More About My New ATC MIXUP SWATTON #1 and ATC MIXUP SWATTON #2

Why do everything the hard way, when tools are within grabbing distance?  Large-and-small combinations of stencils and masks are art-making tools; they are short-cuts.  I'm wildly in favor of everything that makes art-adventuring easier and more fun.   


Mary Beth Shaw -- www.StencilGirlProducts.com -- came up with the idea of making my 2014-released masks Palm Fronds Silhouette in 2 sizes -- and this is how Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6"X 6") and Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini (4"X 4") came to exist.

Using those two together became so much fun that -- fast-forward 5 years -- I was delighted to design ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2, knowing I'd base many of those ATC-sized stencils and masks on larger stencils and masks that I'd previously designed.  

Using large versions alongside small versions offers possibilities without end -- what a springboard into the land of creativity! 

I made that exciting discovery back in 2014, when I added some acrylic paints to  a stretched gallery-wrap canvas*, waited for the paint to dry, and used masking tape to secure Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (6"X 6") and Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini (4"X 4") ... 

Next, I mixed modeling paste with acrylic paint and spread that mixture across the stencils with an artist's spatula.  A used credit card  or any other thin-bladed spreading tool would have worked too.

Once that mix was applied, I removed the stencils and immediately cleaned them.  (Altho I no longer clean acrylic paint off my stencils, I still make sure to clean off dimensional media that include modeling paste.  If heavy-body media is allowed to accumulate on stencils and masks, it will clog openings.)

After the first layer of colored modeling paste had dried, I repeated these steps many more times, switching from one color to another and continuing to allow dry-time between each application.

Below are close-ups showing areas of the canvas as it moved thru its early stages of progress.

In this last photo above, I've circled the areas that you can better see by clicking on the photo to enlarge it.  

This particular painting's yet to be finished, but I'm pausing to share the early steps that I took because this combining of large-with-small 
opens up a wide area of adventures now that ATC Mixup Swatton #1--and ATC Mixup Swatton #2 are released. 

Playing with two sizes together opens floodgates of creative freedom and I feel it enhances artwork overall.  Two similar stencils or masks go a long way in helping establish unity and rhythm in art projects -- and at the same time, being differently sized, they automatically add variety to keep the viewer's eye entertained in every area of the painting.

I've come to understand that large-and-small combinations of stencils and masks are art-making tools; they are short-cuts.  Why do everything the hard way, when tools like this are in grabbing distance?

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2 contain several stencils, some with masks, that were inspired by these original stencils and masks.

ATC Mixup Swatton #1--

ATC Mixup Swatton # 1 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 inspirations --

Ski Lift Works (6" x 6")

Cats (6" x 6")

Fantasia (9" x 12")

Hot Air Balloon (in 2 sizes -- 6" x 6" and 4" x 4")

ATC Mixup Swatton # 2--

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 inspirations:

Penguin Family (6" x 6")

Sprigs (6" x 6")

Ornamental Iron Curls (6" x 6")

Thistle (9" x 12")

and

Small Thistles (6" x 6")

Mikki's Flowers Mask (6" x 6")

Ginkgo (6" x 6")

Fern Fronds Silhouette Mini (4" x 4")

Osprey Wings (6" x 6")

*"Gallery wrap" refers to edges without staples showing.  Instead of being stapled on the four sides, the stretched canvas is wrapped around its four wooden supports, and the staples are placed out of sight on the back.

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9" x 12" ATC MIXUP SWATTON # 1 and ATC MIXUP SWATTON #2 Sturdy Mylar Sheets with 9 Stencils Each (and Some Bonus Masks)

Newly Released: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup Swatton # 1 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

I've enjoyed using my new ATC Mixup Swatton #1and ATC Mixup Swatton #2 with readymade tags.  After the tags are printed, they're ready to be mounted onto larger cardboards to become greeting card covers or gift-tags or bookmarks. 

The greeting cards above and below feature tags printed with Diagonal Mania from 9" x 12" ATC Mixup Swatton # 1.

And the greeting card below began life with a tag that I printed with ATC Mixup Swatton # 1's Fantasia.  After I'd tied ribbon thru the tag's top hole, I glued it to a background of textured gold cardstock.  This was added to black paper and the entire "sandwich" is now decorating a 6" x 6" bronze metallic greeting card.  The greeting card blanks come from JAMPaper.com.  The gold Dresden embossed foil (in the center of the Fantasia print) is available at Etsy and Amazon.  (I use AmazonSmile, which has all the same perks as regular Amazon, but also contributes to charities chosen by consumers.)

In today's line-up, the next tag (which became a bookmark) was printed with Unfurling Leaves, one of the 9 images included in ATC Mixup Swatton #1, and highlighted with silver glitter glue as well as a strip of silver metallic paper.

The three tag-based art samples below were printed with Sprigs from ATC Mixup Swatton #2; and the Sprigs design was inspired by my 6" x 6" mask Sprigs.

The tag below was started with a spreading of crackle paste thru the openings of Fern Fronds Silhouette, from ATC Mixup Swatton #2; and the Fern Fronds Silhouette design was inspired by my 6" x 6" mask likewise titled Fern Fronds Silhouette.  After the paste had dried, I coated the tag with blue acrylic paint and built it into a collage with its near-complementary color, gold.  The collage is now a bookmark.

Many thanks for stopping at my blog today!  To follow the blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.  To scroll thru my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Something for Everyone in ATC MIXUP SWATTON #1 and ATC MIXUP SWATTON #2

Newly Released: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2, together or separately, give a lot of bang for the buck -- each sturdy 9" x 12" Mylar sheet holds 9 images.  Something for everyone. 

For cat lovers, images I've created in memory of my first beloved cat, now purring in heaven:

Above and below:  2 prints, each made with one of the 3 Cats in ATC Mixup sWATTON #1.

For texture lovers:  The two Artist Trading Cards below were made with Fantasia, one of the 9 images in ATC Mixup Swatton #1. Both were started by spreading modeling paste thru the mask.  

The first ATC below was made on purple and white watercolor paper, and after the paste had dried, the raised areas were painted with gold metallic paint.  After waiting for that paint to dry, I added Micaceous Iron Oxide (Golden paint) to the whole surface and rubbed most of it into the areas between the raised gold areas.

And the ATC below, made on a metallic red paper.  After its modeling paste had dried, the raised areas were painted with a brighter gold metallic paint.  

Love hot air balloons?  The two multi-prints below were made with Hot Air Balloon from ATC Mixup Swatton #1.  Inspired by my original Hot Air Balloons, which come in 2 sizes, this image provides the same graphic but in a different size from either of the originals.

Breathes there anyone with soul so dead that he or she doesn't love penguins?  The two prints below were made with ATC Mixup Swatton #2's Penguin (inspired by my original 6" x 6" mask Penguin Family.)

Above:  After printing the penguin on black cardstock using metallic silver paint, I cut out the penguin and glued it to the photo from an old calendar.

Below:  an ATC printed with heavy-body Titanium White acrylic paint.

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Interference Paint with ATC MIXUP 1--SWATTON and ATC MIXUP 2--SWATTON

Newly Released: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2, each 9" x 12", together bring you 18 images in stencils (with bonus masks), all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards.  But I've explored many other applications -- bookmarks, gift-tags, collage elements, greeting card covers, embellishments for art journal pages, hanging ornaments, and even refrigerator magnets!  Their size also makes them perfect for bringing along on trips -- no more boring rides on the bus, train or plane!  Just add a few watercolor pencils and a brush that holds water in its handle.  One example of this kind of brush is here; other brands are available too.

Recently I explored in a new direction, using these ATC stencils and masks in a "mass production" print, all on black paper, all using heavy-body "red" interference paint applied with a sponge brayer.  

As I understand it, interference (and the somewhat similar iridescent acrylic paints) are embedded with fine particles of mica that bring light-play into art-making.  Interference paints literally interfere with the light that hits their surface, once they're used (and allowed to dry) on dark backgrounds.  Iridescent paints give the visual illusion that they're "metallic" because of their sheen when light hits them.  (When iridescent paints are white, they often are labeled as "pearl" because of they look, well, pearl-like!)  

Both these types of paint come in shades, each tinted with a specific color; they're available in red, green, blue, gold, silver, etc.

For today's post, I used interference paint labeled "red" in the lower two-thirds of this black background and gold across the top.  When light hits "red" interference paint after it's died on black paper, it actually appears more pink than red.

In making most of these prints, I applied paint in the usual way -- holding the stencil or mask down, and rolling the paint across the top.  

In a couple of cases, however, right after making the first print with a stencil or mask, I turned the stencil or mask over and pressed its still-wet surface onto the paper with enough hand pressure to make a reverse print.

Below are 4 photos showing 2 of these prints ....

The above Artist Trading Card features Unfurling Leaves from ATC Mixup Swatton #1.  It's the "positive" print created by my holding the mask with one hand while running a paint-loaded brayer over the top of the mask.

Below is another ATC card; this one is the "negative" print achieved by quickly turning over the freshly paint-covered mask, and pressing that still-wet side to the paper -- using the mask in the same way that you would use an inked-up rubber stamp. 

  Below are two more examples, both created with the stencil Thistles from ATC Mixup Swatton #2:

Above is the positive print used on an ATC.  Below is the negative print made with the wet paint side of the stencil pressed to black paper, right after making the positive print:

More art samples made from my "mass production" black paper using  
ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2 ....

ATC made with ATC Mixup Swatton #1's Diagonal Mania 

ATC made with Mikki's Flowers from ATC Mixup Swatton #2

ATC made with Ski Lift Works from ATC Mixup Swatton#2

A giftbag printed with Mikki's Flowers from ATC Mixup Swatton #2 and glued to a background printed with my 9" x 12" Facets.

A giftbag printed with Hot Air Balloon from ATC Mixup Swatton #1

Made with ATC Mixup Swatton #2 's  Ornamental Iron Curls

Printed with Swan from ATC Mixup Swatton #2 and glued to a background printed with my 9" x 12" Looking Up Through Trees. 

Thank you for coming to see my blog today.  To follow this blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.