Dark Side

Journal Pages: I'm still working with Elke's prompt, Landscapes of the Soul.

If only I could draw, this is what it would look like.  
But since I can't (or haven't tried), I came across these amazing digital images which fit perfectly with the song lyrics (by Kelly Clarkson) chosen for my theme:

                        Everybody's got a dark side
                        Please remind me who I really am

Materials:

Gecko Galz Artsy Jewels Collage sheet.  I was looking for something that represented split personality (good vs evil, "our dark side") when I came across this amazing artwork on the collage sheet.  I'm using the jewels (sized for pendant slides) in an entirely different way.  I resized two of the images and printed them on tracing paper. 

Technique:  From lessons learned in Wanderlust 2017, I left a white space on my journal for placement of the face (left) and arm (right).  After gluing down the tissue images, I took artistic liberty to extend with paint and pencil the two rectangles into the painted pages.  I love the black bird on the dark side and the blue bird on the bright side.  Loving the bird feathers in her hair (left side), I continued the theme with a feather stencil.  (Sidebar:  It just so happened that when I photographed my journal on the deck, the left side was in brightness and the right side was in darkness.  A happy coincidence!)

Acrylic Paints: Dylusions blendable Fresh Lime; Dina Wakley Heavy Body Sky, Liquitex Basics Ultramarine Blue

Chalk Paint: American Decor Primitive; Plaid Black

Stencils:  STAMPlorations ARTplorations Feathers and Arrows Large, Dylusions Diamond in the Rough

Entering:

Simon Says Monday Challenge:  Not a Card #61

Gecko Galz Papercrafting FaceBook Group: October Ghosts and Gouls

Gecko Galz Blog October Challenge:  Bump in the Night #2

STAMPlorations:  Mixed Media October Challenge:  must use stencil, not a card #8



Sharing at:

Art Journal Journey:  Landscapes of the the Soul (Elke's wonderful theme this month) 2nd share

Half An Hour of Art Facebook Group

Our Mixed Media Moods Facebook Group (October mood board:  human form and black birds)

October Wind

A digital journal page.  I used a Gecko Galz image from one of their collage sheets.  I deleted the background and put it on this amazing Gecko Galz digital paper which has so many beautiful layers, that I added absolutely nothing. Then I typed in these amazing words from a Dylan Thomas poem.

Entering:

Gecko Galz Papercrafting FaceBook Group: October Orange and Black

Digitally Made Challenge #6 Halloween until Nov 4 #2


Sharing at:

Art Journal Journey:  Landscapes of the the Soul (Elke's wonderful theme this month) #38

Half An Hour of Art Facebook Group

Getting Old and Rusty

Second post for this challenge: 
We're at the end of our second month of our Mixed Media Art Book Group on FaceBook. This group was started by Marjie Kemper.  This month we are absorbing Seth Apter's book, Mixed-Media Artist.  (I cannot say enough about this book!)

Purpose

This time inspiration comes from the author himself, Seth Apter.  On page 81, I find his words profound. I have not been able to stop thinking about this concept since I first read it.

There are as many layers of product on this rusty plate as there are in me.  I love this baby photo of me, safe in my mom's arms and within the boundaries of the car; yet I'm at the window with my arm out-stretched to the the rest of the world, ready to find my destiny. This work represents the process of building up and breaking down the many layers of my life since this photo was taken.

Process

My husband and I went to the Pickers Market where I rummaged through a bunch of automobile license plates until I found one that said Illinois (the geographic state in which I was born) and 1949 (the year I was born). Then I came home and dug through boxes of photos until I found the one of me in my parents' first car.  

I liked the license plate just fine the way it was naturally rusted up, but since this is an altered art project, I randomly added gesso followed by stenciling with Dreamweavers Embossing Paste in black. (The Crafters Workshop, Clarity Clockwork Stencil ) When dry, I carefully painted on top of the stenciled areas with Finnabair heavy black gesso.  I chose black products because the effect of the Finnabair opal magic paints are different on top of black.

I used Opal Magic Green-Gold, Violet-Green and Pink-Blue.  The Green-Gold turned a copper colore on top of the rust around the rim of the plate.  Love! I had worked minimally with these paints and just had fun experimenting, knowing this was just one of the layers

At this point I realized I needed to work on adding my embellishments. 

Next comes the trio of Finnabair rust pastes.

Something wasn't right so I sprayed the plate with Maya Road blue to bring back the original blue under the plate, wiping off the areas I didn't want covered. Layers, just like in real life.

Then I applied the same products to the chipboard frame. I used drywall mesh as another stencil with the rust paint.  I finished with a wash of ARTQuest Vintage Mica Water Color.

I scanned and converted to sepia my baby photo.  I stamped my subtitle: Attitude is the compass of my destiny.

Using Ranger Rusty Hinge distress ink, I colored some beige paper and then stamped my title.

Stamps:  
STAMPlorations Bold Sentiments: Explore  I used the words Go Beyond Boundaries
Paper Artsy: Eclectica (Everything Art) 02  I used only the phrase: attitude is the compass of my destiny

Adding wire, my altered art/mixed media license plate is complete.

Entering:
A Inky Mess Challenge 14 #2 ends Oct 24

A Vintage Journey:  Altered Art #36 until Oct 4 PINWORTHY!!!

Frilly and Funky:  Show Us Your Stamps #5 x  I used my stamps in a different way in that I cut up and used only some of the words on one stamp and used only part of the other stamp until Oct 10
Stamps and Stencils: September Metallics #19 until Oct 3 x
Mixed Media World #29 Anything Mixed Media Goes #88 x
Paper Artsy #13 Metallics #14 until Oct 1 random draw x
Try It On Tuesdays Time or Clocks (Clarity Clockwork Stencil and clock face, year, etc.)) #8 until Oct 8x
Simon Says Stamp Heavy Metal #73 until Oct 1 x
We Love to Create:  #1 Anything Creative Mixed Media Goes #16 until Oct 30
winner announced Sunday November 26

Sharing at:
Mixed Media Art Book Group on FaceBook
****Winner of Seth Apter's prize*******

Trio of Fall Warmth

Here's my third entry into the Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop.  

I found these great coffee cups for a dollar each at one of the famous stores by that name.  Each has a different colored corrugated band around the middle--green, brown, and orange. 

Topper sayings are from the Coffee Please digi set at a discounted price from hop super sponsor Verve Stamps.  The mug with pumpkin is a digi freebie from hop super sponsor Stamplorations.  I digitally colored the image.  It was tricky placing plaid digi paper on the mug, but I did it!  Leaves are Tim Holtz dies and embossing folder.  

I plan to give these out with treats inside the cups.

Entering:

Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop HERE.  I'm #978

STAMPLORATIONS Summer Theme and Sketch Challenge: Anything Goes (until end of September) #81



OUTLAWZ Festive Friday: Let's Have Coffee FF091517 
OUTLAWZ site-wide drawing:  #161

Fall (ing) Leaves

Here's my second entry for the coffee lovers bloghop, with inspiration from the challenges I've entered.  

This time thanks goes to Craftin Desert Divas, another blog sponsor, for their freebie Happy Fall digi set. I'll be sharing it on their Facebook page.  I chose their pre-colored image for a quick card. (No matter how hard I tried, that sentiment wouldn't print in full, cutting off the top.) 

Other products are Tim Holtz leaves, dies and embossing folders, Ranger ink, and some very old card stock and paper from my stash.  


Entering:

Coffee Lovers Fall Blog Hop HERE.  I'm #870

CARD IN ENVY Easy as 1-2-3 (flat cards that fit in envelopes) #18 x

OUTLAWZ Thursday Twist: Leaves TT091417

OUTLAWZ Tuesday Colour Challenge CC0919



OUTLAWZ site-wide drawing:  #152
OUTL COFFEE, TEA &/OR C