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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Gothic Arches and MMM

Rose Arch This is the first gothic arch I've created in some time, but I couldn't help but be inspired and play with the Rose theme at Gothic Arches this week. The flower-headed lady was created on our trip out of two images I got from a Flickr group called Collage Images (Not For Posting Art). The actual arch was made using techniques I learned from an Extreme Journaling workbook by Juliana Coles. This is by no means "extreme journaling," but I decided to play with what I learned from her workshop booklet "Empty Raw Creations, and I found that her techniques can be used for almost any mixed media project. Here's what I did: I prepared a piece of heavy watercolor paper with molding pasted, stamping it before it dried with a paisley-shaped rubber stamp from Walmart. When the paste dried I painted the entire arch with cheap aqua acrylic paint, and when that was dry, I drybrushed magenta paint on the textured areas. I let the paint set for a minute or two and then began wiping and reapplying the magenta until I was pleased with the result, and then I did the same with yellow paint. I added a little mediuum pink paint for highlights and then glued Madame Rose and flower cutouts from Artful Blogging onto the arch. I brushed around the edges of the cutouts with magenta, aqua, and yellow to make them seem more a part of the arch, and I used my new favorite art tool, Baby Wipes, to remove paint as needed. I continued adding and removing various shades until I liked what I saw. It's important to use a new Baby wipe when one gets covered with paint or you will muddy your surface. When all the paint was dry, I rubbed a black ink pad over the textured areas and used a flourish stamp in some of the bare areas. Again, I used a Baby Wipe to make the stamps less distinct. Next, I added two butterflies from my vintage butterfly book that Ava gave me last year, overpainting them with magenta and yellow arcylic, and I went back around the outside of the arch while I still had paint on my brush. The last thing I did was use my black stamp pad on the edges of the arch and voila!

28 comments:

Janet said...

This is gorgeous!! The colors are ripe and luscious and full of life. LOVE it!!!

Lori Saul said...

What a beautiful sight - this piece just jumped out at me - brilliant work!

peggy gatto said...

Even if I wasn't a person who loved bright colors, I would have to love this piece!!!!!!!!
I do love my brights!!!

Kris Dickinson said...

SO bright and wonderful! LOVE it!

Amy said...

Wow, I love all the color..nice red tone's really bring everything out here. I like your lil' masterpiece.

Diane said...

It's lovely, Alberta! Love the colours! Diane

Anonymous said...

This is absolutely amazing - I love the bright colors and all the steps involved/outlined. Fingerpainting sounds like great fun, too!

paru's_circle said...

love it!! will come back after work to get a better look!

Sandy said...

Wow your arch is fantastic.
Absolutely gorgeous. Love them.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic

My Creative House said...

Your arch is so beautiful, love the colors and all the flowers.

Janny said...

Fabulous!!

Astrid Maclean said...

Amazing colourful piece, gorgeous!

Judy said...

Fabulous art, Alberta, the colours are amazing, thanks for sharing the process!

Vintage Papers said...

the colors are sooooo amazing! what a gorgeous arch you have created!

indybev said...

Luscious! And I LOVE reading about your process to create! Do you save the baby wipes? I'm told when dried they make wonderful abstract backgrounds. I always look forward to a visit here, Alberta. You never let me down!

Martina said...

This is phenomenal! I am blown away.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Alberta, thanks for the step-by-step instructions for this fabulous technique. I sure do want to go try that out. I did a similar, but very simplified method. Yours turned out so much better.
Faye

Galina Varese said...

Vibrant and bursting with colours!

Luisa Migon said...

Here come you with one more WONDERFUL pieces of art!!! Thanks, Alberta!!!

Poetic Artist said...

WOW..I love this.
Katelen

Rosie said...

Madame Rose i9s luscious and your colours are as bold and vibrant as ever! I love that you shared the process too - thanks!! =)

Yet said...

You art reminds me of life. It's just a lovely girl waiting to blossom. Very nice.

~*~Magpie's Nest said...

fabulous arch, the colors are just so yummy!

Marit said...

Oh, WOW!!!! And thank you for sharing the process, baby wipes huh... gonna buy me a box of those!!! (maybe use them - dried up - as a background too... I know towels do great jobs!)

LivArtNow said...

Soooo beautiful and colourful!! Love it!!

Well done!!!

Linda

Murphangel said...

Sensational!

Ozstuff said...

Colours to die for, textures to amaze. Stunning artwork. Standing ovation!!