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!