Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year

On the Eighth Day of Christmas
I give to you.......
My Triptych
submission that was published in the January/February issue
with an explanation about each piece
and
one of the great things that I discovered while painting these.
But first, let me remind you that the Triptych Challenge was to use one image presented three ways, using a variety of media. There was a size restriction that each panel could be no larger that 6 X 8.
I used an image of my daughter, Melissa. You already know that all the nest with eggs were my personal images from last spring. The nest were transferred to the canvas with transparency prints using gel medium.

The Traveler

On this one, I transferred Melissa's image from an ink jet transparency print using Golden's soft gel. The flesh tones were accomplished using StazOn refill solvent in Saddle Brown mixed with titanium white acrylic. A speck of Naphthol Red Light was also used for the pink tones.

The tea napkin used for her head scarf had traveled to me that very day from Chantal in England. The butterfly is also a personal image from my garden.

Daughter

Melissa's image was transferred from a plain paper ink jet print with soft gel medium. I started the flesh tones with water color crayons; however, I think those layers were subsequently covered with a mixture of Folk Art Skintone and heavy body acrylics.

The word "daughter" was a serendipitous discovery in the collage text. It is just above the butterfly left wing. You know and I know that this little bit of serendipity was Norah'S doings but I didn't tell CPS that.

I have to tell you that I was pretty amazed at the discovery. Remember it is my daughter's image.


Idle Fancy
For Idle Fancy, I used my daughter's face and hand image printed on plain paper with ink jet printer and glued down. Heavy body acrylics were used for the flesh tones.
The collage includes a piece of old high school band music given to me by a sweet friend. Her sleeve was cut from my stash of sandwich wrap papers that I use to catch the over painted edge of pages when altering books.

Next is the real Eighth Day of Christmas
stamping tip.
Part of the challenge was to push yourself to try products in new or unconventional ways.
I did and it led me to a fantastic discovery.
First of all, I would have never thought to use StazOn refill solvent mixed with acrylic. But it did work; although, I'm not sure that I liked it in lieu of just painting flesh tones with acrylic.


What I did learn is you can stick the tiny brush directly into the top of the bottle and paint with the ink. The brush will load with enough ink to paint tiny detail lines like eye lashes etc.


Then, I cleaned my brush by rubbing it on the felt pad in the top of the StazOn All-purpose cleaner.
Cleaning my brush is when it happened.
A happy collision with StazOn cleaner.
I discovered the clean little brush still a bit damp from the cleaner can be used to clean up any StazOn stamped image that did not meet your expectations.
You get do-overs.
This works on canvas and even watercolor paper if you have used a medium over it. Of course it won't work on just plain paper.


So in addition to cleaning up or even totally erasing a stamped image you can also use the little brush that is still damp with the cleaner to blend or smudge the StazOn ink when that effect is desired.

When I want to totally remove a stamped image that just didn't land beautifully, I use a q-tip.


When too much ink gets on the pad in the top of the cleaner, just dab the pad with a towel and the ink transfers to the towel.

The little bottle of cleaner says "all purpose" but nobody ever told me these purposes.

Did anybody ever tell you?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I look forward to sharing it with all of you and just want to tell you how much I love love hearing from you all.

More later,

Sharon


19 comments:

  1. HI Sharon

    happy New Year to you! May it be a good one!

    Thanks for sharing the 12 Days - been enjoying checking them out every day. Congrats again on CPS - a wonderful submission

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  2. My copy of CPS arrived yesterday and I was thrilled to see your triptych featured in it!

    Thanks for sharing this StazOn cleaner tip :-)

    Have a fantabulous 2008!

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  3. Thank you for another great tip! I have a question (if you'd be willing to share it, maybe a next tip? ^^) - how do you transfer the images with a gel medium?Happy New Year! *^v^*

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  4. Happy New Year Sharon!
    You have been a true inspiration to me in 2007 and look forward to all of your creations in 2008!

    Many Blessings,
    Sandy :)

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  5. Sharon! Oh my gosh! The images of your daughter are beyond belief! How absolutely beautiful... I have shivers and goosebumps. Thank you so much for sharing your tips and techniques... wonderful.
    I too, am glad we floated into one another's lives... you have enriched my days immensely.
    Happy New Year!
    xoxo
    Jill

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  6. EEP! I'm getting in over my head here, LOL! I'm going to try some of this tho.

    I need to buy a copy of CPS. What I really long for is to see this in person, with the different materials I suspect there must be a lot of texture that I can only sense in photo's. True or not?

    Darla

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  7. Cool Beans! Thanks for sharing adn of course the work is lovely. Happy Happy New Year Hugs! Hope its a great year for you!

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  8. Congratulation for your art in CPS..I will certainly be looking for it. Your work is so beautiful and the time you spend to describe it to us is just really sweet! I agree next tip- transfers w/gel med. ? Love your tips! Happy New Year!

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  9. sharon...i love your painted faces...still a struggle for me...i am so proud of you...congrats a million...i can't wait to get cps...visitng you always brightens my day...may the spirit of a new year fill your home with an abundance of love, laughter, and joy...may the magic of the moment bring peace to your heart all year long...may your creativity take you to amazing places and may you experience the resulting bliss...much love you and your family...rebecca

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  10. Dropping off a basket of love and peace and wonderful possibilities of serendipity and magic this New Year Sharon!
    Your work never ceases to astound and amaze and now your generous sharing of new techniques....how wonderful!
    Congrats on the magazine (I still haven't seen it on the stands - I DO need to subscribe).
    I appreciate not only your abundant talent but you as a person!
    Love, hugs and joy,
    Lisa
    XOXO

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  11. That is a beautiful piece Sharon! I've been enjoying your tips of late. Happy New Year!

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  12. Sharon...
    Sending heart felt congrats on the CPS submission...as usual a stunning piece...You and Norah are certainly a pair of wonderfully creative Muses'
    A happy new year blessing to you!!

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  13. Oh and I did get to see this work of art (in the flesh!)So happy for you. I am hoping this will be the year I get published in CPS.We'll see.
    ox suze :)

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  14. Sharon, I got my CPS yesterday, too, and I could not open it fast enough to find you there. OHHHHH, how lovely to see you in print and the gorgeous work. Clapping with glee here for you.

    Thank you for the tips today...and all the time you take to photograph and make notations. You are a wonderful teacher with a generous spirit.
    xo Rella

    rymbuup

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  15. I have to go find this issue...these are just gorgeous!! I hope that CPS has put you on their regular call for pub list because your work is just outstanding!! I love everything that you have been doing...you are always so generous with sharing your knowledge and tips with your blog readers---thank you for that! smiles...

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  16. Your triptych is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing all of your tips with us!

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  17. Lovely work on your triptych! The colors are just beautiful and I love that you used your own images.

    Deryn

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  18. oh! i was just blog hopping and linked over here from darla ... how funny that i just got you in the mail yesterday .... congrats ... e

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  19. I looked at that triptych in my new CPS and was pretty sure it was your work -- however, I didn't know your real name! Congrats on being published -- it's a beautiful piece.

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