Art & Soul

Welcome to the First Monday Blog Hop of the Designer Crafts Connection (DCC). The theme this month is home decor/favorite technique or media. Those who know me well know that it's just like potato chips ...I can't have just one. I love 'em all...well, most all of them. I chose to do a mixed media piece since I can combine a lot of techniques into one piece.

This started off as a painted canvas many moons ago. I wasn't happy with the look so I stashed it away to come back later. Later turned out to be a couple of years (I told you it was many moons) and it has been sitting there patiently waiting for me to return. I had been playing for this for the last couple of weeks before I decided to complete it for a DCC post, so I haven't taken any in-progress photos of the process. It's pretty much just as it looks: various colors of Golden acrylics for the base, a layer of printed tissue, a layer of painted tissue and some paper napkins. I used Golden Matte medium for the glue for these papers, then started layering on the wax. I used a multi-tip heat iron made for wax (Purple Cows) to apply the colors (wax and crayons) and a heat tool to make it smooth. I also stuck the printers' letters on with hot beeswax by heating up the waxed surface and pressing the letter blocks into the wax.

The metal piece at the top was in an old bag of mismatched handles and drawer pulls. It is designed to go under the pull, and for the life of me, I can't find a name for it anywhere. It's just a metal plate. The finish was originally a semi-bright brass, but I added some Inka Gold to give it the violet/green look and tone it down a little.

This whole piece was designed for one purpose only: It's the resting place for the necklace. I made it back in January, and the two little girls are my sister and me. I had trouble with it getting tangled in my jewelry box, so rather than going through the hassle of untangling it every time I wanted to wear it, I just hang it on it's own personal little mixed media piece.

How did I come up with the title?
Art: My sister and I were encouraged by our family to try every aspect of art, from watercolors to pottery. We were both equally good, but I was the only one who pursued it. Lynn was a gardener and created beauty with everything she touched. Sadly, she died in 1989, but lives on in the hearts of those who loved her.

Soul: This piece includes a lot of symbolism from our childhood: the bird (the first thing we learned to draw); the birdcage where our Parakeet, Petie, lived; the silver jacks on the necklace, which represent one of our favorite games; the music notes at the bottom represent singing, which we were encouraged to do also; and the printers' blocks, which represent our dad's career in the printing industry (he actually printed one of Elvis' first album covers and he said Elvis was fascinated with how the old printing press ran.)

Here are the supplies in the order in which they were applied:
1. 8" x 10" gallery-wrapped canvas (Hobby Lobby)
2. Acrylics (Golden)
3. Printed tissue paper (7 Gypsies)
4. Printed paper napkin
5. Matte medium (Golden) 
6. Rubber Stamp (&) and Black Stazon Ink
7. Encaustic wax and bees wax (Purple Cows)
8. Multi-tip heat iron (Purple Cows)
9. Wax crayons (Crayola)
10. Heat tool11. Inka Gold, Violet and Mint Green (Viva Décor)
12. Printers' block letters (antique shop)
13. Drawer pull plate
14. Beads and embellishments for necklace (assorted from my stash)
15. Watch pocket frame (unknown source)

That's about it. I really like this piece and may try a larger one in the future. Now, go find some jewelry you want to show off a bit and make its own little piece of art. I can just see earrings for pierced ears hanging on a small block canvas that has been embellished with eyelets. Just hook those french wires in the eyelet and you can have an instant, ever-changing display.

Have a great week and don't forget to hop through the other blogs by clicking the Designer Crafts Connection button at top left.

Oops, there's more! Tune in Saturday for a Designer Challenge using gorgeous buttons!