Trust

Gayle did it again !
Simple techniques turned into masterpiece! 

Hello lovely Mixed Media Place friends. 
I’m sharing an art journal page with you today; very simple techniques, ones that you would all be familiar with and minimal materials used…….art basics Gesso, art basics 3D Matte Gel, Distress Spray Stains in 4 colours, 3 stamps and a black stamp pad and some pretty floral patterned paper.

Art journals are fantastic to use for exploring new ideas; for practicing with new and unfamiliar art mediums; for experimenting; for expressing ideas and opinions and recording daily or special events.

But, they are also wonderful places to just relax and play with all your most favourite things……….the colours you love most, images you love, your favourite techniques and the materials or art mediums you feel most comfortable working with. I compare it to soaking in a warm bath, with a glass of champagne, listening to your favourite music…..an art journal should definitely be something to relax with.

 This page is made up of some of my favourite things…………..my favourite colours, my fetish with faces continues, I love working with them, some pretty stamps and fussy cutting of floral images. The face is an image transfer, a technique I love using. A detailed description of how I do it can be found HERE on Finnabar’s blog.The colour comes from Ranger Distress Spray Stain; the colours are so vibrant and I’ve used 4 of my favourites; Cracked Pistachio,Tea Dye, Wild Honey and Picked Raspberry. You can “layer” the colours, drying in between to intensify them or add water to dilute and soften them. Stamping is such a quick and simple technique and yet it can have a powerful and dynamic impact on a page. If you want your stamped images to be subtle, gesso over them; or, use a similar colour ink on your stamp as the background you are going to stamp on to. If you want the stamped images to be bold and stand out, emboss them. Two of the stamps used here are from the Prima “Treasured Memories” range. I can not imagine a creative world without stamps, so thank you to all the stamp makers and designers.

I always love to use some kind of floral elements in my work, I love to fussy cut and I love collage, so, all three things get combined here. The quote, from Dr. Frank Crane is not just about allowing ourselves to trust in others in order to grow, learn and succeed in life, but also to trust ourselves. Trust yourself with trying new techniques and new and different kinds of mixed media….you will never know how much fun and how much pleasure they will bring you unless you try them. Art journals are a perfect place to start.

Materials used: