Thursday, March 22, 2012

Going Up?

I found this Second Floor Challenge over at Balzer Designs. The challenge was designed by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and Nathalie Kalbach.  It sounded right up my alley because I want to try new things but never get around to it or I am just scared to try. I always see new online art classes that are available but I don't have the moolah to spend on them.

This is what Julie Fei-Fan Balzer says about the challenge:

  • Every few weeks we will issue a challenge (just something to spark some creativity - sometimes starting without a prompt can be very intimidating).
  • Your assignment is to take that challenge and make some art.

  • Here's the most important part: at some point you need to "take it to the second floor."  What does that mean?  It means trying something vastly out of your comfort zone.  Doing something that might not work.  Experimenting with a crazy idea.  It's all about pushing yourself.  If it works, awesome.  If it doesn't work, awesome!

Did you catch that part about "If it doesn't work, awesome!" ?    Remember this as I go on.
The first challenge is to use gold acrylic paint. Sounds easy but seriously, the paint is ugly.
I decided to go to the books I already have to find a project. I opened up my Collage Discovery Workshop book by Claudine Hellmuth.  I found a cool project that uses Vaseline and paint.

 So I started with these old 70s plaques and put some paper on the back and a photo.

I don't have a pic with the images on them but next I coated the paper with some gel medium and let it dry.
Then I covered parts of the picture with vaseline. Then came the gold paint.
When the paint drys you wipe off the vaseline and the paint come off those spots.

No likee!!!!!!! I wish I didn't waste those two images. Then I tried to wash off the vaseline so I could try again and I totally destroyed that second image with the little girl.  I was done with that attempt. I'll try again someday without gold paint 

I remembered a transfer method I saw on Jewels' blog Just Tickety-Boo . She got the idea from a book called Image Transfer Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy.  I haven't read the book but Jewels painted an image and then painted a background and smooshed them together (giving the short version) and let them dry. Then she wet the image and rubbed it off. Cool! I'll do that with gold paint.
Not cool! I used an old pattern envelope and I can't get to the image without rubbing it completely off.  Too bad, that would have been neat.  Maybe I used the wrong kind of image. 
Maybe I should have bought the book and read how to do it properly.  Tee hee!

So to get this challenge finished I just decided to do a collage and used some gold paint as a stencil. 

Now I'm supposed to share the things I learned. 
  1. I don't care for gold paint. Actually I knew that already.
  2. I learned that trying new things is good and I shouldn't get upset when the new thing doesn't work. How else do you learn?
  3. I need to enjoy the process even if the experimenting doesn't turn out pretty. The joy should be in the creating and not felt only when you love what you made.

Have a creative week and give the challenge a try!!!




4 comments:

  1. I'm sorry your image transfer was less the desireable - I have to say I have had mixed results and I think some of it is the original image AND being patient with the drying process (Fiddlesnips Jo recommends waiting over night which stresses my less then patient soul). Keep trying!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have to disagree with your success analysis. I really love the way the pattern image with the "smooshed" gold background came out. It's beautiful! I think especially if you layered a little stamping on top or to frame it — total and complete success. I also thought you were rather clever to use the 70's plaques to work on. I see those at the thrift shops all the time, it never occured to me to get that funky image off of there and use the wood. Thanks for sharing the whole adventure!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely designs! Beautifully done!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I totally know what you mean about the transfered images ...I have the same feelings oftentimes...hahha- maybe Julie and I need to do an image transfer challenge ;) I love the first outcomes though. and I think it is awesome that you found out that you do not care at all for gold paint- that is a huge outcome of this! Thank you so much for playing along with us in our Second Floor Challenge! Nat

    ReplyDelete