UNSPOILED by Shelby

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” ― Oscar Wilde

Colour surrounds us. It can lift our spirits, enhance a mood, or simply help us to express a feeling without words. For my next Artistcellar project, I decided to use a limited palette of colours I find comforting and see where it would lead me.

I began by covering the illustration board with a light coat of gesso. Once dried, I mixed the Dylusion Squeezed Orange Paint with an equal part of Glazing Liquid leaving the acrylic semi-transparent. I wasn’t very careful when painting over the gesso and let the brush strokes overlap. I was pleased with the texture left behind.

While the board was drying I looked through my collection of ephemera. I have an assortment of old magazines, as I am sure most mixed-media artists do. I ripped out a page from “True Story” published in the 1920’s. The charming text read similar to most of the romances of the period, peppered with lots of “Darlings…” and “longing looks”. I liked the fragility of the vintage paper and the way it was so easy, although not very predictable, to tear.

Next I chose a scrap of Joss Paper. Burned in traditional Chinese ceremonies during special holidays and funerals, the bamboo paper is just delicate enough to hold a layer of foil. I love seeing it in collage work. It really adds a bit of luster and texture. I glued it, and the magazine clipping, to the board with my gloss medium. I also had a few scraps of the yellow round Joss Paper and added it to the design.

Some time ago I experimented with beeswax and a selection of different types of paper. The image I chose for the top of my work was from this session. I’m sure you know this woman’s face well, as it has been added to projects by an array of artists. With her silent gaze I liked the way it mirrored the text. The beeswax gave my stamped paper just the right amount of translucency and a torn edge with a bit of roughness.

I finished the work with my Artistcellar Quasicrystals Stencils. They were perfect in size and design, as I have come to expect from all Artistcellar products. No matter what the project, Artistcellar never lets you down. You will always find just the right stencil to allow your creative spirit to fly. I first stenciled Quasi in gold and then added Infra in a selection of other warm colours from the Dylusion Paint series.

We artists use colour as a language. What part of the spectrum speaks to you…and how do you communicate the poetry of your soul?

MATERIALS USED:

• ARTISTCELLAR: QUASICRYSTALS SERIES (Quasi, Infra)
• ILLUSTRATION BOARD
• JOSS PAPER
• BROWN WRAPPING PAPER
• BEESWAX
• RUBBER STAMP
• MEMENTO DYE INK: Tuxedo Black
• GOLDEN ACRYLIC GLAZING LIQUID
• LIQUITEX GESSO
• LIQUITEX: Gloss Medium & Varnish
• NATURAL SPONGE          
• DYLUSION PAINTS: Squeezed Orange, Vibrant Turquoise
• DYLUSIONS: Bubblegum Pink Spray
• PLAID ACRYLICS: Pure Gold
• DINA WAKLEY: Ruby, Blushing
• VINTAGE MAGAZINE PAGE: True Story Magazine

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