Cheating with Stencils: Abstract 5x7 Shapes

Received an email giving their opinions on my art that using stencils was cheating. I should learn how to create art without them. They were also of the opinion that abstract art is not art. I don't think using stencils is cheating and Abstract art is my favorite. I use stencils for mark making, texture, and the designs add to my paintings not the opposite and yes, I do create art without them too.

Today's Abstract painting is created entirely with stencils. It's one of my favorite paintings and it was created on a 5x7 wood panel that was actually on sale in my local arts and craft store. I love creating on wood but it can be expensive. Stores that carry those wooden signs with quotes go on sale and I find some for $2 to $4 in all sizes and I just paint right over them.

I started this by painting over the sign with black gesso by The Crafters Workshop (TCW). To add texture I used TCW Matte Gel Medium and added tissue paper and some painted deli paper to the wood panel.  I also added a few pieces of paper towel.

I let it dry over night and then I added more yellow, orange, and black acrylic paint.

Now I could paint my own shapes on this or use some other items to make some marks but I used the Shapes stencil (TCW762) by The Crafters Workshop.  I started by adding the shapes in the same yellow and orange paint and then started using black.

To finish it I added my scribble. I love to add scribbles or sometimes it's hard to read word but this one is just a scribble.

I use stencils for 75% of my art and I don't think it's cheating using them. There are many artists who do use them. I love hearing others' opinions about art whether its mine or others. This email wasn't very friendly towards the end but everyone has their opinions. I have mine too.

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read this post.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Butterflies 2: Mixed Media Canvas

Sometimes creating art and blogging don't mix. I'm creating lots of art but I don't have pictures of my process so I feel like I shouldn't share it. I know...share it anyway.  But today's post I have a few pictures of my process YAY!!!

   

I started this piece using a 12"x 12" cradled wood panel. Almost all my art starts with painting the substrate black. I love the way the colors pop off black so that why I start this way. This piece I painted over the black with green, white, and yellow. The globe is from a napkin and the hot air balloon is a stamp on tissue paper I found in my stash. The bottom is a mixed of book pages, music paper, tape, and scrap paper.  

I used The Crafters Workshop (TCW) Matte Gel Medium to adhere all the bits and pieces of paper. All the other marks were created by using TCW stencils: Ornate Border TCW785 and Distressed Details TCW754.

In the photo below the paint was dry and I started adding rub-ons. I believe they are from Tim Holtz but I don't keep any of my packaging so I'm not sure. I also added more yellow paint and my favorite color, black. I love the darkness and looking up to the top of the canvas to the light.

With the addition of black paint I decided to add more from the Ornate Borders stencil and added more rub-ons.  If you notice I used all the words from the rub-on page. I love to do that although its expensive having to buy them all over again.  I also use TCW gel medium over the rub-ons so they stay on permanently.  The butterflies are from my stash.

Here is the finished piece again. The only change I'm going to make is to add shadows to the butterfly wings.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop and read to the end of this post. I truly appreciate it. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment.

From My Garbage Can to My Art Table

As a Design Team Member for The Crafters Workshop, I get really excited when the design team box arrives with all the new stencils.  Once I open the box my first project is to take pictures of all the new stencils so I have a picture for blog posts.  Next, I put the stencils in 12x12 scrapbook sleeves and label them. 

 

The Crafters Workshop provided me with stencils and mediums to create this project.

The opinions I share are solely my own because I do love to use them.

 

I usually take a day and just play with the stencils. Many times I keep all the scraps of samples and save them for a raining day.  This time around I threw lots of them away because I have so many scraps that I can't keep many until I do a purge.

 

This time around I was playing with the new 12x12 stencil called TCW761 Solemn Branch designed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer on some scrap paper.

By the end of the day, I noticed the paper in my garbage and decided to save it. As you can see it already had paint on it and I just flipped over the stencil to add it to the paper.

I then decided to add color.

and more

and more.  Now the paper is sitting on my drying table and I still don't know what I'm going to do with it.  But I love the way it turned out. I may cut it up for cards, collage or add more to paper.  Time will tell.

Have you ever pulled something out of the garbage and created something with it?  I may be looking at my garbage again before I throw it out. There may be some more I can use!!!

 

To see all the new 2018 Winter Release of stencils and mixed medial metallic pastes for The Crafters Workshop go the SCRAPBOOK.COM.  Don't for get to go to the TCW Blog and check out what the rest of the design team is creating with the new stencils!!!

 

 

Thank you so much so stopping by!

 

A New Mixed Media Painting with Monoprints

Hello!

Do you have routine when you create a painting? I paint 98% of all my substrates with black gesso. I like the peak through of the black (if it shows) and the way it makes the colors pop.

 

 

95% of the time I cover the black with a color and scribble in the wet paint.

Love to scribble!

 



 

Then I start adding more texture. These lines were created with black paint on cardboard.

After that its whatever my muse wants me to do. This time I chose from my stash some leftover monoprints to add to it. I usually keep to a favorite color combination.

Of course, I had to add more scribbles and it's done!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cold Wax and the New Year

Happy New Year!!

 

Last year I started playing with cold wax. I bought a few brands and I'm just seeing where it takes me. For this piece I used Dorland's Cold Wax.

 

I also use this wax on my art journal pages so they don't stick together.

 

I started with using a 6x6 cradled wood board and covered it with a couple of layers of acrylic paint.



As you can see below I added pieces of scrap paper to the back and added a wash of white paint on the top. I found all the pieces I wanted to use from the stash and auditioned where I wanted them to go.

I added a thin layer of wax to the top. This time I tried heating it up a little with my heat gun.  When it cooled I wanted to see what would happen if I added some gold paint through a stencil.



As you can see only some of the paint showed up. Acrylic paint and wax don't mixed. But there were places where there was no wax so it dried nicely. Then I added another layer of wax and attached the piece of napkin to the piece.

 



What I tried to do is add wax, heat it up and then add more pieces; layer after layer. I also like to scratch into the wax to add more texture.

Here is my finished piece. I really don't know what is right or wrong on how to use cold wax.

 

But art doesn't have any rules, right???

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year!