Friday, January 11, 2013

Multi Media Heart

I like to create art projects that can be done in a relatively short period of time.  I am a bit impulsive and impatient.  I have a number of 8X10 canvas boards.  Hearts make me smile.  Cupid has seldom found me on Valentines day, but I love the idea of a holiday based just on love.  For my kids growing up I always gave them fun things with hearts or even just a red t-shirt.
With several canvassses in front of me and a box full of papers and ephemera I opened the matte medium and started layering on the canvasses.  I shoot for about six things to give texture or interest. Great items for layering included:
Mesh sheet rock joint tape
Clothes dryer sheets after they were used
Doilies
Napkins with designs
Ripped pages from books
Paper towels
Sheet music

It is important that they are neatly glued down with the matte medium.

When dry, I paint a layer of Gesso which is like a white primer.  If I want something to show thru like musical notes or words from the novel I can blot them to keep the gesso light. 

When dry, I painted the canvas with acrylic paint.  So it doesn't look flat or mushy, I put two colors on my brush.  Sometimes blending together as I paint and sometimes they stay a bit separate.
The heart is the focal point.  I decided to create a series of canvasses with the same basic look so it forced me to be a bit more creative each time.  I made all the hearts using the same template.  I painted the heart and sometimes added some contrasting paint on top.  I made some hearts with sheet music glued to the cardboard heart and then painted.  In once case I cut a photo of some flowers in the shape of rat eheart.

Before gluing down the heart I sometimes add some silver ink and some stamps that I have.  Because of the texture I have to decided if I must want the silver or whether I want the stamp design to show.  I have also added puff paint and glitter.

Then I glue the heart on the canvas.l,and "voila!" I have beautiful mixed media hearts for my wall and extras for gifts.