PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE SMALL ( 6" X 6") Starring in Multiple Roles

"Collection of the artist" is a phrase that describes artwork an artist has hung onto, not ready yet (or ever) to part with.

Among my collection are pieces made with 6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.  (These masks are favorites of StencilGirl StencilClub member Karen P. Johnson, who says "They cover a multitude of sins!")

I especially like my mixed-media collages that incorporate these masks themselves, after earlier projects have left them stained with acrylic paints.  Because StencilGirl stencils and masks are made from sturdy Mylar, it takes a strong adhesive to coax them to become permanent additions to artworks.  I use extra heavy matte gel medium.

Above:  Part of the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6" x 6"), now stained brownish-black, was adhered to the canvas in the middle of the top of this mixed-media collage.  Other stencils or masks were also used, the dominant one being 9" x 12" Prayer Flags.

Above:  Part of the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6" x 6"), now stained green and white, was adhered to the canvas at upper left.  Another part of the mask was placed right below it, in the middle left of the artwork. Other stamps and stencils used include 6" x 6" Mimosa 6 and Kaleid, also 6" x 6".

Above:  Part of the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6" x 6"), now stained red and green, was placed at the bottom of the V in the mixed-media collage.  A number of other paint-stained stencils and masks were also used, including 6" x 6" Kaleid, 6" x 6" Pavilion Shadows, 6" x 6" Trivet B, and part of the 9" x 12" mask that came with the May 2019 StencilClub Stencil-of-the-Month Set, The Script Collection.

Above:  Parts of the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6" x 6"), now stained orange and yellow, have been placed at the far left, far right and top of this mixed-media collage, forming a frame for the central area, occupied by part of the 9" x 12" mask Blooming Where Planted, now stained lavender, green and pink.

Above:  Parts of the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6" x 6"), now stained green and brown, are collaged atop a print made with 9" x 12" mask Twinship.

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Part 2 -- B and W Prints Featuring PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTES Masks

What to do with my slew of black-and-white stencil or mask prints?

One option will be to cover some of them with translucent acrylic paints.  This will flood the white areas with rainbows of color.  The black areas will appear different, too, once they've been coated with translucent color.

Another idea is to keep some of them in their original black-and-white stage, for collage.  I've already put together a number of those --

The above greeting card cover was created using a print made with 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.  The red-outlined flower was developed in Photoshop, derived from a photo I'd taken.

Above:  This collage was created on 120-lb. white watercolor paper.  The central image was made with 6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small.

Above: 6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small made the print at the upper right as well as the piece-of-a-print in the central area under the focal point.  The focal point itself is a print made with my 9" x 12" mask Blooming Where Planted.  In the upper left is a partial print created using my 6" x 6" mask Sassy Spray.  The lined pieces in the central and lower right areas were cut from my original drawing that became the basis for my 9" x 12" mask Loopy Ladders.

9" x 12" mask Loopy Ladders

9" x 12" mask Blooming Where Planted

Sassy Spray (6" x 6")

Thistle (9" x 12")

Small Thistles (6" x 6")

ATC Mixup Swatton # 2, containing ATC-sized Thistles.

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PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTES in Black and White --Part 1

Today's post focuses on black-and-white prints made when I was taking one of the online classes of Jane Davies.  

For today's art samples, I started with white paper and used the sponge brayer method that's so quick and easy for me.

I had no black papers on hand, so I created some with black gesso.  I wanted some black backgrounds so I could print thru my stencils and masks with Titanium White heavy body acrylic paint.

I left some papers white so I would have white backgrounds for prints made with black gesso. 

Above:  A group photo of most of the prints.  A few more are included in the close-ups below.

Above Left:2 prints with 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.  Right: Sassy Spray (6" x 6") 

4" x 4" stencil Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini. 

Above Left:  6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small. Right: 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini. 

6" x 6" Ferns stencil.

6" x 6" stencil Sassy Spray.

6" x 6" stencil Swatton Grid.

6" x 6" stencil Swatton Grid.  This is a reverse print:  I used the still-wet-with-paint stencil like a rubber stamp, pressing it to a fresh paper.

 6" x 6" stencil Swatton Grid.

6" x 6" stencil Swatton Links.

Options abound with these black-and-whites.  My next post will explore some possibilities.

To scroll thru all my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE Masks Used on Old Catalog Pages

I continue to flip thru my collection of earlier art-making projects that'd called for my 6"X 6" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and my 4"X 4" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.

 -- poking around to see what went well before this series became three in number, with the advent of.  

Unlike me, art-explorations never grow old!  Previous ideas can grow into ideas for new projects.  Right now I'm looking for inspiration to bring together all three masks in my palm-fronds series.  

The masks that helped me create the two art samples below are  the 6"X 6" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and the 4" x 4" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini, but they spark glimpses into the future when I'll use these smaller masks with L791 Palm Fronds Silhouette (9" x 12").

Both of these samples started as simple prints that I made on pages of am old clothing catalog.  I love receiving this catalog because its garments are always brilliant in color and design.  They make great backgrounds.

Above is one sample print, made with Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and (on the far right) the 4" x 4" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini.  More layers of acrylic paint will be added to this print with the 2-pronged goal of making the background somewhat less recognizable while retaining the bright colors and intriguing pattern.

Below is a greeting card cover made with a similar print:

Here the background is a large part of the original print (also made on a page of that clothing catalog.)  Over that, I've used a gluestick to add white lace-edged paper (source given below); and atop that are 3 butterfly images punched from another part of that same original print.

The butterflies were created with Bira Butterfly Craft Punch.

The lace-edged paper came from DIY Scrapbooking Lace Paper.

Thank you for taking time to stop here at my blog today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.

9" x 12" PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE L791 Possibilities...

Now that 9" x 12" L791 Palm Fronds Silhouette has been released at StencilGirl --

-- I'm looking over past projects that had put to use my 6"X 6" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and my 4"X 4" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini -- poking around to see what went well before this series became three in number, with the advent of L791 Palm Fronds Silhouette (9" x 12").  Previous ideas can be launching pads for new projects -- this time, bringing together all three in my palm-fronds series.

The masks used below are my 6"X 6" mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and my 4" x 4" mask Fern Fronds Silhouette Mini.

Resist techniques are among my special favorites.  Please pardon the wrinkles in the first photo below.  Those happened because I had started with (cheap) foreign newsprint, then, as a last step, had covered it with a coat of acrylic gloss medium gel.  In hindsight, I know I should have used illustration board, or some other smooth rigid substrate.  

My starting step had been to cover a sheet of that foreign newspaper with a coat of amber translucent acrylic paint.  After that'd dried, I added a layer of contrasting color using Pan Pastels --

After that, I set two of my masks onto the surface ....

... and, while holding them down with one hand, I used an old terry washcloth to rub away Pan Pastel color from the exposed areas within the masks.

Above:  the substrate after the rubbing and the removal of the stencils.

The last step was to spread the glossy gel medium across the surface of because I wanted a fixative to keep the Pan Pastel color intact.  This topcoat of glossy gel medium also darkens and enriches all colors it covers. 

To avoid smearing the Pan Pastels when adding this kind of fixative, I took the time to secure the paper to my work surface with masking tape.  Next, I added a long ridge of the gel all the way down the side of the imprints.  Then I spread it in one smooth stroke -- just one swipe -- using a 12-inch-wide taping knife from a house-paint supply store.  It was important to go over the surface only once because two or more swipes would have smeared the pastels.

 The placement of the gel and the scraping tool are shown here, where I used the same approach in a different project. 

Thanks for visiting here today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

More Prints Made with New 9" x 12" Mask PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE L791

My recently released 9" x 12" L791 Palm Fronds Silhouette mask --

-- has been busily making prints!

Above and below:  These 2 predominantly red prints sport background prints previously created with my 6" x 6" stencil Mimosa 6.

The prints below were made with Palm Fronds Silhouette 9x12 z640 and 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini:

A third mask was used in developing the above print:  Ski Lift Works from ATC Mixup Swatton # 1.

Thanks for coming to my blog today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

3-Dimensional Artwork with 9" x 12 PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE L791 and 4" X 4" PALM FRONDS SILHOUETTE MINI

The focus of today's post is the step-by-step process that led to the 3-dimensional artwork in the first photo below.  The star of the show is my new 9"x 12" Palm Fronds Silhouette L791.  And in a supporting role, the mask Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini (4" x 4".)

Above:  Inspired by the bright colors of Bollywood circa 1990s, this piece is entitled Holi.

Below:  Having set out a 12" x 12" stretched canvas, I placed these two masks onto it, setting them at an angle.

Below:  I used an artists' spatula to spread light modeling paste thru the smaller mask.

Above:  I lifted off the small mask immediately and placed it into a basin of water.  This is to keep the thick modeling paste wet so it can be easily cleaned off later.  If not cleaned off, it will clog the small openings that create part of the design of this mask.

Below, the modeling paste has been spread thru my brand new 9" x 12" mask--

Below:  Now that both masks have been lifted off, the 3-dimensional results are easy to see:

Below:  After allowing the canvas to dry overnight, I brought out some liquid acrylic paint and added a little water to each, with the goal of creating some areas of thin paint coverage and other areas with thick paint coverage.

Above:  I've done the first paint pouring and have tilted the canvas to encourage flow.  The water-thinned parts will spread rapidly and leave a thin layer of color; the thicker parts of the paint will get caught in the crevices made by the masks. 

Below, the same thick-and-thin settling is taking place, and I've helped it along with a spray of water in a mister bottle.

Above:  the second color has been added and is starting to spread.

Below, the spreading has continued, with the help of another spray of water.

The photo below shows the beginning results from the thick-and-thin paint applications:  an uneven coloring across the surface, to heighten variety, which in turn heightens interest for the viewer's eye.

Above:  I've swirled liquid gloss medium across the surface.

The next 2 photos below show that I've added 2 colors of Golden High Flow paint, randomly trailing their paint into the liquid gloss medium.

Below are two close-ups of the surface after it has dried overnight --

The photo above shows the entire 12" x 12" canvas.  I could've stopped at this point; instead, I added a pour of Golden High Flow blue paint.

 After the blue paint dried, I muted some of the edge colors with zinc white acrylic paint; this created an irregular border around the central image.  Then, with a small brush, I added metallic paint highlights to some of the raised areas as well as some of the depressed areas. 

Above:  Inspired by the bright colors of Bollywood circa 1990s, this piece is entitled Holi.

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