An Assemblage and A Nursery Rhyme

Assemblage............."an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate (surface) that consists of three dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate. It is similar to collage, a two dimensional medium. It is part of the visual arts, and it typically uses found objects, but is not limited to these materials." I had to check up on the exact definition, and that's what Wikipedia told me. So,  "three dimensional collage" works for me. We all know that Finnabair is the queen of this expressive medium, and because of her and the products that she has designed, such as 3D Matte Gel, Heavy Body Gel, and her fabulous metal Mechanicals, creating "an assemblage" can be easy and lots of fun. I had a biscuit tin lid and an old frame...............this was the start of my assemblage. Who knows why, but I thought the biscuit tin lid could be a bed, or a cradle.......a cradle for that poor baby that falls out of the tree "when the bough breaks". That nursery rhyme "Rock a Bye Baby" has always bothered me.

My baby is being closely watched over by it's mother and beautiful butterflies, suspended above, hovering, ready to catch and hold the baby if it falls.

Baby in it's bed of muslin, moss and feathers.

Layers of tea dyed lace, rusted chipboard, cracked metal, muslin, feathers, gold wire and Finnabair metal Mechanicals. A step by step tutorial and all products used can be found on Finnabair blog HERE. I love how art allows you to change a story and make it your own. Thanks for visiting; have a creative week.
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by bun inspired journal

I am hooked. The style of Roxanne Coble has me so inspired.  A new journal spread. "Creativity is not a competition"

Golden acrylics, oil pastels and Posca pens. Check out by bun HERE.

The Rejected Page

I have several pages lying around that were started and never finished. Ideas gone wrong, wasn't going according to plan, I'm sure you've all been there. Sometimes it's worth re-visiting these pages, having a play (with no expectation, so the pressure is off....always a good thing ) and seeing where it takes you. This is my "reject" page. Done on flimsy card stock, so won't hold heavy embellishment, not even gessoed so won't support much wet mixed media either. But it does have a beautiful swish of bright orange/yellow colour......a starting point.

And here is my finished page.

To see what happened "in between" check out the Finnabair blog here for all the steps and materials used. Thanks for visiting today. Re visit your "rejects"; you may be surprised where they take you.

International Scrapbooking Day

Yes, there is a day especially set aside for "scrapbookers". To celebrate and promote this day, the Finnabair CT and Finn herself have joined forces with Prima to create some pages, to inspire with quotes, to run competitions and offer up some wonderful prizes. Check out the Finnabair blog post HERE and the Prima post HERE We were asked to choose a quote..........this is mine. "Art enables us to find ourselves and loose ourselves at the same time" Thomas Merton

Thanks for dropping by.

Journal Page.......For Finnabair

Working in art journals has become my favourite place to create. They allow for freedom of creativity and an "anything goes" approach. But they do have their limitations. The beauty, depth and detail that can be created with the layering of "dimensional elements" like metal and found 3 dimensional objects creates bulk within the pages, and the book can then become difficult to work in. This is where mixed mediums like pastes, gels, paints, inks, pens, pastels, pencils, stamps, stencils, sprays and mists, papers, tapes, lace, fibres and fabrics can be used with absolute abandon. I try to use lots of pattern, texture and colour to create interest.

Detail of sketched face, coloured with colour pencil, texture and movement created with Finnabair Modeling Paste and Finnabair Texture Brush, Finnabair stamp in "Chequered". Modeling Paste coloured with Finnabair art alchemy Acrylic Paints in Metallique Black Berry and Opal Magic Rose Gold.

A more detailed step by step of the processes used on this page can be found HERE on the Finnabair blog, along with  a list of all the materials used.

Our future is a blank space ahead of us, so, I want to include as much colour and joy in my life now, with lots of all the little details that I love, and, that make me happy.

Know what makes you happy and embrace it.

Thanks for dropping by. 

Art Journal.........Inspired By bybun

Do you know roxanne coble ? Otherwise known as bybun. Well, she is so clever, creative, quirky and a whole lot of fun. I did her "Creatures" online art journal class and it was the best ! She has a great, fun personality and explains things really well and is just, well, very inspiring. I didn't actually get into her quirky little creatures ( I collaged a bad ass motor bike instead ), but her use of colour, multiple media, pattern and decoration is right up my alley.  Check out bybun HERE.

If you're looking for some fun inspiration, check out bybun.bybun.com/

Thanks for dropping by.

I was Invited To Be A Guest

I feel very honoured this month to have my blog name, "Bliss and Gesso", be used as the inspiration for a very fun and very popular challenge site called More Than Words. They also, very kindly, invited me along to be their guest for the month of March.

You can visit HERE at More Than Words and maybe play along with this months challenge.

This is how I was inspired by the word "bliss" and of course "gesso" is such a basic when working with mixed media.

My "bliss" is to surround myself with as much mixed media as I can find, play with it and see where it leads me. I feel like my head is so wired up to colour, texture and pattern, that once all the cogs and nuts and bolts start working I become totally absorbed and lost in my own creative world.

Here's a little bit of info about my blog and how I chose the name. Apart from the obvious meanings of the words "Bliss" and "Gesso", I have a love of Hip Hop music, and in particular an Australian band called BLISS N ESO, so I just put the two together.

Language warning, but their intent is always good.

Thanks for visiting today. Hope you can join in the "bliss and gesso" challenge at More Than Words.

 

Finnabair CT..................She Wears Her Heart On Her Sleeve

Hello. A trick to creating great compositions, so they say, is to use "like or similar elements" through out, this creates a harmonious and balanced piece. In my assemblage piece I have used elements that are at odds with each other....... red and green, (well burgundy and teal). rust and velvet and metal and porcelain. In art, we need to break the rules......... just to see what can happen. It was fun to play with an eclectic mix of opposites.

The other things that were fun to play with were Finnabair's new Rusted Mechanicals, such as the beautiful Rusted Pocket Watch and the "Create Magic" Rustic Washer. Also the amazing Rust Effect Paste.........turn any embellishment, no matter what it's made of, instantly rusty !

This particular project, more than any other, says a lot about me.

Details of how this assemblage was made are HERE on the Finnabair blog as well as a full list of products used.

Thanks for visiting today. Have a creative week. Break some rules.

Art Journal Entry

It's been quite a while since I've put pen, ink, paint and gesso to paper in my journal. The somewhat dark and chaotic page that evolved is, I think, a subconscious fear of Mr. Trump.