Mixed Media Pumpkin!

 Hi everyone- 
This is my last week on the design team over at Artistcellar and we were given one last new set of stencils to play with-
The stencils are designed by the paper cutting artist, Beatrice Coron and the name of her set is  Danse Macabre Series.
So for my last post, I used the stencil - Online - because it reminds me of my sons who are both in the computer field!

 We had a pretty good crop of pumpkins this year, with a few that never turned all the way- so I figured these needed a bit of makeup!

                         First thing was to add a layer of gesso

            Next I coated both with a layer of Titanium White paint

                  then decided to work on just this one for now...

Initially I thought I would stencil right onto the pumpkin, but found it was too difficult to wrap the stencil and get a good image

I used some vintage newspaper to add a wash of color, using both  Vermillion and Primary Yellow from the DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics line- and yes, I love these paints! my new favs! and no, I don't work for DecoArt-just love the products!

 Next I stenciled onto my newspaper-1968

(I use vintage newsprint, as it does not bleed the ink when you apply paint or even water to it!) just saying ")

So, I stenciled the image with Carbon Black using a makeup sponge, and yes, I forgot to photograph this part! 

 I really like the faintness of the washes showing through-almost eerily~ bwaaahahaaaa!

 

   After stenciling the black and that was dry,I detailed in some  bones,eyes and teeth and colored in the cap and ball.
   

  Next, I gooped, yes, I said gooped! up the backside of the newspaper and the pumpkin with Mod Podge, then molded the paper onto the pumpkin and gave another overall coat of sealer.  
I finished up by adhering crumpled orange tissue paper on all the other areas and gave the stem a bit of black paint.

                      There it is~my Mixed Media pumpkin!


Thanks for stopping in~I always love to read your comments~ makes my day! 
  Jackie ") 

~ footnote- I'll be out of commission next week as I am off to have my left hand surgery. I'll be back as son as i'm able!~

 

This is what I was creating in yesterday's art mess!

 If you saw my post yesterday, you saw pictures of my art desk and studio covered with creative goodness,from end to end!

 (I prefer not to refer to it as a mess!) heehee

 So today I share with you these mini works of art-that I created amidst that creative, artistic chaos!

These are mini art charms that I'll be sharing, in October, at 

Art Is You 2014 Retreat in Stamford,Connecticut

             (here she jumps up and down with excitement!)

 Read along and I'll show you how i went from the collaged piece below to the art charms above!

First off I adhered all sorts of left over scrap pieces of previous art as well as papers of texture; coffee filters,netting,mulberry paper,tissue paper and handmade papers(these are the best for textures!) 

 I layered and glued everything down with Mod Podge.

Next I covered the whole sheet with a mix of  DecoArt Carbon Black and Golden Turquoise(Phalo) paint-and let that dry.

Then came the stencils with a thin coat of Golden Light molding paste . 

 The stencils I used here are Crafter's Workshop~Cubist  and  

Julie Fei Fan Balzer's~Aboriginal  

Next I used Viva Inka Gold~Magenta to rub over the raised stencil areas, going back and forth buffing and adding more Inka- till I was happy with the color.

A little more color here and there using some Viva Precious Metal Effect Paint~Orange Yellow (gold)..rubbing on, rubbing off...

Next I added Ranger Patina~Verdigris with my finger to areas around the stencils,brushing lightly over some areas and little more intense in others. 

 These shots were taken out in the sun-maybe wasn't the best choice as the colors are not showing at their finest here-

I gave the whole piece one final coat of sealer and let it dry over night.

The next day, I trimmed up the sides and then cut strips off of the sheet and further cut into various size rectangles, making sure to get parts of the designs in each.

Each piece received a grommet and some embossing and some fine detailing...they are now just awaiting their final clips for hanging and maybe some beads.

            I am quite please with how they turned out!

I hope I have inspired you today ~  Now go and get creative with your stencils- and make your own mini art!!

   Jackie ")

Linking up with the challenge over at

 The Mirror Cracked
Anything goes-Mixed Media  #44

Celebrating the raw, uncensored Studio Table!

    Today Seth Apter is hosting a
 Show Us Your Studio Table over on his blog!

Seth has kindly offered to link-up everyone's blogs to show a little of the inner messes of the working artist!! 
Stop on over to Seth's and check out all the other links of unkempt, un-organized and just down-right trashed with supplies studios!  Really...who has time to straighten and clean when there is sooo much Art to be made!!
Disclaimer:
      Please be aware...there are some people who like to work in a totally neat and organized area...do not be afraid --
         I don't think it's contagious!!   teeheehee

 Gosh- I never realized how much color I surround myself with!! No wonder I have a hard time working in just Black & White!!                     Yummy color!

 

yes, this is truly how my studio looks at this moment!

except for now there are actually Pumpkin muffin pieces on the floor also-Chum hasn't cleaned them up yet! ")

 Of course the mess doesn't stay right on the table... what would I do if I didn't have piles on the floor to cuss at because I have tripped over them- again! 

And I couldn't imagine a week without bruises on my hip or knees from open drawers!!

 

Thanks for stopping in and having a look- please make sure to visit some of the other links....

Jackie ")

For this Friday, I am going to let the pictures do the talking,
one, because they can and two because I am having a hard time typing due to Carpal Tunnel surgery I had Tuesday!
So, grab a cuppa,sit back,relax and have a look...

oversprayed and painted page- makes for a lovely background Three perfectly beautiful pages now scanned onto my computer to use as backgrounds, cards or whatever inspiration fires up my muse!

Products used:

• White Gesso
• Black Gesso
•  Artistcellar's Signature Series ~ Lynn K's- Comma's
• Crafter's Workshop ~ Mini Branches
• Natural Silver Maple leaves 
• I told you I would make up the post with the team!! heehee

Thank you so much for joining me!-Stitches out next week and hope to be typing away again!
Jackie ")

Back from California and catching up on posts....

            Hello Friday viewers...

As you are about to see, I broke with our Artistcellars design team's theme of Black and White this week. I'll make up the B&W challenge another time! ")  
 I was in California visiting my sons and had already had this post prepared!   Now onto my weekly Friday post~times two!

 This week I needed to update our name plaque that we take with us when camping. We moved last year and I needed to replace the town and decided to add some spunk to my already painted plaque.

I painted my original plaque,in 2005-with our favorite bird- the Rose-Breast Grosbeak (female)

  For this project, I used my Mini Cubist stencil and Golden Coarse Pumice Gel. I layered the gel through the stencil onto various parts of the plaque and waited for it to dry.

When the Pumice Gel was dry I covered the areas outside of my Rose Breast (and yes,this was difficult!) with gesso- 2 layers.

 After the gesso was dry I proceeded to repaint in our name and new town-

Here I added some color to to the gel using  Luminarte Silks - Golden Monarch  and Luminere paint- Halo Pink.

As you can see, I applied it with, my favorite tool, my fingers, at first , then another coat with a dry brush.

After a few coats of the Luminarte and Luminere paints - my plaque is reborn! 

As always, thank you for joining me and I hope I have inspired you to use your stencils and or paint with your fingers! teeheehee


And now for last week's post that I missed...

Here it is...the last Friday of August already! Can you believe it?
For this week,my inspiration came from Artistcellar Design Team member, Sarah Trumpp. 
Sarah has an awesome painting series on YouTube and this one,
 24 of 50 Canvases in 2014: Torn Tissue Paper Mixed Media Speed Painting  
 was the video that sparked my muse and kicked my inspiration into gear. Thank you Sarah!

The first thing I did was coat a hardboard substrate with black gesso-

While the gesso is drying, I pull out an assortment of colored tissue papers and started stenciling Lynn Krawczyk's X's stencil from her Marked Series.

I stenciled X's over all the colored tissue papers using just Black & White acrylic paint. After that I tore the papers into strips and adhered them to the board with Golden gel medium.

 At this point I also added a few other pieces of ephemera to the substrate and waited for the gel medium to dry. The design looked a bit too bold for me,so I toned it down with some white gesso.

Next, I also used the Comma Stencil from Lynn's Marked Series - Laying the stencil down I wiped away the gesso from the Comma's to give me the negative on the substrate.

On a separate piece of Mulberry paper , I added a stamp with black ink and then colored in the stamp with watercolor markers. After tearing the edges it was glued onto the center of the piece with gel medium.

And lastly, I add a few more small pieces of ephemera and my stamped phrase-
Expand your horizons your imagination will follow
and we'll call this a wrap!



This is the reason for the late posting...
Just back from California after spending , not enough time "(
 with my two sons and daughter in law. 
 It is always so hard to leave my kids after visiting-

we had so much fun-
and as you can tell- we laughed...and laughed!! 
              I miss them so much already! "( 



Thanks so much for joining me again today!! Jackie ")