Step Out for Bird Canvas

Barb here.  I am going to walk you through my making of this canvas.  I knew I wanted to use a bird stamp for my canvas (wings).  It is a new stamp so I really should use it.  I got out a small canvas (the bird is small).  At this point I also know that I want my bird to be an aqua or tealish color.  I covered the canvas with a dictionary page using gel medium.

Oops – I want my canvas to go the long way but my words are going the other way.  I know it probably does not matter because of all the layers that will be on the canvas but I would always know.  My way to fix this is to tear some strips of dictionary page and gel them on over the top – just creating more layers and texture.   

I took a palette knife and spread my gesso over my dictionary pages.  I just put a light coat on it.  I had just watched a video and that is what the artist I was watching did.  So while my gesso is drying, I went and found my bird stamps – gee they are bigger than I thought – I hope my canvas is big enough.  I stamped the birds on some typing paper and tissue.  I gessoed some dictionary pages and stamped with Versafine ink (black).  While still wet, I put on some clear embossing powder and heated it.  I love how this makes the stamped images pop.  I don’t know what I am going to do with the bird yet.  I figure I can use the typing paper one and just use it for figuring out placement on my canvas.   

After the gesso dries, I apply a coat of yellow acrylic paint.  I hate waiting for things to dry but as I see it I realize this yellow is too bright so I get out my Gelatos in several warm colors and scribble them on the canvas.  I spread the color with my fingers.  I am now getting happier with my colors.  I do need to add some more of the bright pink and always remember to do the edges of your canvas so the colors flow around the entire canvas.   

I have to add red to my canvas since this is part of the challenge. I decided to do it in two corners (trying to achieve visual balance).  I had to have some crackle embossing paste so I decided I needed to try it out.  Patience – it has to dry.  The plan is to then rub the red gelato over it.  Prayers please.  Update:  Well it worked.  After I was done, I rubbed some gold gelato over top of the red to soften the red color.  If you look very closely you can see the crackles.  I also think you can see one of my fingerprints.  Remember this if I ever come up missing and they need to identify me, my fingerprint is on the bird canvas. 

I colored a couple of the birds with gelatos on the backside of the tissue.  I think I read that somewhere that was how you were supposed to do that.  I don’t know for sure.  The bird will be blue not teal.  I think once it is added to the canvas, I will add some more color to the front.  The sentiment was stamped on some tissue.  I put the clear embossing powder on it so the sentiment pops.  Now I have to decide if I should add some color to the backside of the tissue also.  Maybe – I don’t know.  This is the first time I have used tissue on a project. 

 Look, the canvas has changed direction.  I guess the bird looks better this way.  I guess it did not matter which way the dictionary page words went because now they go in both directions. 

The tissue was added to the canvas with gel medium and yes it does basically melt into the background.  On the sentiment I added some Faber Castell Big Brush in pink and smeared it around.  In the bird I added some distress paint and some more Gelatos to deepen the color.

I then took a stencil and some embossing paste and went a little crazy on the dots but once you start there is no going back.  There are even dots on the sides. 

This was a fun project and I am so glad that I tried using the tissue on the canvas.  I also love this bird stamp.  There are three more birds in the set and I can't wait to use them on a project.

Please join us in our February challenge at Mixed Media Mojo.    Red with the added twist Wings.