Background Play

In Sharon's (All Norah'S Art) Faces class we're just getting used to navigating on Ning, getting to know the delightful members, beginning to learn ways to make backgrounds using security envelopes and napkins, and getting needed supplies before the class actually starts. So last night I pulled out a piece of 5x7 flat canvas board and made a background. I managed to get carried away "playing" and sort of over did the canvas, losing much of the checkered security envelope detail I wanted to show through but that was the least of the mistakes. I'm still going to do more on this later, this is just the background and it awaits either painting a face or maybe collage type things on top. We'll see.

This starts with Lascaux Perlacryl paint in 3 or 4 colors swiped on the canvas. Then a layer of torn checkered security envelopes and a few pieces of torn script and music sheets, a bit more paint and then pink peony flowers ripped from a napkin, some colorful swirls cut from scraps and then poppies ripped from another napkin. Lastly a few pieces of copper metallic thread and stamped dots. I nearly completely lost the swirls because of too much layering (I doubled some of the pink flowers as they were too light...so I thought). I then had the not too bright idea to rub the swirls with charcoal to help define the edges in spots even if I had lost the color. That was the major mistake....I knew the charcoal would smear and I still went ahead with it rather than simply reach over for something else. It's still not bad, just not what I intended at all. Art is like that and play leads to learning.....if you heed the lessons learned!