SUMMER BREEZE with Shelby
“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind” - Jim Seals & Dash Crofts
It was nice to hear “Summer Breeze” on the radio the other day. It certainly takes me back to a time and place…one that now seems exceedingly serene.
Not long ago I purchased a set of Heidi Swapp fabric flags at Michaels. The pack has twelve 4” x 5.5” natural cotton pennants held together with white cord. They are perfect for painting and stenciling. The flags easily slide across the cord which allows you to choose how many you wish to use. I decided to create a triptych. With the melody of “Summer Breeze” blowing through my mind, I knew my next project needed to caress the spirit of summer the song so effortlessly portrays.
After spraying my poster board with adhesive I lined up the flag so I could create a read-across of continuous images. I like using natural sponge with acrylics. The textures they leave behind can lend a lot of interest to a design. Using a rough sponge, I covered the flags with warm yellow acrylic adding lemon highlights. Once the flags dried I started the stenciling.
The Bodacious Pods from the Artistcellar Playful Pods series were perfect. I altered the stencil with painter’s tape and used the pods to fit the space. The languid movement across the flags was just what I wanted…like a summer breeze. The Traditional Japanese Dragonfly stencil finished my design with another image that speaks summer magic to me. Diamonds and dots completed the project.
I can’t wait to hang the summer flags next to my Prayer Flags. How do you embrace the essence of your favourite season in your work? I hope the tranquil spirit of summer envelopes you and lasts well into the seasons to come.
MATERIALS USED
- ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SERIES (Dragonfly), PLAYFUL PODS SERIES (Bodacious Pods)
- HANDCUT STENCILS: Diamonds, Circles
- DECOART: Emperor Gold, Blue Harbor
- DINA WAKLEY MEDIA ACRYLIC: Blushing
- PLAID: Daybreak, Calypso Sky
- DYLUSIONS PAINT: Crushed Grape, Lemon Zest
- REEVES: Bronze
- NATURAL SPONGE
- PAINTERS TAPE
- POSTER BOARD
- ELMERS SPRAY ADHESIVE
- HEIDI SWAPP FABRIC FLAGS 4” X 5.5”
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