Explore - Mixed Media ICAD

Today's creation has me keeping up my participation in Daisy Yellow's ICAD 2019 and World Watercolor Month by incorporating both in it. This 4 x 6" mixed media ICAD was inspired by the Our Mixed Media Moods June moodboard and Creative Embellishments July Color Challenge with a Twist - Clouds or Waves (I went with waves). I included the graphics at the end of the post.

I went with a fairly literal interpretation of the inspiration boards choosing elements directly from the images. My colour medium of choice for this project was Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks and Heavy Body Acrylic paint.

I chose a piece of Studio Light Denim Saturdays pattern paper just for this project as it went with the grey boards from the centre bottom of the moodboard. It reminds me of an aged cedar dock. I cut it to the 4x6" size and adhered it to the index card with Multi Medium Matte and then did a layer of the gel on the front also. Once it was dry, I covered the card with clear gesso, creating a texture with a brush to start the look of waves. Once dry, I then took a piece of white oil pastel and drew on waves. Next, I scribbled the Dina Wakley Scrbble sticks onto the craft mat and then used the water brush to blend and paint with the colours. Once I had the base colour, I then used a smooshing technique by picking up colour of the mat with the index card. This gives a splashy motled effect. After it was dry, I buffed directly over and following the the pastel lines to bring back the whiteness and contrast of the wave lines. I darkened the edges first with Night acrylic paint but found it was a tad on the purple side against the wave's colour so added Marine to bring up the blue tone.

Next, I turned my attention to the cardboard piece. The base of this was pre-made while I was making my Live Gently Upon This Earth ATC (You can see it here). Thus, the cardboard already had the dictionary page adhered to it and it was covered with gesso and left over Clear Rock Candy Crackle paint. I just needed to give it colour which I did using the Marine Scribble Stick and a waterbrush. While it was drying, I used my finger to add some Texture Paste to the Creative Embellishments Nautical Compass chipboard and then sponged on the Night acrylic paint to it and the N. I chose solely the N as Canada is the north, cottaging is north, and north is where I most spend time by a lake. Once they were dry, I adhered them to the cardboard piece.

Next, I created the the blueberries. Blueberries grow along the rocky shore areas at the cottage in Muskoka so I went with a handrawn watercoloured sprig of them. I have to say that I am quite proud of myself for how the sprig turned out. I watercolour layered the leaves starting with a wash of Evergreen, giving them a blueish colour with Marine and Night, and then darking them with Brown. The branches went through the same layering but I included the addition of Black as the final layer. The berries were painted with two layers of Marine and once I was happy with each one, I added a tich of black to darken the released spent flower area. Once they were dry, I fussy cut them. Then, I was ready to assemble the project.

To assemble the piece, I wrapped the cardboard with navy wire (for the bottom right image on the OMMM moodboard) and then used gel medium to adhere it off centre, more to the left, on the index card base. Then, I tucked in the blueberry sprig and glued it with with the gel. Next, I stamped the CTMH Explore (from their Adventure stamp set) onto a piece of transparency with Black StazOn ink. After trimming it down, I tried it out on the cardboard but it was getting lost as that area was rather dark so I backed it with a small piece of gessoed and Marine coloured dictionary paper prior to adhering it to the cardboard. 

I included some detailed close ups of the top and bottom sections.

With this one, you can better see the crackle paste on the dictionary text areas as well as the texture on the compass rose.

With this one, you can better see the splattery splotches of colour on the index card background, the wire, and the Explore transparency.


Here's a last look at the entire finished ICAD.

Supplies: index card and transparency (Staples), patterned paper (StudioLight), Marine, Night, Evergreen, Brown and Black Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks, Night and Marine Dina Wakley Acrylic Paint, Multi Medium Matte gel, Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint, Texture Paste (Ranger), Nautical Compass chipboard (Creative Embellishments), clear and white gesso (Liquitex), XL watercolour paper (Canson), Explore stamp (CTMH), Black StazOn (Tsukineko), white oil pastel and wire (Dollarama), cardboard and dictionary page (misc.)

I hope I have inspired you to give one of the many different techniques that I used a try. As mentioned at the top of the post, here are the mood board and color board that were my inspiration for this project. You can read more about each challenge and see their inspirational creations by clicking on the images below.

   

As today's creation is a mixed media piece, I am also joining in over at Bleeding Art July Anything Goes Challenge.

TTFN,