Beauty Canvas - Chapter 4, Art of Layers
On a previous blog post you graciously asked questions about me & my art. I am still going through them and putting posts together. I lumped them into categories that made sense to me so i could answer them easier. Today's post is about technique.
What is your all-time favorite "go-to" technique?
You want me to pick just one? I don't think i can do that. The book is called Art of layers because i love layering on the techniques. Ok if you make me pick just one i would say spray ink/paint splatters. They can transform a page or project right before your eyes.
Which chapter from your book is your favorite, working with the paper, embellishments, etc?
I like it all. I really do. They each bring something different to the pieces. A little touch of fabric, a stitch here and there, a piece of patterned paper, some bling tossed around, paint strewn about. But alas you want me to pick just one....MESSY (aka paints & mists). If i had just plain paper and tubes of paint, i can play around until my heart is content.
I would love to know your thought process on painting your projects?
You want a peek inside this Dorkapolis brain? Alright but you asked for it. When i sit down to paint, i first have to decide what is being painted up....canvas, watercolor paper, wood, fabric? Yes please. Next up is my trusty drawer filled with tube paints. I also have a spinner rack filled with liquid acrylics. I usually pull out the gesso too. I usually have a color story already in my head but it's not set in stone. I feel like if i try to control the paint, color, and story too much it squashes the creativity. Creativity needs room to breathe. I'm a texture girl so that needs to be in there somewhere. i have quite a few paintbrushes right at my finger tips. I have draws filled with stencils both purchased and homemade. I have lots of tools to create textures too both bought and homemade. i often will throw my fingers into the mix. there is nothing better than painty fingers finding their way around a canvas.
What is your favorite tool you work with?
Again with making me pick one! ok this goes along with paints, the paintbrush. With paints in one hand and a paintbrush in the other (preferable the right one), i see a world of possibilities. A piece of paper can become what ever pops into my head with a few strokes of paint and moments of creativity.
what tips do you have for stamping on layouts? I love the look of it, but have a really hard time pulling it off.
"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
Joseph Chilton Pearce
Here's the biggest fear with stamping on layouts..."what if i mess it up?" so i ask "what if you do?" Do you have more paper? Do you have more ink? I am guessing chances are you do. So let go of the worries. There will be times when the image isn't where you want it or you drop the stamp on the page by accident (guilty!) but it's ok. You never know what masterpiece you could create if you don't try. There are also some tips and tricks to help if this happens on a layout you totally love...Mess it up, Dress it up! Cover it up with some patterned paper, a photograph, paint. Still worried? It's totally ok. We all have (including me) worried about messing things up. But if we don't take those leaps then we have nothing to gain. Begin with something easy. Stamp an image on another piece of paper, cut it out, and place it on the layout. See the above photo. The blue/green butterfly was stamped on white cardstock and colored in. If you want to stamp on the background, either use the acetate printed sheet that comes in the packaging to see where you want the stamp. Another option is to stamp the image on some acetate(transparency) and use it to find your perfect position.
When you stitch on your projects, do you pre-pierce the holes or do you just let the needle do the work?
Always. I use an old mouse pad and a paper piecer to pre-punch my holes. I do this for two reasons. 1) I always know where i am coming up from the bottom. If you do this without pre-punching the holes, you run the risk of coming up in the wrong spot. 2) the holes are more controlled and less tearing occurs. You can use a push pin or your needle to pre-punch your holes as well.
How do you select papers for your projects?
I have the story in mind when i select papers. I know the mood i am trying to set. Take for instance the above layout. When i saw this picture of my sister, it seemed to me that life was much simpler then, softer. So i pulled out soft papers. Not all papers i pull make the page. I usually pull more than i need so i have a selection. The colors aren't the only deciding factors either. Patterns matter too. They have to work well together. In this case i wanted to photo to stand out so the patterns are soft. Think of your story, think of colors to tell your story, and then see how you patterned papers go together.
Do you have a favorite technique that you tend to go back to by default? and why do you thing you return to it often?
see question 1 for the answer ;)
What are some of your most favorite techniques?
Ok now you are letting me pick more than one...GREAT! i don't like to be boxed in. Paint &/or Spray ink splatters, hand stitches here & there, torn patterned paper, layering of embellishments, clear embossing, paint layers. A LOT of my favorite techniques are in my book Art of Layers. It's some of my most trusted techniques.
Layers of Love
