A Bucketful of Art

My Bucket List is art, art and more Art!

A bucket list isn't something I've ever really thought about until now. It turns out that dreams are just like a bucket list and I've had plenty of those... as you do! They've changed over the years but there seemed to be a reoccurring theme... Art. I guess you're not surprised :) lol

Have an art gallery and studio, guesthouse B&B for art retreats, online and real world classroom, and little shop. Creating, sharing, teaching, inspiring, healing and helping. By the seaside, anywhere in Australia. I'm getting there, one tiny ant sized step at a time I'm managing to create a Life Less Ordinary through art, art, art and more art :) Why not!

So this is what I've created for Meg's journal that's travelling around Australia with the theme "Bucket List". A few thoughts about art. Its more like a sampler the way it got created but art doesn't have rules or must have any particular look. You can see all our other journals at the Australian Art Journal Swap Blog.

List of Treasures Used...

- Mixed Media Paper
- Dylusions Acrylic Paint
- Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tools and Foams
- Tim Holtz Tonic Studio Mini Snips
- Ranger Embossing Powder
- Darkroom Door Stencils
- Tim Holtz Layering Stencils
- Tim Holtz Foam Stamps
- Tim Holtz Collage Gel Matte Medium
- Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Transparent Wings
- Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Quote Chips
- Tim Holtz Stamps "theories"
- Ranger Archival Ink Pad, Jet Black
- Dylusions Acrylic Journaling Block
- Finnabair Paint Brushes
- Masters' Brush Cleaner
- Tim Holtz and Dylusions Stickers
- Dylusions Glue Stick
- Chipboard Letters
- An Old Paintbrush
- Wooden Sticks (for the pencils)

All available online at Art by Jenny

www.shop.artbyjenny.com.au

Start with a background...

Make sure you're using a good quality paper that withstands wet and dry visual arts techniques. You can find mixed media paper in so many brands now, but my go-to papers are still Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley journals (made by Ranger) and Strathmore's Mixed Media and Watercolour Papers (and journals and artboards)... use what you have and when you run out, try these. Yes I sell them both, but I only because I love and use it all myself :D

I've used Dylusions Acrylic Paints for all the background and overpainting... its such a beautiful smooth, quick drying paint. Perfect for journals.

Smoosh, swirl and blend Dylusions Paint in Mushy Peas and Calypso Teal over your whole surface using one of my fave little tools, the Mini Ink Blending Tool from Ranger.
The easiest way to start is to take a spot of paint from the jar (and put the lid back on straight away), and press it onto your craft mat or flat paint palette. Swirl it into your foam tool in a circular motion (it spreads it evenly through the foam). Smoosh (spread, blend, move in any direction) the paint over your page.

I've used a spirally circular pattern this time. The pattern changes with the mood, weather and paper so let the hand and foam do whatever it wants at this stage. Just enjoy the blending of colours.
The stripe down the centre is a white washi tape as I didn't want the paint going through to everyone else's pages. Sometimes this disappears under all the layers of paint and collage.

Don't forget : Add a spray of water into your jars of Dylusions Paint to put back the moisture that evaporates while you have the lid off. Even in Winter but especially in the Aussie Summer!

The ink blending foams are washable but wash them before they dry out! The end of the day is fine, it doesn't dry that fast on foams :)
The easiest way to clean foams is to use up all the paint on future backgrounds, journal pages and paper that can be used in collage (smoosh it around until its all gone), then wash the foams with soapy water (I use Master's Artist Handsoap for my hands and stencils, Master's Artist Brush Cleaner for my foams, brushes and gel printing plates).

The large Darkroom Door "Crackle" stencil above was used to add a bit of Dylusions Lemon Zest (yellow), and the Tim Holtz "Grime" (my new favourite) and "Splatters" Layering Stencils were used with the pretty Calypso Teal blue acrylic paint.

I've blended paint through all the stencils using the same foam tools, one for white, the other for everything else.

When using stencils, its up to you which part of it you wish to use... the whole design, part of it, upside down, back to front. If you want to add more, add more. Want to leave it simpler, go for it - its art, there are no rules or mistakes :)

The above photo is an overview of what was starting to look like a pond or river. Initially I thought I might make a bucket list on kites, clouds or lily pads - none of which happened but I really love these colours!

Add more layers...

Once all the background base has dried, add a layer of Dylusions White Linen Acrylic Paint using your favourite words stencil. I've used Darkroom Door medium sized stencil called "Creativity".

Once this was dry, I added Maisie, a Dylusions by Dyan Reaveley stencil and mask set (this one's the middle child), also using Dylusions White Linen Paint. Then using a paint brush, I add extra white to create definition in her hair, skirt and boots.

Above : Art is the window to the soul ... I saw this as I lifted off the Maisie Stencil after painting her basic shape - so of course it had to be photographed :) The border or rather, window, is the actual stencil of her head. Seemed perfect at the time! lol :)

Making Pencils...

In the past I've used skewers and tooth picks to make pretend pencils and paint brushes. Usually I'd colour them with markers, paint or pencils, then for the brushes, squishing the ends with pliers to make into faux bristles.

This time I've used skinny flat sticks (wood spatulas or thin iceblock sticks) and cut to shape using Tim's strong Mini Snips (micro serrated 5" scissors).
I added a bit of colour with the Distress Crayons, then blended the waxy colour into the wood using my finger (no water).
I wanted shiny 3D pencils, so gave each a coating of Ranger's Glossy Accents then left them to dry somewhere flat and level.

Of course the second I put them down, I forgot they were on my book and put something down on top of them! whoops. Didn't matter, they still dried shiny :)

Once completely dry (ie, the next day in case I dented them again), I glued my new pencils and vintage paint brush using gel matte medium. They needed a hand to stay put, so I held them in place with pots of paint.
Had to leave that for a while cos each time I tried to do something else, I moved the brush.

Heat Embossing with Mixed Media...

I much prefer using embossing powders for abstract art and creating raised layers. Its certainly much easier than how they're used in cardmaking and scrapbooking. Plus, if you get spatters, it doesn't matter!

Embossing the Alphabet :
1 ... Apply some embossing ink, glue, paint or gel medium to your die cut shape (I smoothed out the squiggles with my finger but for something different, they could be left as they landed).

Ranger have a fantastic ink called "Emboss-It" Embossing Ink and its available not only as an inkpad, reinker and set of pens but also as a dabber bottle! Perfect for mixed media and abstract artwork :)

If using glue or gel medium, the powder does seem to melt better if left to dry but its not absolutely necessary.

2 ... Fold a sheet of dry paper in half and unfold, pour on some embossing powder. At the end, the crease in the paper helps guide the excess back into the jar.

3 ... Dip your sticky shape into the powder. I jostled it around a tiny bit and lifted and patted it into the powder, making sure a really thick amount was stuck.

4 ... Pour the excess powder back in its jar and repeat the process with the next colour.

5 ... Once you've got all your letters / shapes dry and ready to melt gather them onto a heat-proof surface. Using your heat tool (also called a hot air gun - not a hair dryer, its too blowy and not hot enough), gently hover over the powdered piece until the colours melt and blend. Be careful, it gets really really hot!

... slightly off topic : Did you know that next year, 2020, is the Year of the Rat? Australia Post's stamps and coins featuring native Aussie mice as well as rats are so adorable!

Careful not to get the hot air too close or stay in one spot too long as it might scorch the paper - but then, charcoal is a nice colour too!
You will need to use something like long tweezers or pliers to hold the piece as you're heating it, so you don't burn your fingers. Let everything go cool before handling!

Embossing Maisie's Boots :
Maisie's boots were created in the same way as the alphabet with only a slight difference.
I painted the gel medium directly to the page and poured on some of Ranger's Speckles Embossing Powder, pink for the boots, yellow for the trim - at the same time.

I then lifted the page to gently shake the excess powder back onto the folded sheet of paper and put back in the pink jar (there wasn't much yellow so all went back in the same jar).

When cardmaking, it helps to warm the paper from underneath to get an even coverage and help stop the heat tool from blowing around the powder over the rest of the surface.

This is how I heated Maisie's boots... firstly from underneath then over the top, waving in a way that any stray powders would be blown onto the boot and not all over the page.

I always get splatters of embossing when working directly onto a surface anyway but with mixed media, its easily fixed. I painted over the unwanted spots using Dylusions paint in Mushy Peas and Dirty Martini (both are beautiful greens) to create a carpet of green ground.

Additional Elements...

While the ground was drying I added some words of wisdom around the page and one of Tim's Idea-Ology Transparent Wings (a gorgeous butterfly) in Maisie's hair.

All the sayings were stamped onto plain paper using Tim Holtz rubber stamps "Theories" and Jet Black Ranger Archival Ink Pad. The words "to do" and "important" are stickers from Dylusions Dyary collection and the "Create Art" banner is a Tim Holtz Idea-Ology Quote Chip embellishment. All glued in place using Dylusions Glue Stick and for the butterfly, double sided clear tape.

The flowers are hand painted with a paintbrush after using Tim's Idea-Ology Foam Stamps "Funky Flora" to create a guide. Using stamps to for the initial placement of flowers helps me stop overthinking where I want them to grow.
All the spots and dots and splatters are from the ends of my brushes and tools being dipped into paint. I've used Dylusions White Linen, Lemon Zest and Pure Sunshine.

I forgot to mention all the words "art" - some are stickers, some are painted with white paint, some are stamped with Tim's foam alphabet stamps (and paint), and the arrow is a Dylusions sticker too.
Add whatever words you want to say and make it your own.

I'm always around if you need a hand or have questions! Enjoy every creative moment.

Have a happy creative day!
:)
Jenny