Love Canvas~~Mixed Media

I love watching videos to see what others are creating.

Creative Hearts Monday by Cyndi Cesare 

created this project this week.

I wanted to put my twist to it using 

DecoArt Products

This is what I came up with.

I used a 4x4 wrapped canvas.

I carried all of the design over to the sides.

A Little Froggie stopped by for a visit this morning

He just wanted to visit my beach

I painted some paper with the Red 

and cut out a heart.

I cut out LOVE from the paper.

I added some more texture with 

gesso and the bubbles stencil.

I also used some 

punchinello and White 

for more contrast.

I think most things need a bit of

White.

Also, since the heart was Red,

I added Red in the background.

I outlined the heart and letters with a pen.

Oh, look, Ralphie made his last guest appearance.

Hey LADY...

Thanks for letting me stay 

at your house.

Tell that Big Ole Dog HEY for me

....and thanks for not eating me.

It was a joy to host you, Ralphie

I hope you give this a try.

It is very FUN

I am simply blessed to create~~charlotte

Rain--Tutorial Thursday

I have been trying to clean out the 

albums on my phone and 

I found these pictures.

I had participated in a 3 color challenge 

a few months ago.

I had seen a video where an Artist took Crayons and melted them for the rain, so I thought I would see what I could do with the same concept using DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics.

For the challenge, 

we were to use Black and White 

and then choose another color.

I chose Cobalt Turquoise Hue.

I used 2 Andy Skinner Stencil: 

Children and Acessories

Whew--I am not a stenciler, but I keep trying.

I used a small spritzer for my water.

I picked up the spritzer at JoAnns.

I LOVE this little tool.

I began by creating the background with a 

mix of Black and White. 

I didn't want to over-mix my colors, 

or I would have simply ended up 

with a muddy mix of Grey.

There was no rhyme or reason 

to adding the colors.

I simply picked up some Black, 

then some white, 

then some more white, 

or some more Black...

I stopped when I liked it.

IF you do get a muddy mix, 

stop and allow the paint to dry, 

then begin again.

It is JUST PAINT!

I kept the strokes in a North/South Direction.
Of course, you can try something else.

I stenciled the children and the umbrella and 

boy, howdy, again, 

I want to emphasize that 

I cannot stencil!  LOL

BUT as I keep saying, 

it is only paint, 

so I pulled out my 10/0 liner 

and repaired the blobs as best I could.

I was a bit stressed, 

so I forgot to take pictures.

I applied painters tape to cover the children.

I wanted the rain to fall around them.

I blobbed the Cobalt Turquoise Hue across the top, 

and spritzed it with water so it would run.

This was a process..

More Paint...

More water...

Finally, I just thinned my paint really thin 

and dabbed it across the top.

I kept doing this until I liked it.

I then added some white to the Turquoise 

to give it some depth.

Remember--Shading (dark) pushes your object 

BACK into the background.

Highlighting (light) brings the object 

to the FRONT.

Your goal is to have a 

shadow, the primary color, and a highlight

Of course, you can use many colors 

and layers to achieve this.

That is the fun of playing with paint.

I added a white Highlight between the children.

I thought of it as a lamplight.

Black was added under the children to ground 

them into the picture.

The lettering was added with Black.

I dry brushed Black all around the edge 

to give it a FRAME

This was a very quick project.

This is an example of being able to create ART 

without having great artistic skills.

I always want people to know that 

THEY CAN CREATE.

Things like this are great ways to learn 

shadows and highlights.

As with anything~~

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

I hope that YOU make time to 

do things that you love.

Grab a canvas,

3 bottles of paint

Some brushes

and 

CREATE!!

I am simply 

blessed to create~charlotte♡

Tutorial Thursday

I am a member of Tole Town. It is a fun place that offers 3 patterns a month and a line drawing challenge.  I have a friend who is always the first to post hers, and once someone posts, it is difficult to think of something different, because your mind is focused on the cuteness of your friend’s creation!

I always feel that I have to put this disclaimer into every pattern I share on my blog, lest someone think I am hiding some deep dark secret~~no secret.  DecoArt is the Best in my opinion, so, here goes: I am also a member of the DecoArt Helping Artist program that allows me to get some free products, but mostly, I buy things at a discount, which is great for me, because I LOVE to try new things.  I have used DecoArt Americana paints for over 20 years, so obviously, I use them because I love them.

I am fascinated with Mixed Media and have spent quite a while learning how others use these products.  I have to admit, I am not a fan of gluing things on things, but I LOVE the process of using textures and building layers and colors.  SEE—if you look for something you like, you will usually find it!  If I do start to glue charms on top of charms and fake flowers, PLEASE form an intervention for me.  And, by all means, when you see me painting a skull, you best fall to your knees!  LOL

As I was chatting with my friend who finished her line drawing challenge, I left with some good ideas.  THEN, as I was doing another scroll through fb-land, I saw that DecoArt Media was having a Mixed Media Challenge called “Under the Sea.”

Ok, those who follow me KNOW that Mother did NOT believe in coincidence!!  SO, I grabbed a piece of paper and sketched something really quickly…honestly, I did it in about 10 minutes.  Yes, it might actually look like it took me 10 minutes, or less…that is ok. As long as you don’t tell me that, I can live with you not appreciating my silliness! Chances are, even if you do tell me, I will probably get over it, too…

It would be politically incorrect for me to share that my mermaid looks like a drag-queen mermaid, so I will not say that, because I will NOT be unkind, and what?  Me? Make fun of my own skills?!!  Ne-va!!

I have been sharing some step-by-steps of the process in this post. I’m not going to type instructions, because hey, I’m not getting paid to make a pattern!!  (she says giggling…)  I am amazed at how something so simple can use so many different products…how do I keep doing that.  I am going to do a self-challenge one day and do something with only 4 or 5 colors.

Sooooooooooo….here is a list of the colors I used to paint this on an 8x10 Canvas board.

BUT FIRST, I want to give credit to Lorrie Weber for the cute little jelly fishes…Thank you, Lorrie…this was fun.  She owns the copyright to them, and it is only nice to give credit when you use someone’s drawing.

I made my FIRST print using my gelli-print that I won over one year ago.  To make the paper, I used the DecoArt Americana Colors: Citron Green, Boysenberry Pink, Tangerine.  This paper was used to make the banners, the table and the jellyfish.  Honestly, the banners look just like I painted them.  I am thinking I might not be a good gelli-print Ambassador—Sorry, Geli Print People—others do AMAZING things with them, and I am in awe.

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics: Translucent White, Carbon Black, Yellow Green Light, Viridian, Diarylide Yellow, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Metallic Gold, Dioxazine Purple, Cobalt Blue Hue, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Teal Hue, Primary Magenta and Green Interference.

DecoArt Media White Gesso, DecoArt Media Matte Medium

DecoArt Metallic Lustre, Majestic Purple

Just a few hints of the process:

I used a piece of Punchinello to stencil Gesso onto the background.  For some reason, when I think of doing something with the sea, I think of bubbles, which reminds me, saying BUBBLES is hard when you are angry, and I have been angry today, so once again, ART is just what the Doctor ordered.

The background was created using Translucent White and Cerulean Blue in the middle and working Cobalt Blue Hue around the edges into the lighter background.  I seem to like a lighter center with a darker edge.

What I forget about when I use these wonderfully pigmented Fluid Acrylics, is their translucency.  It is so fun to build colors, but when I did my turquoise fish, I laughed as the Purple I added turned into a dark blue!!  I had visions of a purple/turquoise fish, but that is ok…I am capable of powering through.  I could have changed it, but he just seemed that he was meant to be...it had NOTHING to do with my being lazy~~maybe...

I added Green Interference on top of the Mermaids fish suit.  It looks really cool in person…

The sand is Metallic Gold instead of a traditional sand, because, isn’t the magic of the sea, the treasures she hides?  Who KNEW there was a Popsicle Bar under the sea?  Perhaps I should learn to dive, after all… (nope, not happening, I hope…Another Mother saying, “Don’t say what you are not going to do, because you will end up doing it!”  Yikes…better not chance this one…)

I added Translucent White to tone down the colors and to make them more pastel for the popsicles.  Also, I based the fish with Translucent White, before I painted them.

Oh, I forgot that I used a Fudeball pen to outline the banners, table, and jellyfish…I have to admit, that I am enjoying how easy they are to use, and I might be getting lazy by using them…that is ok. Something in life should be easy, right?

I finished by adding Majestic Purple Metallic Lustre around the edges.

This is what my pallet looks like after this was painted...see the little dots...it takes very little paint!

AND, by all means, don’t waste paint!  It drives me crazy to watch videos where paint is wasted.  It take a VERY small amount of paint to create any of these objects…just put a small dot onto your pallet, and add to it if you need more.

I think everything is just straight up painting…If I can do it, then YOU can do it…just have fun!  Life is too serious and unkind, so doing something for JOY is such a gift…I do not take this gift of art for granted, one bit. Will my art change the world?  Absolutely not, but it does CHANGE ME, so that is a good thing.  I am simply blessed to create~~charlotte♡

Technique Tuesday

I have to admit defeat sometimes…

This isn’t going where I wanted it to go…

BUT I can share some things NOT to do…

I discovered that I need some smaller alpha/number stencils.

STRANGE how we NEVER have enough and seldom do we have what we think we need~~LOL

As I look at this, I fear someone will think I am a hold out from the old days, still sporting the number 23 in support of Michael Jordan…

OR someone will wonder why I am doing a project of “Public School #23” 

ROFL~~I crack me up!!

I honestly do not know if I will even be able to list all of the things that I have used, because I grabbed a tote of my Mixed Media that seldom gets used because it is in a different tote from the Media Fluid Acrylics, but I will make an attempt to list what I have used.

I hope this long list of products will not make you not want to try a Mixed Media project.  USE WHAT YOU HAVE!!  There is no right or wrong.  Art is a reflection of YOU, so I will try to give you a step by step of what I did, so you will know to turn and go a different direction… =)

I used DecoArt Products.  I am so proud to be a part of their Helping Artist Program.  I get some products for free, but I buy most of them with a great discount!  I have used DecoArt products for about 20 years~~long before I became a Helping Artist, so obviously, I love these products!

I painted the 16 x 20 canvas BLACK…This should have just been painted with White Gesso so that the tissue paper would have shown.

I used Decou-Page for Napkins to glue the tissue onto the Canvas Board.

On top of that, I had stamped “The Lord is My Shepherd” on Deli Paper, and had printed Psalm 23 and made a copy of the dictionary page for “Shepherd ”…I glued these on with Decou-Page Satin.

Using DecoArt Turquoise Shimmer Mister, I sprayed it along the top of the canvas, and then sprayed this with water to make it run.  I worked with this a few minutes until it was streaked down the canvas.

I repeated this process with DecoArt Media Yellow Green Mister.

I laid the canvas flat to dry.  There was a lot of drying time for this piece.

I then stenciled PS 23 and SHEPERD with Camel and a little bit of Honey Brown.  I used the DecoArt Personally Yours~~Between the Lines and Americana Olde World Numbers.

Back into the tote to pull out Media Raw Umber Antiquing Cream and I rubbed it onto the WHITE paper with my finger and a little bit onto the letters.

I used a Black Americana Writer to write: Comfort, Shepherd, mercy, I will fear no evil…When it was dry, I added DecoArt Majestic Purple Metallic Lustre on top of the lettering.  I used a damp cloth to wipe some of it off.

Back into the tote to pull out Patina Green Antiquing Cream and spread some on the paper, and then I added a “stream of still water” with this also.  I just did this with my finger…and then applied some Media Fluid Acrylics Interference Blue on top….very cool!!

I put some of the Yellow Green Mister onto my pallet and added grass around the water.

“Still Waters” was written on the water with DecoArt Aqua Glass Stain.

Using the pallet knife, I sprayed Primary Cyan Mister on my pallet, and used my pallet knife to put this along the border of the water, and smeared it with my finger.

Again, putting Primary yellow Mister on my pallet, I used the pallet knife to put along the top of the water as a highlight.

Cobalt Turquoise Hue media Fluid Acrylics was squirted on the pallet knife and spread onto the canvas.

A Fudeball Ink Pen was used to outline the lettering, because I really do like the lettering.

NOW…to decide on a sheep to put by the water…we will all be surprised to see it!!  LOL

AND NOW, MORE problems…The sheep is a white blob…So more to be done…YIKES

Here is the line drawing I used for the sheep.  You can see all the eraser marks!  See what  a mess I make trying to create?!  Right Click on your computer to save to your Computer.  You may resize it as you wish.  I think  the size I used was about 3.25 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide. Use this as you wish,  Just don't claim it as your own drawing, because, well, that just isn't very nice...

SO, I decided to start writing the scripture in White all around…ok…getting better, but that scripture square is really bugging me…

Oh, wait, I will add the scripture in stripes, antique it with Raw Umber outline in with the fudeball pen and YES…much much better…

Hey, I think I can live with this.

A helpful hint is IF you have an ink-jet printer, spritz your paper with Krylon Fixative before trying to glue it.  This will set your ink.  I also do this with the stamps I have, because they don’t seem to be waterproof.  Easy solution!!  Also, the Antiquing creams and fudeball markers are activated with water, so use the Fixative spray on them once you get them as you like them. This way, you can work without removing what you just added.

Well, I hope you have learned something by watching my mess!  If ever I can answer any questions, I will do my best.

I changed the settings on my comments, so EVERYBODY should be able to leave a comment if you wish.  As soon as I get a message, I will post it and if you have a question, I will do my best to answer it.

I hope that the Lord is YOUR Shepherd.  I sure don’t know what I would do without Him.  Grab all those wonderful things that He has provided for you!  I am simply blessed to create~charlotte♡