New Beginnings

• Project was submitted to the The MixedMedia Monthly Challenge for January, 2015.
• Also submitted to Take-A-Word Challenge (WOMAN) 1/27/15.

2015 is a year of self-compassion, self-expression, self-acceptance for me.  My family is becoming more self sufficient as they get older, and I find myself alone with myself.  It was scary at first to think I had no one to take care of anymore. When you spend your life taking care of a a housebound mother, a child, teams and projects at work, elderly parents, and then grandchildren - it's a mind-boggling moment of self-awareness when you are alone. 

One of my selves is a silly person, loving whimsy, fairies, ghost stories, and Victorian children prints.  Another self is a computer geek, loving mechanical and technical toys, and always wanting the latest gadget.  A spiritual self looks to expand my ability to find peace within, accept this phase of my life with graceful and happy serenity.  

With that said, some of what is on this canvas speaks to those selves ... 

I used a 12x16" wrapped canvas but I worked on the reverse side, which shows the wooden framework, and provides a shadowbox type environment allowing a build-up of layers.  I got this idea from Monika, one of Finnabair's design team members.

I started with two coats of Liquitex white gesso and then collaged the canvas with torn papers.  The Buddha image is a blow-up of photo found online (no copyrights could be found and it shows up a lot within Google images).  I printed it on plain paper so it had no sheen, and covered it with cardboard to keep it clean during ink spraying and modeling paste use.

I will list supplies used shortly, at the bottom of this posting.

The carved wooden figure with tassels has been sitting in my "junque" drawer for decades so it was time to put it to use.

At first I was buying embellishments at Michael's, ACMoore, and Joann's Fabric Store, which can get expensive even when you only buy with a 50% off coupon. So over the summer I started going to flea markets and yard sales, and even one junk yard, looking for cheap pieces I could use as embellishments.  

I ask vendors for broken watches, and some had them under their tables or in the house. At the junk yard I found a broken camcorder and clock radio, which I am trying to take apart to get to gears and computer boards.  I had to order special drill sizes tiny enough for computers.  Recently I discovered you can buy metal flowers and leaves on eBay for $1 or less with free shipping (from China, of course).

This lower left section has a Mambi Stick high relief scroll sticker.  Surface is stamped with partial quote and a "love" sticker.  The computer board is from the same camera as the other board above but this one is connected with a strap to an abacas.  The ecru lace is from Joann's Fabric Store.  Did you know you can buy as little as 3" of lace so when it goes on sale for 50% off I pick up a lot of different pieces.  

After painting the frame, it looked like a rectangular easter egg, pretty pink, tangerine, pale green, and blue.  I wanted to beat it up a bit so I applied Ranger Distress Crackle Paint as a white wash.  It didn't crackle as much on some parts of the painted frame but it really happened on the bottom section, and it was better than I expected. This was my first time using this product so maybe I didn't use enough in other areas.  This section looks like old painted barn wood.

(*** Post-Post Note - I just found out you shouldn't use heat gun on this product, that it will crackle much better if left to dry naturally.)

The triangular pattern is Liquitex Modeling Paste over a Heidi Swapp stencil.  I cleaned the stencil and repositioned it on same grid so when I painted the surface it looks like each section is painted separately.  I topped it off with little crystals, which increase in size with every other row.

The branch was made using a stencil and Liquitex Modeling Paste, applied over the first layer of paper collage.  It was painted along with the rest of the surface but it didn't stand out so I used a copper leafing pen (Krylon) to highlight the embossed branch and leaves.  Then I applied Ranger Liquid Pearls in silver and gold to colorize the birds.  A fine point #01 black Pigma Micron pen was used to color the little stick legs and an eye for each.

The turtle is a bobble-head so it does move.  It's eating micro watch parts glued into a matchbox that I covered with Recollections Rhinestone Borders.  

The scroll work is a white plastic high relief sticker from MambiSticks, which was painted along with the surface.

Products/Supplies:

• Artist Loft 16x20" Gallery Wrapped Traditional Canvas
• Liquitex White Gesso
• Liquitex Clear Gesso
• Liquitex Modeling Paste
• Ranger Glossy Accents
• Heidi Swapp Stencil - 6"x6" Argyle
• Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Citron
• Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Primrose
• Heidi Swapp Color Shine - Seafoam
• Imagine Crafts - Fireworks - Dandelion
• Jaime Stencil - 6"x6" Bird Cages
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pumpkin Spice
• Ranger Distress Crackle Paint - Picket Fence
• Krylon - Copper Leafing Pen
• Pigma - Micron 01 Archival Ink pen - Black
• Ranger Liquid Pearls - Gold
• Ranger Liquid Pearls - Silver
• Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist - Perfect Pearl
• Ranger Perfect Pearls - Forever Green
• Ranger Perfect Pearls - Forever Red
• Ranger Perfect Pearls - Blue Patina
• Ranger Perfect Pearls - Perfect Gold
• Recollections - Rhinestone Borders
• mambiSTICKS Me & My Big Ideas - White Scrolls
• Moments Metal Sticker
• Timeless Traditions - Paper Flowers
• Stampin' Up! - 2000 - "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year."  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Ranger Archival Ink - Black