Imagine

Is there anyone here today who's suffering from a creative block? Doubts? Creative rut?

Well, you really need today's post!

Lately I've been struggling a little bit with my confidence, when it comes to artistic creativity. I'm sure some of you know this feeling...

One night I decided to do something different - without any scrapbooking supplies. No papers, no stamps, no stencils, no dies, no embellishments. Just the media!
I used a blank canvas as a background and created a mixed-media... well... abstract painting?
Something I made completely from scratch. Just me, my creativity and many many hours of playing with different kinds of paints, mists and inks. It's almost impossible for me to tell you exactly which colors I've used. But you can find some of them at the end of the post.

I started with creating a background with some texture - using heavy gesso and clear crackle paint. I haven't use my heat gun this time. I wanted them do dry slowly because the result is just better then.

When the base was completely dry, I started playing with colors. My technique was applying different colors of mists (mostly Glimmer Mists and Lindy's Stamp Gang) with a brush and then wiping them out with a wet baby wipe. This way I received a subtle effect and very soft colors.

Then I covered the sides of my work with some acrylic paints leaving a triangle shape in the center. I was applying them with a silicone brush and sponge, trying not to cover it completely. In some places the colors from the background are still visible, which gave me a very nice distressed look.

In the center of my canvas I created a "puzzle" pattern with a "Coral Berry" Silks paint and then added some shading with a soft pencil and a black marker with a very fine tip.
Then I added a word "imagine" (well - I've used some letter stamps here, but it's the only scrapbooking supply I've used ;) ) and some splashes with an Indian Ink.

And the last very frightening step was covering everything with a hot bees wax. :) I really love this effect and I wanted to have this amazing waxy finish. :)

I had a great time creating this painting. I spend hours and hours playing with it and I'm very happy with the result.

It was a great excercise and a new experience. I have already started another piece like this so maybe it's the beginning of a series. ;)

So my advice for you - if you're in doubt, when you feel that your creative juices left you, when you have a hard time creating anything - just find some free time, a blank canvas and try to play with your medias the way you've never done before.

Not hoping for a certain result - just go with the flow and try different techniques. And if you're not happy with it - you can still cover everything with gesso and start all over. :)

Materials from Mixed Media Place: