THE WORLD YOU IMAGINE by Shelby
“Hold the Vision. Trust the Process.”
The final days of preparation for gift giving are upon us! Is there a person in your life that needs a little boost to their creativity? I love to purchase blank Journals. I have faith they will find a home at just the right time, for the just right person. And in my collection was a little dusky blue book. This could be that special place for a friend to keep her hopes, visions…and gardening notes.
After giving the journal a light sanding, I brushed on several layers of gesso. I wanted a base of white with a bit of the dusky blue cover showing through. My next step when dry was to squeeze Rubber Cement through the “Create” Creative Words Pocket Stencil. I have found that using a scrap of illustration board gives the best coverage…smooth, few bubbles, and little bleeding under the stencil.
Building up the layers of acrylic paint was fun. I usually use a Natural Sponge when I work. I have several in different sizes and textures. I love the ease of application they provide. It’s always great to see how various acrylics react when encountering the roughness of the sponge.
I started by removing the “Create” stencil and lightly applying a coat of Dylusion Vibrant Turquoise over the rubber cement. Giving the paint time to dry, I looked through my stencils and chose the Playful Pods Series. The book will serve as a gardening creative journal, so the pods rolling across the cover was perfect.
I am in love with the Dylusion Spray Ink. Bubble Gum shade is the best around…vibrant and rich. I sprayed the front and back covers with the ink and continued building layers with complimentary acrylic colours. The next addition to the design was the Playful Pods stencils and another Creative Word: “Trust”. There are many reasons to love Artistcellar stencils, but for me it’s the flexibility. With so many sizes to choose from, you will always find the perfect stencil to allow your creativity to soar.
Because the journal will be thrown into a handbag or the back pocket of a pair of jeans, I wanted to keep the surface as flat as possible. The final addition was an image of the Mona Lisa. I covered it in matte medium and dropped in slivers of copper threads while it was still wet. The edges are concealed with Artistcellar-inspired handmade Washi Tape. The result was just as I had hope…a bit of texture, but not the bulk.
And finally, my moment of truth…the removal of the rubber cement. Although the waiting tests my patience, I am happy to say it was worth it…”Create” looks every bit as inspiring as the peaceful smile of Mona Lisa.
Be it with stencils and paint or the cultivation of blooming plants, trusting and enjoying the process is the first step in holding on to our artistic vision and creating the world we imagine.
All the best to you and yours for the Holidays and the New Year!
MATERIALS USED:
- ARTISTCELLAR STENCILS: QUASICRYSTALS (Infra), CREATIVE WORDS POCKET STENCILS, PLAYFUL PODS (Tumbling Pods, Classic Pods), and HALFTONE DOTS
- HANDCUT STENCIL (Roaming Dots)
- SETH APTER STENCIL (Number Drips)
- LIQUITEX WHITE ACRYLIC GESSO
- LIQUITEX MATTE MEDIUM
- ELMER’S RUBBER CEMENT
- DYLUSION PAINT: Squeezed Orange, Bubble Gum, Vibrant Turquoise
- DYLUSION INK SPRAY: Bubblegum Pink
- DINA WAKLEY MEDIA: Blushing, Ruby
- PLAID: Blue Pearl, Sunflower, Amethyst
- DECO ART: Sky Blue, Blue Harbor, Splendid Gold
- REEVES: Rose Red, Bronze
- HANDMADE WASHI TAPE
- NATURAL SPONGE
- SURGICAL TAPE
- SANDPAPER BLOCK
- ILLUSTRATION BOARD SCRAP
- VINTAGE IMAGE
- JOURNAL: db editions – 3.5” x 5.5” Journal
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