Abstract Collage Greeting Card

Above is an abstract collage on an extra-large (5.5"X8.5") greeting card.  The foundation piece of paper, taking up the right two-thirds, was made with my 9"X12" stencil Mimosa, shown below.

 
 To achieve the subtle print on this foundation paper, I used what I call the "stencil-and-scrape" technique.  I've described this technique in detail here.  And here.  And here.   It's a technique that remains a special favorite of mine -- it's quick, easy and somewhat unpredictable:  I like not knowing exactly what the results will look like; I like surprises of this kind.  

Nosegay Stencil and Tangled Pods

I've started an online workshop with Jane Davies, this time a workshop focusing on Gelli Plate printing.  I've used a few stencils in making my prints, starting with my 9"x12" Nosegay Stencil. The stencil itself looks like this --

-- and my print looks like this: 

Another fruit of today's labor was made with my 9"x12" stencil Tangled Pods.

   

That print is a lot easier to recognize --

As I print my way thru Jane's workshop, more results will be appearing here ...  thanks for visiting!

Autumn Birthday Card Made with Pressed Leaves stencil

Project:  birthday cards!

Making this November birthday card became a 2-part lesson learned!

I started with a greeting card blank, light modeling paste and an art spatula.  I applied the modeling paste thru my 6"x6" stencil Pressed Leaves, creating a thick, uneven application of paste.

My intention was to LIGHTLY go over the paste, once it had dried, with Pan Pastels.

I had done this before, with success.  Really.  In the first example below, I had used this method to make the leaves green.  (I used paint to make the buds pink.)

The above greeting card was created with my 6"x6" stencil Budding Branches.

The above greeting card was created with my 6"x6" stencil "Swatton Flowers Version 1"

But in making the autumn-themed card at the top of this post, I made Mistake Number 1, using a greeting card blank cut from a beautiful dark bronze cardstock; mind you, this usually results in stunning backgrounds, because the deep bronze is studded with tiny sparkles that glint happily! 

I have now learned, however, that this particular cardstock does not easily shed Pan Pastel once it's applied.  Especially not when the Pan Pastel is applied too thickly!   

Mistake Number 2 was to add way too much Pan Pastel, with the result that background and foreground both became one shade of orange!  In the second "oldies" example above, I didn't mind the foreground and background being similar in color.  But the orange-on-orange was a different story!  Ugh!

A tiny brush and green acrylic paint came to the rescue.  With them, I created a green background, so that the pressed leaves imprint became visible once again.  

My final touch was to add highlights with glitter glue.  You can see the glitter better by clicking on the top photo to enlarge it. 

Gwen Lafleur's Stenciled Jewelry and Fan-Folding Stenciled Prints

 
Looking for new ways to use your beautiful stencil-printed papers? 

See Gwen Lafleur's post here:

 http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/2015/10/gwens-gems-october-2015.html!

Or consider going in a completely different direction, with the quick and easy technique of fan-folding.  Photos below show, step by step, a fan-folding project that used a print made with my stencil Nosegay.

Above: a narrow strip of self-adhesive metallic tape is used to bind the bottom of the fan-fold.

Above:  The taping is finished and the fan is ready to be glued to its green cardstock background.

Above:  heavy gel is applied with a cotton swab (far right) to the back of the fan.

Above is the finished project -- glued to a cardstock background, the fan is added to the top of a wooden box, spray-painted black in advance.

BOXED VINES in a New Artwork

 
Boxed Vines is a 9"X12" stencil that holds a special place in my heart, simply because I like to make vine-and-leaf cut-outs.  It was a few sets of these cut-outs that I used in creating this stencil, by scanning them and using Photoshop to arrange them into the boxed design:

  


 It was this stencil, and these cut-outs, that I used in developing the mixed-media collage below. 

To create this artwork, I used the stencil twice, once in the central left area and again in the lower left corner.  The central left image was done with the reductive / subtractive technique.

The subtractive/reductive technique has been shown here.  And here.  And here.  As these earlier posts show, the basic technique is the same, but there are many ways to introduce variety.  Besides Jenn Mason, another artist who has taught me this technique is my friend Cindy Powell.

After establishing these two areas as well as the other background areas, I painted in a large vine with leaves hanging down the center of the artwork.  After that paint dried, I subdued the image by adding layers of transparent paint.  

Then, in the right area, I used matte gel to add three of my cut-outs.

Below are close-ups of this artwork:

Thanks for visiting!

Floral Designer Marina Kerber Floralia, who chose my artwork to illustrate with a floral design ...

 

Thanks to wonderful Vicky Culver, I can now supply the name of the floral designer mentioned in my earlier post .  More than that, I can supply her photo!  Here we are together with our two artworks:

 

Floral Designer Marina Kerber Floralia standing behind me, Oct. 18, at the opening reception of the annual open juried show at the Guild of Creative Art, Shrewsbury, NJ

It was a delight to meet Marina, a bubbly live-wire who grabbed me by the blouse and said she wanted "this skinny woman" to stand in front of her for the photo.  (What skinny woman?  Where?)

This artwork was created with my 9"X12" stencil Mimosa.  

Floral Arrangement at the Opening Reception for the Annual Juried Open Show at the Guild of Creative Art, Shrewsbury, NJ

Sunday (October 18), the local artists' guild held the opening reception for the juried annual open month-long show.  At this annual art show, floral designers are invited to visit the guild, pre-opening, to choose artworks which they will use as inspiration in creating arrangements with live flowers.  Then, at the opening reception, their arrangements are on display alongside these chosen artworks.  

I was blessed to have two artworks included in this juried show; one of these was sold, and the other was chosen by one of the floral designers as her inspiration for her 3D artwork.

Clicking on the photo above to enlarge it, you can better see the floral arrangement, created with a palm leaf preserved in a basecoat of bronze paint.  To this, the designer added fresh flowers and a couple of wonderfully organic vines (dried and painted orange.)

On the right is my artwork Mimosa, created with the larger of my two Mimosa stencils:

 

Queen Anne's Lace Stencil Used by Nancy Sanderson Curry

Artist Nancy Sanderson Curry has created this artwork --

--using my 9"X12" stencil Queen Anne's Lace.  Thanks, Nancy! 

Autumn Colors and Gingko Stencil

Step-by-step, my post of September 5 showed the easy, quick way to create black-and-white watercolor effects with a water-soluble marker pen and a mister bottle.   Below are the results when I used my 6"X6" stencil Gingko.
 

Now I've added color to one of these images using Pan Pastels.  Again, it was a quick easy way to create art.  Here are the results--

Click on the above image to enlarge it.

My 6"X6" Gingko stencil is available here:http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/product-p/s076.htm

 

How to Order Earlier Months' StencilClub stencils Exclusive for SC Members

The June Crop Circle StencilGirl StencilClub stencils --

--had been used over and over in painted layers that went into the below artwork on stretched canvas.  When the 12"x12" piece was in process, in various stages, it was posted here and on Facebook.  In its last version, the strip of paper (light gold with continuously repeated circles) had been added as collage. 

Since then, I added one large new element, using matte red opaque acrylic paint.  And now I'm calling it finished --

 
 To join the StencilClub, check out the right sidebar in StencilGirlTalk.  After joining, you can request past months' stencils by specifying which month's stencils you want in an email to John Shaw.  The transaction will then be completed via Pay Pal.   

Progress ...

 
...has been made on an artwork-in-process --

Above is an earlier stage of an artwork on 12"x12" stretched canvas.  Its base was a layer of metallic gold gesso.  Next came layer-after-layer pours of Golden High Flow acrylics, allowed to settle at will under stencils:

4"x4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini 

6"x6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small

9"x12" Prayer Flags

copyright 2015 Cecilia Swatton -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

After turning the piece several times, I settled on this as my favorite final look.  I blocked out chosen areas with matte red opaque acrylic paint.

I'm Happy to Report...

Jurors for the 2015 Open Art Show at the Guild of Creative Art, Shrewsbury, NJ, have selected two of my stenciled artworks for the  exhibit from October 3 to 28 --

Chapel

Mimosa

 I posted these images back when I first finished them; can you guess which stencils I used?  It may help to click on each of the above images to enlarge them.

This annual event is an open show, meaning anyone -- not just Guild members -- can enter artwork; this expands the number of artists whose artworks compete for the jurors' approval.  Color me happy!      

StencilGirl Stencils Star in This Vimeo Tutorial by Patti Brady

Here is a great video all on its own, but I especially like it because Patti Brady has used two stencils by StencilGirlProducts.com

The first stencil used is designed by Mary Beth Shaw and the second one is my stencil Tangled Pods. 

Again, this is the link to the video:   https://vimeo.com/138208754 

Autumn Colors Waiting in the Wings

In many earlier posts, I've talked about doing "plastic surgery" on stencils that have become stained with layers of paint after multiple uses.  I like to set certain stencils aside to be cut apart for future use as embellishments on collages.  Here are two stencils of mine now set aside:

Above:  This fall-colors stained stencil is my 6"X6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small.

Above:  This fall-colors stained stencil is my 4"X4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.

 

Repeating Pattern Stencils -- Readymade and Customized

At http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/category-s/1932.htm, you will find Repeating Designs, the category-grouping of stencils that can be used to make identical repeating patterns in creating prints as large as you like.

A repeating pattern stencil enables an artist to lift the stencil after its first print, then place it back onto the printing surface and easily line it up with the earlier print -- to maintain even, seamless spacing of the overall finished design.  This can be done endlessly to cover a surface of any size.  It's commonly used by artists working in the fiber arts but it's gaining popularity among those into the paper arts, too.  Perhaps the  idea started in ancient Egypt with hieroglyphic reliefs along the walls.

My stencils Quilted Flower Garden and Facets fall into this category of stencils.

Here's how the repeating-pattern technique works:

Above:  Having made the first print (on the right) I've lifted the stencil.  In the upper left is the sponge dauber I used to apply the acrylic paint thru the stencil. 

Above:  I've placed the stencil down again, lining it up exactly with the first print.  I recommend using masking tape to get exact alignment.

Above:  I've lifted the stencil after making the second print.  Notice there is a space gap between these two prints.  I could choose to make the third, fourth, fifth, etc., prints with this same space gap between each print.  Or, I could approach the whole project, from step one, by eliminating that space gap.  To do that, I would simply overlap the stencil over the original print, as show below: 

Above is a distance shot, showing the stencil overlapping the original print along one edge.  Below is a close-up which shows this better.

I chose to make my second print using a color-blend that differed from the original print.  If I were to repeat this process again and again, I would continue to create color-blends across the entire printed surface, which could end up any overall size that I want.  But this is just an option, to create variety.  Repeating pattern stencils are often used with no variation in color.

Now that I've shown how the repeating pattern technique works, I'll show how some stencils easily lend themselves to customization, so they can be used in the same way. 

For example, you can create long narrow Repeating Pattern Stencils with my stencil Borders #1, simply by cutting this stencil into 3 equal strips.  Just place the stencil over a self-healing cutting mat pre-printed with a measurement grid.  The below photo, and its close-up that follows, show the stencil lined up with the measurements and grid-lines on the cutting mat.

Once the stencil is lined up where you want it, place a ruler where you want to cut the new stencil edge.  Use the mat's guidelines to keep the ruler straight and, with a Sharpie pen, draw a cutting line.  You can then lift off the stencil and cut it with scissors -- but better yet, for a perfect cut, you can leave the stencil and ruler on the cutting mat, and cut along the line with an X-acto knife.

Likewise, you can easily customize my 9"X12" stencil Wrought Iron Gate to make it a Repeating Pattern Stencil.  Just line it up on the cutting mat and cut off the "ornament" at the top of the "gate."  Below, I've used a ruler with a metal edge that will be useful in the next step, when I will use my X-acto knife to do the cut.  But for now, I'm just drawing the guideline for the cut:

Above:  I've placed the stencil onto the cutting mat, lining it up with the measuring grid pre-printed on the mat.  Those blue lines helped me place the ruler exactly where I wanted, to draw a line between the ornate "gate top" and the rest of the stencil.  This is shown better in the close-up below:

Click on the above image to enlarge it.  This will help you better see the ornate "gate top" that is to be cut off.

The above photo shows the ruler pulled away from the line that I've drawn.  The cut will be made here.

One important thing to note is that this stencil customization gives you an edge-free design.  This kind of raw-edged stencil is more fragile, but the lack of an outer border makes it easier to align prints side-by-side, for a seamless overall effect.

Stencils are tools to be personalized any way you want to achieve your unique artistic goals!

One small addendum:  Here is a greeting card cover made with one set of my prints shown above.  I clipped it free from the repeated pattern paper, added it to a blank 6"X6" bifold card from JAM Paper, and embellished it with a cut-out photo of orchids.