background Paint by Matisse (I love that stuff!) When everything was dry, I adhered the stenciled deli paper to my heart and trimmed all the overhanging pieces. (Crackle paste on deli paper makes the coolest texture... as it crackles, it contracts, and because of how thin the paper is it wrinkles and bubbles and makes an awesome surface.)

While that was drying, I went back to my panel and took the wood heart I'd been using as a template and positioned it, then loosely sketched around it, only about 1-1/2" out to indicate where I was going to paint the next heart.

I used Cobalt Turquoise to fill it in with paint (I didn't paint the whole thing since I knew it would be covered in the middle.)

Next I took out some Midnight Blue and Indigo and did some blending and scumbling along the edges to add depth (I did the same to the pink layer with different shades of pink.)

Next I took the Inky Hearts stencil by Terri Stegmiller and put some gold embossing paste hearts onto my blue painted heart and let that dry.

Time to work on the second to top layer... I took a fun little heart torn from pink Indian cotton rag paper and stenciled Margaret Applin's Heart and Vine stencil with gold paint, then outlined the shapes with a gold paste from Pebeo.

Finally, I worked on the clay piece that was going to be the focal point. This process is pretty similar to how I make the pieces in my Mini Mixed Media Medallions class. I use Aves Apoxie Clay as the basis for the sculpture, added some Turkmen jewelry parts to dangle from the bottom, then used some gold foil to cover the main piece.

I added some long red beads (I call them stickie-outies) to the top - adhered with more clay... I thought it echoed the shape of a flaming heart. I added a bit of gold foil to those as well. I let that whole piece cure and then added some vintage rhinestones, gold paint to cover un-gilded clay, and a glass watch-face with a frosted over effect that hid a tiny gold heart inside.

Time to assemble! I used extra heavy gel medium to adhere my chipboard heart on as the third layer, then again to add the second layer...

Next I used clay to adhere the sculpted piece to the top. (This is part of why I used the extra heavy gel on the previous layers - it needed to be stuck firmly enough to hold up to the weight of this piece.)

Time for finishing touches! I wanted to get more pink to unify the piece, so I added some splatters made from fluorescent pink fluid acrylic paint and airbrush medium.

Finally, I used a blue fine-line paste from Pebeo to write "love" across the bottom front of the panel. I knew that I wanted the title to be Choose Love, but I didn't like how the word "choose" would look on the front, so I stenciled it onto all four sides using my Art Deco Alphabet stencil, then I glazed over it to knock back the color a bit.

Voila! A finished mixed media panel that I'm absolutely loving!

That's it for today... I hope you enjoyed today's project and tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it!

Until next time, happy stenciling!

Gwen

Gwen's Gems - Stenciled Clay Flower

Hi all! It's Gwen, back again with the July edition of Gwen's Gems! (although I still can't even believe we're more than half-way through July... where does all the time go?)

This month's project is a fun stenciled clay flower that can be a stand-alone project, or which can be added something else (I added a few ideas at the end of the post.)

Ready to see how to make your own?

I started with Traci Bautista's Deconstructed Lily Mask and Stencil and just used the stencil part with ink to get the outline of the flower shape onto a piece of cardboard. Then I took another sheet of cardboard and laid down the stencil, but I sketched in the outline about 1/4" inside of the actual stencil lines so that I would start to get a graduated shape for my layered flower.

I cut out the larger shapes, then I traced the slightly smaller one onto more cardboard and drew another, smaller, flower inside of those lines and cut that out as well.

These cardboard flowers are going to be the template for the clay flower. Why cardboard? Technically you could use paper or cardstock, but I like cardboard for three reasons: first, the dimension makes it easier to trace and cut around it. Second, the cardboard will hold up to the clay a little better than regular paper. Third, you could use chipboard for this, but cardboard is much easier to cut! (Bonus, these templates can be reused several times!)

Once the templates were done, it was time to prep the clay. I used Aves Apoxie Clay here, but polymer clay or even a paper clay would also work. I mixed together the two parts and then rolled out the first piece to become the first layer of my flower. (A tip working with this kind of clay - spritz your craft mat, the clay, and your roller with water. When using Apoxie Clay, the initial stage is very sticky but water soluble, so you can use water like you would use flour when you're working with cookie dough for cut-out cookies.)

Next, I laid template on top - it's a good idea to spritz the clay with more water first to help minimize sticking. It's also helpful to try not to press down on it too much (I need to find a way to make non-stick templates! There's probably something available, but it's easy enough to just work with it this way... a mold release spray or even cooking spray could help if you really want something to minimize the sticking.)

I use a metal palette knife for this part - this one is shaped a bit like a pie server (wedged with a pointed tip,) and the thin metal edge plus the flexibility make this great as a cutting tool to use on top of your craft mat. I turned it sideways, like the second picture above, and just cut along the template. Then I turned it flat to lift out the extra clay (dipping it in water will help make this easier.)

Next, I carefully removed the template from the clay. It can stick a bit - working your palette knife underneath helps get it off. Then I used my finger and some water to smooth out rough patches and edges.

I repeated this process with all three templates, then let them sit for a bit. I still wanted the clay to be water soluble, but I needed it to be past the super sticky phase. Once at that point, I generously sprayed the top of the clay flower with water and then laid a stencil on top. For this one I used my Art Deco Sun Medallion stencil (I used my Art Deco Sunburst Background stencil for the largest and smallest flowers.)

I pulled out my roller and went over the stencil - this can be tricky... you want to roll firmly enough to press it into the design, but not so hard that it gets too embedded. Once I'd impressed the design into the clay, I carefully peeled it off and immediately cleaned any clay off of my stencil with a baby wipe.

Next, I embedded a little plastic flower into the center of the smallest clay flower. I used this as a base to add some beads later, but embedding it at this point glued it in place really well. (Tip: you can also use water to make a slip from the clay and coat the plastic flower to make it paintable after it dries.)

At this point, I walked away from it for about an hour. For the next part, I wanted the clay to be able to hold position and detail, and it needs to be no longer water soluble and well on its way to curing for that to happen. When it got to that point, I started shaping and positioning the petals so they weren't just flat. If you try this yourself, you may want to check it a few times over the following 30-45 minutes to make sure they hold, but then let it continue to cure without any more touching.

Once it's past the workable stage (usually 2-1/2 to 3 hours,) you can paint it. I started with a base coat of bronze.

Next, I wanted to start to highlight the pattern and texture from the stenciling, so I used a glaze made from Payne's Gray paint and glazing medium.

I let the glaze dry for about two minutes and then carefully wiped it back with a baby wipe - just skim the surface, you want the glaze to stay in the crevices and highlight the texture from the stenciling.

Once the glaze was dry, I started dry brushing layers of paint, beginning with teal. 

I kept dry-brushing layers of paint until I liked the way it looked... don't be afraid to throw in a dark layer or two, especially along the edges to add a bit of framing. Once the paint was dry, I used some gold wax (I like the Prima wax,) and lightly rubbed it along the edges and surface to pick up the high points and add more emphasis to the texture. 

Time to put it all together! I had connected the top two layers while they were wet so that I could position the petals, but to add the bottom layer I just used more Apoxie Clay.

Almost done... I just needed to do a little accessorizing! I started by adding some beads into the center...

Then I took some metal leaves that were just an outline of the shape and veins and glued them to a sheet of scrap paper with gold and bronze paint on it, then cut them out and glued them to the back of my flower so they would show between some of the petals.

Voila! A finished clay flower! Here are some closeups so that you can see the details as well as how much texture and visual interest you get from adding the stenciling to the wet clay:

As far as what to do with it, there are so many possibilities! If you painted it red, it would make a great poinsettia and it could become a Christmas ornament, go on a wreath, or be used for other holiday or seasonal decor. You could add a magnet to the back and put it on your fridge - that could be a fun gift too! Use it as a dimensional element on a mixed media panel... make a bunch of them in different sizes! You could even put it on the cover of an art journal! I experimented with a few options...

First I tried it on a new soft-cover 8x8 art journal / sketchbook I just got (it's full of luscious Indian cotton-rag paper and I can't wait to use it!) I really like it, but I think I'd jazz up the background before completely adhering it.

I also auditioned my flower on the cover of an art journal that I made last year (you can see my Decorative Medallion and  Decorative Folk Flower Screen stencils used on this one.) I really like how this looks! I may make this one permanent :)

I'm also thinking of making smaller versions to use as pendants for necklaces - wouldn't that be fun?

If you make your own clay flower, how will you use it?

I hope you enjoyed today's project... happy stenciling!

Gwen

Gwen's Gems - Using Stencils for Beaded Mosaics

Hi everyone, it's Gwen back again today with August's installment of Gwen's Gems! This month I decided to try another project based on my inspiration files... I've had this on my "to try" list for a while. I'm a HUGE fan of the work of Betsy Youngquist (do a search for her work on Pinterest and prepared to be amazed,) and I've long wanted to see if I could make my own beaded mosaics. So that's what I did!

I have absolutely zero training as a mosaic artist, but from what I've read you generally start by laying out a pattern on your substrate that you'll fill in with the tesserae, or in this case, beads. What better place to start than with a stencil? I took the Five Hamsas Stencil by Jessica Sporn and picked one that I thought would be fun as a beaded design and stenciled it onto a piece of chipboard.

Many of the bead mosaics I've seen use epoxy clay, but the artists will push the beads directly into the clay, working on a small section at a time. I knew that I wanted to lay out the whole pattern at once so I decided to go a different route. I cut around the shape and then mixed up some Aves Apoxy Clay to coat the whole thing and covered it all at once. Before the clay cured, I laid the stencil over top and lined up the edges, then used a roller over top to press the stencil lightly into the clay (I spritzed the stencil with water first to help keep the clay from sticking to it.) 

This left just enough of an impression that I could see the raised areas of the design. I knew I was going to put an eye in the center of the design, so I pressed that into the clay while it was still open, then I let it cure completely and painted it with black gesso. (Of course, I have black Aves clay, but that would have been way too easy, right?)

Next up it was time to start adding some beads! I started doing a little outlining around the eye...

...then I got back to following the pattern from the stencil. Since I wasn't pressing them into uncured clay, I decided to use glue. I had some PVA glue in a fine liner bottle (I can't claim credit for that idea - I got it at Papercraft Clubhouse!) which I loved for this because it gave me the ability to do detail work while still using a fairly strong glue. Here you can see how I outlined a small area with the glue, then placed the beads.

I tried a few different methods for placing beads during the course of the project... by the end I was just using a hatpin and that was what was working best. 

Here you can see a few in-progress shots as I worked through all of the sections.

Is this a long and tedious process? Yes! (But I think I can say that about many of the things I work on. LOL.) This is something that's good to work on while you're waiting for paint to dry on something else because it's easy to just do a small section and then set it aside. I think that helps keep the tedium from getting too overwhelming.

Finally, all of my beads were in place.

While PVA is quite a good glue, I don't really trust it to hold all of that hard work in place long term. So at this point, I put some polymer medium in a bottle with a fairly small opening (this gave me more control in applying it) and put a thin coat over top of the entire piece. 

The polymer filters down in between the beads so that when it dries, everything is locked in place and you have a nice shine, but the texture of the beads is still very clear.

You could turn this into a pendant for a very flashy statement necklace, make it into a piece of home decor... whatever you want! I decided to mount it on a birch panel so I could hang it on the wall. Before doing that, I created the background. I used a 6x6 birch cradled panel (7/8" deep) and gesso'd and painted it. Then I used my Decorative Filigree Ornament stencil and some gold paint to put the main image down. Naturally, I followed that up with some gold dots all along the outside of the design.

You could leave it plain, but I wanted lots of color matching the colors of my beaded piece so I used coordinating paint markers to color in the sections of the stencil design, plus white to add some more dots.

Whew! Almost there! I decided that this just wasn't enough, so I got some gold dimensional paint and went over my gold lines. It was one of those... am I going to ruin this? moments, but I loved it! Then I took some black Apoxy Sculpt (I got smart this time) and put some on the back of my hamsa so that I could mount it to the panel and have it lifted up a bit for more dimension.

Voila! Finished! (Although... don't you think it needs some gold trim around the sides? Hmm...) I LOVE how this turned out, and I can guarantee you that I'll be doing more beaded mosaics in the future!

Coincidentally, the day after I finished this I was browsing through the May / June 2016 issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine and there was an article about painting with beads. If you're interested in this type of project, the artist / author used a slightly different approach that's definitely worth checking out!

Have you ever used a stencil to make a bead mosaic? We'd love to see!

Until next time, happy stenciling!

Gwen