Repeating Patterns in Nature and Art - WOYWW #299

Hello Friends and Desk Hoppers,

Once again I am in the middle of trying to keep up with all the art journaling classes and prompts for the week. On my desk is the unfinished Lifebook 2015 project for this week. Also, the mess left over from my Documented Life Project for week eight. I am also working in between on a cool dimensional journal cover I will show in the future. The DLP page for this week was really fun so I am going to show the step out for that one. The challenge had to do with repeating elements and the prompt was 'it's worth repeating'. I decided to rely on what most inspires my art, and that is the repeating elements found in nature. I also found an interesting quote about just that subject in a art book. So here we go...

First my mess of a desk. I am linking up to the party over at Stamping Ground where you can snoop desks around the world today. Thanks to Julia Dunnit for the opportunity. Go check it out. My desk never really gets 'cleaned' per say...I just move one thing off for another. However the other day I did spill my diet coke all over it so I had to actually wipe it and change all the papers. There was some creative words that day!

And now for my Documented Life Project page week 8 :)

The first step was to lay down a background of mixed green colors using my gelatos.I used 4 colors of green and blended them with my finger dipped in water. Then I laid a leaf stencil over the top and used a baby wipe to remove some of the color and leave a pattern.

Next, I picked out a piece of deli paper from my painted paper pile (PPP for short?) These papers come about when I have left over acrylic paint from a painting. I usually just scrape that leftover onto a scrap or a deli paper sheet with a credit card. I cut out some leaf shapes and used both the positive and negative pieces on my page as collage. I used matte gel medium to attach the pieces.

When that was dry, I got my fingers messy and applied some acrylic paints in turquoise, yellow, and white to highlight areas and patterns. 

Then I got out some leaf stamps to add another layer. I used white acrylic paint with the smaller random shape and black archival ink for the more detailed leaf.

Now I decided I had enough of greens and wanted to add a pop of a contrasting color. I picked hot pink acrylic paint and added it with a smaller leaf stamp.

Next I went in with my obsessive contrasting doodling technique (OCD for short :) I used the same pink paint with a small brush and then my black and white Posca paint pens.

Now for the top layer of elements. I first printed out my quote on white printer paper, but I thought it looked too stark over the page. So I next taped a piece of deli paper to a sheet and printed it onto that. I applied it to my page using matte gel medium. I WISH I had laid down a translucent layer of paint with a brayer under it first...but it was already stuck..oh well..next time. Then for the other side of the page I decided to make a vine. I had my leftover white paper quote, so I cut it into leaves for my vine and collaged those on. Never waste anything I say :)

My last thing to do was to add details to my leaves and stem with black Posca pen, and then to add watery shadows with my black Stabilo all pencil blended with a aquabrush.

I hope you enjoyed my page this Wednesday. Leave me a comment or a +1 if you did!

<3 Shel