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 24x

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 10x
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*******