Wednesday, June 10, 2015

{Spotlight Project} Shery Creates a Mixed Media Inspirational Artwork Using Monoprinting, Stenciling, and Stamping



Back in April, hubby and I bought a 21-foot travel trailer to convert into my home office/art studio. With our baby girl making her grand entrance in August, we needed to make big changes in our home, and that included decluttering the rooms (specifically our bedroom and living room) and getting my work/art stuff out and into a dedicated space.

As Mr. STAMPlorations worked to convert the trailer, I began creating a few pieces I can put up and decorate the walls. Here's artwork #1: a simple mixed media inspirational piece I plan on hanging on the wall by my art station to remind me every day of why I'm doing what I'm doing. This one is done on 160# letter size (8.5" by 11") cardstock.




With a small squeegee, I spread yellow and milky white acrylic paints on my Gelli plate...


...placed my thick cardstock on it and brayered to transfer the paint.


Next, I spread 4 different colors of acrylic paints on my Gelli plate and laid down a couple of stencils (Shower of Flutters and Bloom Factory).


I wanted to pull the ghost print of the stencils so I placed a different cardstock on top first and brayered to transfer the ink. (I saved this one as the base for a second mixed media artwork.)


I removed the stencils and I'm left with this:


I laid my first cardstock on my Gelli plate and brayered over it to transfer the paints.


To tone down the colors just a little, I spread gesso over the background.


Then I started stamping collage-style. I focused on stamping on the upper left and lower right, mixing and matching the stamps (from The Birds and the Blooms, Mixed Media Grunge, and Trendy Birds). I stuck to one color, and here I used Memento Luxe mixed media ink (Rhubarb Stalk).


For the inspirational message, I used coarse texture gel over my stencil*.


*one of the ARTplorations stencils in a larger size that we'll be introducing in July

When the texture gel dried, I went over the words with my Japanese watercolor brush pens. I sealed the artwork with matte gel medium after everything was dry.



Here's the finished artwork again. I'll finish it up by matting and framing it.


I hope you enjoyed seeing how I created this piece. You can apply the monoprinting, stenciling, stamping techniques I used here on your cards as well -- it'll be on a smaller scale, but you should be able to get that mixed media look. And if you don't have a Gelli plate, you can improvise. For example, before I had a Gelli plate, I used the glass that came with the cheap-o $1 frames I bought at the dollar store.

See you in a couple of weeks!


Products Shery used in today's project:

      

preview-web-stencil-032-showerofflutters  preview-web-stencil-043-BloomFactory

Mixed Media Grunge (April/May 2015) and The Birds and the Blooms (June/July 2015) are our premium 5x7 sets offered in the STAMPlorations stamp club! We've got lots of perks, including free worldwide shipping, a free 4" by 6" stamp set sent every 3rd shipment (or immediately after signing up for the semi-annual subscription), 2 personal discount coupon codes, and choice of 2 ARTplorations stencils ($10 value) in every stamp club package mailed out to subscribers! For more info and to sign up, click here.


Prize alert! Leave a comment in this post for an entry to our Spotlight Projects random drawing for June. We'll pick ONE (1) commenter to win a $10 gift certificate or her choice of 1 ARTplorations stencil. We'll announce the winner on the first week of July!

24 comments:

  1. Jaw droppingly gorgeous. I'm pinning this and then I'm going to stare at it for a while.

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  2. woowww this is complicated Shery
    I guess I can not do the best like you did
    I ever try your technique the blue monoprint and all my table full with colors hehehe
    Shery thanks the stencils I ordered...was coming two days before..
    big hugs..Monika

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  3. Hi, Shery! I love this fabulous grungy mixed media art piece! It will look beautiful in your new studio. (And, what a great idea to convert a travel trailer into your work space)! I'm still arting; just not blogging as yet. Not enough time to do it all right now. Thanks for the step by step tutorial of how you created this beauty.

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  4. Wow, great sign for your trailer! BTW, love the trailer idea!

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  5. This is inky loveliness. Great quote to inspire. I do have one little complaint!! More too gorgeous to resist stamps have appeared in the stamplorations shop!!! Trendy birds!!!! Can I wait? Possibly not. What a fantastic set. Goes with the bird stencil one assumes? Love that you pair stamps and stencils. My credit card has run and hid but I think I knowz where it is. Bwahahahahahaha Hugz

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    1. Hi, Gail! Yes, Trendy Birds coordinates with the Some Birds stencil :o) The Bloom Factory stencil will have a coordinating stamp set as well. (It's now in production so it'll be added to the shop sometime in July.)

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  6. Love this Shery, it's going to look fab mounted and framed. Carol x

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  7. Shery awesome and now to get my gelli plate out of it's box after 12mth...inspiration plus plus here...can't wait for my order to arrive in Australia then guess to order more....x

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  8. This is just totally grungy and inky, way beyond what I can create, I can only admire at this Shery....love the quote very much!!

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  9. What an artsy layout! So happy to see your Mixed Media creation! I am excited for your little princess making her entrance in August! Way to convert the trailer to more space for the baby! Hugs to you, Shery!

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  10. I always adore your mixed media creation using gelli plate!!! Totally love the colors, layering and all the textures, so much to see........and the quote is soooooo beautiful, perfect art for framing!!!

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  11. So interesting to watch this mixed media piece of art! Thank u for this lovely tutorial! :)
    Suchi xx

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  12. Love this - the textures and colours are fabulous. All the best with your re-arrangements for baby.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  13. Wow, so bright and cheery and loaded with texture! Awesome!

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  14. This is fabulous. I used the Mixed Media Grunge set on my journal pages. It is an amazing set of stamps.

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  15. AMAZING and you are so good at Mixed Media AND for going for your dreams!!! Thanks for being an inspiration to all!!

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  16. Trendy, artsy, inspiring and inspired....you've covered the spectrum, Shery! With beautiful artwork like this adorning the walls of your new crafting 'play house', I can but imagine the delights we'll continue to see! WOW!
    Hugs~c

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  17. Beautiful; so much to look at and admire; it never would have occurred to me to put all the elements together. However, when you do, it works and it's stunning!

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  18. What a great piece of art to put on your new office walls as you make room for baby!! I love all the grunge.

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  19. What a great piece of art to put on your new office walls as you make room for baby!! I love all the grunge.

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  20. Wonderful mixed media piece, Shery, love the bold colors, and so much to look at!! I've had a gelli plate for over 2 years now and have never used it, you're inspiring me to just DO IT!

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  21. fabulous creation! My Gelli plate is still in the packaging so I appreciated you giving the step by step process

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  22. Oh My Shery, Gorgeous and Inspiring Mixed Media Gelli Plate images. I just got a Gelli Plate after being so inspired by your Gelli Plate cards and videos :-) TFS mf.

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