More Mixed Media Tags...Getting my mojo back?

Hi Friends,

It is another hot Saturday here in Southern Arizona. You know..only 99 degrees (37 C),.. No big deal right? I think it is a good day to stay in and play in the studio. I have been avoiding my studio lately. Each morning I wake up and say....gotta do some art today. Then I find reasons not to. Dang..we artists are MOODY I tell ya! Yesterday I was reading a blog post by one of my favorites about 'finding your edges' and she said SO MUCH about what I have been thinking and feeling. Here is a link if you want to read about it :) Artfully Wild Blog. So on to the art! I am in a monthly swap in a great G+ community called Creating and Sharing Mixed Media. This month's theme is 'Monet's Garden' which I was very excited about. I don't care if it is a stereotype..I am a GIRL and I like FLOWERS! I was planning to make a serene pastel garden scene full of soft focus impressionism...but well...my style came through and this is what I made :)


I started out with this wonderful piece of colorful paper that I received from a friend and fellow blogger. Lynn Mizera -  Scrapbook Lynn's. I think it is some sort of a heavy weight paper towel and she saturated it with brilliant colors. Love love love! I attached it to a manila tag using matte gel medium over and under. Then I trimmed the edges. Don't worry..I saved the excess to use in another project!


Next I got out some Dylusions acrylic paints and a cosmetic sponge to apply color to a flower stamp from Stampin' Up!. I stamped this across the tag, changing colors until I filled up my garden with bright flowers.


Next I connected the stems and added some highlight details using my green and white Posca paint pens. Love these pens!


My art is never complete if there isn't some splattering or dripping...so I added some splatters to my background using diluted white acrylic paint and a fan brush.


Now I needed a girl to hang around in my garden and smell the flowers. I sketched a girl on some mixed media paper...but I didn't want the illustration to completely cover my colorful garden. I decided to make her dress translucent. I cut off her head and hand and then sketched her body onto some deli paper. She has a stamped flower in her hand.


Next came the coloring. Of course I used my very favorite media...my Neocolor II water soluble crayons blended with a aquabrush and a little white acrylic paint. I just LOVE to color this way! 


Once I laid out my colored in girl...I decided my dress needed more pattern then just what was showing through the deli paper...so I used my deli paper piece to cut out another dress from some printed tissue paper instead. Music notes now cover her dress. Then I glued down my pieces using matte gel medium.


To make my figure stand out more and look more like a illustration...I used black and white Posca pens to outline and highlight my girl.


Then I decided I really wanted her to be 'in' the flowers..not just posing in front of them. I got out the stamp and Dylusions acrylic paint again and stamped flowers over her dress at the bottom. Then I added stems and highlights like before with Posca pens.


To add a little dimension and bling...I used 3D matte gel by Prima to attach some small pearls and a gem to make her a necklace. I put a few pearls on her hat too.


I thought there needed to be a quote on this tag..and I found the perfect one from a Unity stamp set. I added it across the bottom. I put in some shadows and color to make it less stark.


To finish off my tag I tied on some sari ribbon on green and pink. And of course...I can't stand not having a border..so I mounted the whole tag on green cardstock.


I hope you enjoyed my tag project. Leave me a comment below :)
<3 Shel

Oh, and here are two more tags I made today using bits and bobs from my desk :)


Comments

  1. Hi Shel, love the tag, gorgeous colour palette x

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    1. Thank you Angela :) I am a big fan of bright colors. I guess they make me happy :)

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  2. Wonderfully done Shel!! Your really show influence of Monet and his palette! I am digging that Cactus tag as well!
    So glad your muse decided she wanted to play again! hugs xo

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    1. Thank you Jackie Dahhhling :) I had some fun in the studio!

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  3. Love it all~I could see you were having fun in your studio. Colors are marvelous and make me happy too. Thanks for sharing the steps. That is really helpful.

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  4. Well, isn't that the most fabulous tag, Shel?! You've done wonders with the challenge - I salute the return of your mojo!

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    1. Thank you Win :) It is on it's way to you and I hope you enjoy it in person :)

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