One Stencil, One Image Transfer, Two Journal Pages - Part II Warmup Exercises to Spice It Up

Happy November!

I'm back with another post for Gwen Lafleur Studios Artist Tribe.  My goal this week is to entice you to get intimate with one of your stencils.  (Cross my heart, there will be no need for blushing!)  I’ll challenge you to unearth new shapes and patterns hidden in stencil designs so that you can make your stencils work overtime. Then I'll share another warm-up exercise designed to further develop your isolated stencil parts while you make hand painted collage fodder that is unique to you to use in art journal pages and mixed media projects.

Finally, I'll show you another version of the art journal spread that I created using an altered vintage silk taffeta photo transfer, (tutorial in my last post) and Gwen's 6x6 Decorative Medallion Stencil.  The newest version features a wallpaper styled background that I created using isolated portions of the stencil.  But before I show it to you to contrast,  compare, and pick your favorite, I want to share two warm up exercises that I've used to develop an intimate connection with my stencils.  

 

Can you tell that Gwen's Decorative Medallion Stencils is one of my favs?  First Clue - all of those yummy layers of paint that it's encased in....

Warm Up Exercise #1 - Brainstorming 101

Here's a quick exercise to spark your imagination and set your creatively soaring.  By isolating parts of stencils you will develop new images and patterns to make your stencils work overtime for you.

• For this exercise you'll use a stencil; any medium you have on hand, (paint, pencil, ink, etc...), and your sketchbook.  (You really can do this exercise on any substrate appropriate to your medium but I like to do it in my sketch book so that I can refer back to it later when I need ideas.)
• Although painters or Washi tape are usually used to isolate images on a stencil, for this brainstorming session I forego them so that I can move deftly from one thought to another.
• Set a time limit of 15 to 20 minutes.
• Challenge yourself to a brainstorming session.  Find as many isolated images and as many patterns in the stencil as you can.  Stencil them on your page in the time allotted.
• Think outside of the box.  No idea is too wacky!  
• Remember to look at the stencil from all angels and to flip it from front to back to unearth hidden images and patterns you may not have noticed before.
• Jot down/scribble quick notes next to each image to describe what it looks like, what it might become, or how you might use it in your art.

Here are some of the isolated images and patterns that I came up with when I did this exercise.  Can you find any more or think of other ways to use them?

Warm Up Exercise #2 - Hand Painted Deli Paper Collage Fodder 102

In this exercise  you will work quickly, without giving much thought, to fill deli papers with the stenciled images and patterns that you discovered in the Brainstorming 101 exercise. (Since deli paper is translucent, its perfect to use in collages and art journal pages.) Then you'll further develop some of the papers and transform them into hand painted designs created in your own unique style. Remember to continually rotate and layer your images until each deli page is full.

• Choose a single isolated image or pattern and use it to stencil a deli page using only shades of black.  (The beauty of creating collage fodder in shades of black is that you can add color after it is adhered to perfectly compliment your design.) 
• Combine multiple isolated images on another deli sheet to increase the complexity of your image. (For example, arrange 5 diamonds in a circle.) Experiment with  stenciling using shades and tints of a single color.  
• Fill another sheet with a layer of a single found pattern, add a second layer with a shape or image in a complimentary color.  
• Continue to play and fill more sheets of deli paper. Experiment by combining isolated images, shapes, and patterns; adding layers; and playing with color variations.
• Throughout this exercise, keep in mind that the deli paper is translucent and that you can use white space as a design element in your collage fodder.

Some of my Collage Fodder Using the Decorative Medallion Stencil

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• Once the deli papers are dry, further develop some of them by layering acrylic paints and glazes, paint pens, Pitt Pens, inks, markers, colored pencils and other any other supply that's within your reach.  Their origin of the design will become even less recognizable with each stroke.   
• When your satisfied, audition your papers. Layer one page over another then stand back and admire your work.  Since the designs all started with the same stencil, they should all work beautifully together. 

Class is now over!

Vintage Silk Taffeta Photo Image Transfer Journal Page - Version II  

  Now that you’re intimately acquainted with your stencils, its time to show you a new version of the journal page that I with made with my altered silk taffeta photo image transfer.  This photo of my husband walking on Nauset Beach in Cape Cod was the inspiration for my journal pages.

Both versions use Gwen's Decorative Medallion Stencil as a major deign element. However in the most recent version, elements of the stencil were isolated and further developed to create wallpaper to frame my altered silk taffeta transfer.

Version #1 that was posted own Part I last week with a tutorial.

Version #2 uses isolated parts of Gwen's stencil to form a frame around the same image transfer.

 

Close Up of the Developed Decorative Medallion in Version #1 reveals softer colors, less pattern, and lots of dots design elements.

 

Closeup of the Developed Decorative Medallion Version #2 uses stronger colors and more pattern.

Which version of the page is your favorite?   I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Thanks for stopping by on the blog this week to explore some more Infinite Possibilities.  Feel free to leave questions and comments below.      

Hugs,  Jill