It is week 43 of 52 in the year 2014 and the last week in October. That’s apropos of nothing, I suppose, except that there are only nine more weeks in this year to create what I want to create . . . so I better get crackin’!
In my weekly art journal group journal52.com the prompt for this week is “Stencil It!” and the instructions were to either use a stencil on our page or to create/cut a stencil. Well, it just so happens I have a TON of stencils. I have been going through all of them this week to organize and hang them on a special rod I created in the closet in my craft room so that I can more readily find them when I want them. The whole pile was just sitting on my desk when I saw this week’s art journal prompt. So I selected four stencils that I thought I could use together to create a background in my art journal.
I started with a page in my large Ranger Ink Dylusions journal where I had previously cleaned off a paint brush with dark blue paint. Over that I laid a StencilGirl stencil by Traci Bautista called Circles Circles ( http://tinyurl.com/m3leaz2 ) and dabbed coral pink, light blue, yellow and white acrylic paint through it using a cosmetic sponge. This is what it looked like.
I then stenciled over the top of that with the StencilGirl exclusive club stencils by Mary Beth Shaw for October 2014 ( http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/1SCOct2014Main.jpg) using the same four colors. This created a background 3 layers deep with blues, pinks, yellows and whites.
I knew I would be putting a quote on the page but I thought it needed something more, a focal point. I saw a ‘girl’ in the page and I sketched her in with a charcoal pencil, using the larger circles as an outline.
I then painted the girl but decided to leave her eyes closed to go with the quote. I also used a smaller circle by the girl to paint a cat sitting next to her. I printed out the quote by Marcus Aurelius and collaged that onto the page. I finished by outlining the girl and the quote with a Stabilo All pencil in black, smudging it a bit.
Overall, I’m very happy with the page. I made use of my stencil stash, I used a page in my art journal that had previously just been sitting there with smears of blue paint, and I painted a whimsical girl (something that’s very difficult for me).
I’m glad I created today and hope you’ve been creative too!
October 28, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I really enjoy the unfolding stages. So glad you recorded them.
Your drawing skills are sharpening. Both stages of the face show a third dimension, and both are lively.
Can’t wait to see the next ones!
October 28, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Thanks, Sweetheart!