mixed media

Monochromatic Mixed Media Eggs

Everyday Adventures

Say that a few times fast why doncha?!

My most recent project for Gauche Alchemy went up yesterday and I couldn’t be more tickled by it.

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I meant to call them Ephemer-Eggs–for the awesome ephemera-packed mixed media color kits that Gauche Alchemy carries (psst! the store has reopened!), but it’s such a mouthful that apparently even my fingers could get it straight so I kept typing different versions, like the title Epher-Eggs! At least that version is easier to say and it still works as a combo of Jennifer and ephemera.

You can see more details of how the project came together but the funniest thing is that I started this project last year when I first got my Alchemist kit, but then I got caught up in everything going on that my poor little egg dioramas sat empty for several months. By then we were so far removed from Easter that the plastic eggs wouldn’t be around anymore, so I let it go until it was Easter again and finally finished it up a few weeks ago.

jwalker_ephemereggs_diorama_fiber_fabric_glue

 

Here are some shots of the individual eggs. I really love the monkey eraser and gold “naughty” brad that came in the It’s All Gravy Baby Brown Mixed Media Kit but I was surprised that the egg I was most pleased with was the one from the Black Out Mixed Media Kit with it’s skull & crossbones charm, grey petals and black beads. Go figure!

Whether you use eggs or an old muffin tin or just pieces of paper, I can see this as great art therapy for yourself or even maybe a color exercise for kids to help with. All I know is I had great fun putting them together and highlighting each of the amazing color kits.

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Obviously this isn’t our usual 64 Arts post, today: we’re switching places this week and the next stones & gems post will be this Thursday. Which is good since I need a bit more time to finish up the project for it anyway!

Happy Crafting!

Clearer of Obstacles

Projects

Recently we Gauche Alchemy girls teamed up with the awesome folks over at 100 Proof Press to make some awesome stuff with their stamps. While I have all sorts of plans for some of the other stamps I picked up at the same time, what I have to share with you now is my Ganesha Shrine.

Ages ago I read that Ganesha was the opener of doors and remover of obstacles. When I saw 100 Proof’s Ganesha stamp, I knew it would be perfect for a shrine. I was also fascinated by the shape of the Gears cluster, and wondered if I could combine the two, somehow.

First I stamped and embossed Ganesha in black, coloring him in with watercolor pencils.

Then I stamped and embossed 2 of the gears clusters in silver and fussy-cut all those little notches so the shape would stand out that much better. It’s a somewhat tedious project, but that’s never stopped me before!

The body of the shrine is actually a box from a trio of tequila samples. I painted the outside of the box with white gesso and the inside and front with brown craft paint.

After fitting patterned paper into the backs of the sections, I layered some lace in each of the outer wells, and then topped all 3 with strips of punchinella, trimmed to fit the width but a smidgen long to give the look of undulating sky.

With the backgrounds prepared, I placed a piece of wine cork in the center well so Ganesha would sit up nice and forward, while each gear was mounted on layers of foam tape (about 6 layers to get just the right middle-depth going. The candles are just for show, of course.

I love the idea of the gears pulling the rain away at Ganesha’s command.

Inspired by the bright colors and rich textures of Indian textiles,  I pieced together a “rug” for in front of the shrine from fabric and trim from the Banana Hammock and Pink Parts mixed media color kits.

To “stitch” the pieces of fabric together, I zig-zagged white fabric paint along each border and then layed in a couple of pieces of gold sequin trim. Hitting that trim with the heat gun made some of the sequins dull and curl which might sound like a bad thing but was actually kind of a happy accident.

The box itself was looking a little plain, my decision to paint it white just wasn’t holding up to the awesomeness inside, so I spritzed some strips of Ouchless Cardboard with pink and purple mists and then sprayed them with silver glitter, but that wasn’t enough!

A light touch with some more gesso, though, that brought out the ridges a bit. Once dry I glued them onto the sides of the shrine. The “roof” was prepared similarly, but I let the peak fold how it wanted, which resulted in a sloping, undulating line that I outlined (along with everything else) in gold glitter glue. Finally, some crystal butterflies, bits of an old earring, and strings of seed beads and this shrine was all done but the drying.

This was a ridiculous amount of fun!

Paper Craft

64 Arts

So, I have this project…

Yes, in addition to the 2 webcomics, the 3 blogs, and the cookbook project I have a graphic novel that I’ve been working on for several years. Well, okay, that’s not true. I have a graphic novel that is 1/3 scripted, 2/3 plotted and absolutely undrawn as yet. I have a graphic novel that hasn’t been touched in so long I’m not even going to link to it’s progress blog because it’s so very sad with neglect. But it does exist in it’s way, and I think about it every time I see my reference materials or script drafts sitting there gathering dusts.

At any rate! It’s a wedding story, very chick lit, set in New Orleans, with an undercurrent of occult–a thread throughout the book involves a tarot deck, cards of which pop up in unexpected places. Only problem is, when I started writing the story, the deck I needed didn’t exist yet.

Being the DIY diva I am, no problem, I’ll spend a few years researching it and make my own! And, being an artist, that means putting my spin on things, themed to the max, and (perhaps) a bit more complicated than it might have needed to be. I’m collaging each card’s image. (That’s 78 collages for the unfamiliar.)

So really it’s two projects–the story and the deck–and both are languishing.

Being wedding themed, I finally hit upon the idea (after much back and forth as to what to do with the court cards in the Minor Arcana) to have one of each suit represent a season and the remaining each represent a month, and all would be brides.

I’m sure you can see where this is going, then, as Miss Tulip Cotillion was perfect for a fantastical spring bride. So, this little paper project is now going to be the first completed art for the deck. I love progress.

Tulip Bride (in Progress)

Here she is after one evening’s work. The bones of the image are there (tulip-girl is not yet mounted to the shimmery lavender backing nor is the tree in it’s final spot) but there’s a lot of details–a lot of embellishment–left to go. This’ll be my main project for the weekend (that and, ugh, taxes). Which means that there will probably be further updates this weekend as I get to various points in the process.

I don’t know exactly which card she’ll be for. It has a lot to do with symbolism, both of the tulips–yellow ones mean hopelessness, according to their old meanings, perfect for the reverse of the card, while the current meaning is sunshine and cheerful thoughts–and the card that it is meant to take the place of. So far, though, flipping through my original notes, the Queen of Rods is actually looking like a good fit so far. But we’ll see.

So far I’ve used a few scherenschnitte techniques as well as paper tole (the spacing of some of the layers to add a shadow-like appearance; the link will take you to another one of my eHow articles). Before it’s through this will be a true mixed media piece as wire, beads and a bit of fabric are all in my plan.

The biggest debate I’m having, though, is whether or not to detail her face. On the one hand, a stylized shape lends more of a modern-art, everywoman feel to it; on the other hand it may just look unfinished. I’ll probably save that bit for last, anyway. Maybe cut a spare head and do a test run to see how I like it. Decisions, decisions.

A few disclaimers for those who’ve read this far or might be curious: Yes, I know not everyone is down with the woo-woo aspects of the Tarot–it’s okay. Along with astrology, which I’ve also researched over the years, I consider it more a tool for contemplation and meditation than divination. The future is what we make of it, but being more aware of potential influences never hurts, now does it? Yes, I also know the importance some place on these cards. This is why I’ve spent quite a bit of time studying the histories and meanings of the cards. I am, by no means, an expert, but I do respect what the cards represent to practitioners and I approach this project both from the artistic and spiritual sides. This will be a functional deck when completed.

Any questions? I’ll be happy to answer them. You can comment here or send me an email at randomactscomics[at]gmail[dot]com