CLUSTERD LEAVES Stencil paired with WARPED HOLES Stencil

Every book on abstract painting that comes off the press, I snatch up and read.  Some books have disappointed but a few stand out as -- well, outstanding!  Abstract Explorations in Acrylic Painting, by Jo Toye, was one of the rare books that set my blood tingling. 

I've adapted one of the many ideas from her book for the demo of today's post. 

I started with a blank sheet of cardstock and a 9"x12" StencilGirl stencil, Warped Holes, by Lizzie Mayne.  This stencil (mine's already stained with paint from earlier projects) is perfect for today's demo because of its large openings. 

Above:  Having used masking tape at two corners to hold the stencil to the white cardstock, I use a Sharpie black marker-pen to outline some of the bigger shapes.  This shows up better in the close-up below.  

Above:  After sliding a plastic self-healing cutting board under the cardstock, I use an Exacto knife to begin cutting out the shapes I had outlined. 

Above:  Once the holes are cut out, I use more masking tape to secure my new 9"x12" stencil Clustered Leaves to the cardstock.  This step is also shown in the close-up below.

Anyone who has watched Mary Beth Shaw's June series of tutorial-demos has seen how she uses a wide, hand-fitting, two-sided sponge to pat acrylic paints gently thru the openings of stencils.  This tool, called a Smudgee, is what I used with this cardstock-stencil combination.  My imprint-results are own below.

Thanks for stopping by!