"You are...", a mixed media painting by Nolwenn Petitbois

Hey guys, me again. If you are not familiar with my creative process, there is something you need to know:  I am an intuitive painter. It means that I will start with a thought, a feeling or a slight idea and then will just go from there. I do not plan ahead. For this project, I just knew I wanted to use one of the stencils either from the Tibet series or from the Sacred Heart series.

I started with a canvas that already had some stuff on it, I often do that. It avoids the «blank surface» fear.

I simply started by picking a few colors of acrylic paint an applied them freely on my board. I kept the original thing on one corner... thinking «we will simply see were this goes. I like that corner». I do my best for not overthinking my process : I like it? I keep it. I don’t? I cover it up. Easy.

I love the Old World Maps series because it has intricate lines that are perfect for my backgrounds in general.
I used extra heavy gel molding paste, which is a pretty unique medium. Unlike gel medium, it will dry slightly opaque. I used my Catalyst tool for it but a palette knife or even an old credit/store card work just as well.

Once it’s completely dry, I applied some spray paint. I was curious to see if the gel property would actually create a resist effect. Result: it does not. But that’s okay. You can honestly use a sheer paint or nothing at all at this stage...

Now, for the focus stencil. I used the Sacred Heart: Divine stencil, which is my favorite of the four. I made my own paint using pigments and heavy gel (the gloss). Heavy acrylic paint would be perfect too, it will make the design stand out from the rest of the canvas. I would suggest you take your time to apply it. As you can see, this does not come out perfectly but I am okay with it. If you have any tips and tricks that will help me get a crisp render, please share in the comments. There is always room for improvement !

I really wanted words on this piece. I picked some positive messages from Dina Wakley’s «Word collage pack» which is simply amazing, by the way. I tore them because I don’t like scissors in general and prefer the ragged edges (you do you) and glued them with matte gel medium. I love my art to have a positive impact.

I tend to use oil pastels to add my final touches. I picked contrasting colors and added my signature symbol : three drops.

And voilà ! I really hope this will inspire you to create a meaningful piece of mixed media, something that will make your heart happy.

A few more photos :

Also in News