3.02.2015

Get Messy || no. 03

 

This week's journal entry is a bit of a hodge podge. Sometimes when I feel a little stuck, I pull a bit of inspiration from multiple sources instead of just one. The really great thing about the Get Messy group is that you begin to amass quite a collection of art and journal prompts. That way you can always find something to get the ideas flowing.


I describe this as part reminder, part self portrait, part getting creative with paint, and part washi tape.
They don't really seem like they go together...especially the washi, but I had fun finding ways to incorporate it without it being too whimsical. I wanted to try and maintain an ethereal quality. The background was the best and most time consuming part. Working with acrylic paint can sometimes be a challenge. It doesn't blend quite like watercolors, it doesn't have a long working time, it lends itself to layering which is definitely my favorite way to use it. Color on top of color...really working it in, just going with whatever happens. 


I added an old woodblock script stamp to emphasize the worn vintage look I was trying to create. In order to get it to fade away, I stamp it off a bit and dab away ink in random places. The trick is to get it to stamp unevenly. I also like to incorporate my own handwriting in pencil. I was trying to get it to look almost like an old love letter. The words above the photo read" "whatever i am is enough."
The photo is a picture of me, switched to black and white and printed on printer paper. The thinness of the paper almost gives it a translucent quality. I adhered it and painted over it using gel medium which is great as an adhesive, but also shows off brush strokes...which is really why I used it. The washi was added to give a bit of a modern touch...the color, the straight lines...I was really happy with how it turned out.

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