Today, I am seeing my fellow collaborators projects for the first time.I am really excited to see where this project took them! We started this collaboration weeks ago and I have not seen anything except for  small sneak peek photos. I will share links to their projects at the end of this post, but first, I would like to share my project with you.

Starting from the Same Place Artist Collaboration Supplies

We were all sent a set of supplies which were pretty much the same with a few slight variations. Some of the ladies in the collaboration were able to get us products to try from their sponsor companies. Within each envelope were textiles, resin objects (made with Amazing Casting Products),die cuts, a stencil( from Stencil Girl), electrical parts and vintage ephemera. To glue everything down, we received adhesive from Beacon. We were given the freedom to add in additional supplies and to alter the items as we wished. The only rule was that every object sent to us must be used in some way on the final project.

I was a bit stumped when I first received my envelope. In the end, it was the Viewmaster slide that provided the spark of inspiration. It was entitled “desert life”. I decided to make a desert scene, one shaped by the country I currently reside in (the United Arab Emirates). I have been captivated by many of the region’s paintings which include women in hijab. I decided to try my hand at painting a portrait of a veiled lady with a bit of mixed media flair.

Finding Inspiration to Help Flesh Out my Idea was a Necessary Part of my Process.

Once I had a direction, I headed over to Pinterest. I needed to glean inspiration from photos and art depicting the desert as well as ladies in Hijab and veils. The object of my quest for inspiration was to observe color, texture and pattern so that I could apply it to my mixed media painting. I created several Pinterest Boards to aide me. I often joke that people who follow my Pinterest Profile can glean sneak peeks into current creative projects if they are smart enough to watch for new boards or pinning patterns.

In the Blink of an Eye, Electrical Components Became Jewelry

I noticed that jewelry was a common theme in many of the photos of the veiled ladies. I decided to use the electrical parts to create some of the jewelry. This also meant that the size of the largest electrical component determined the size of my canvas. I found it necessary to tape two pieces of square watercolor paper together. I then covered the tape with gesso and set to work creating a rough sketch

I Drew a Rough Sketch and Began to Paint.

I wanted to show off the jewelry, so I chose to draw an image which clearly displayed the wrist and hand. This also allowed me to take on two of my biggest personal artistic challenges. I find hands difficult to draw and I often struggle with achieving a decent flesh tone.The only way to improve is to attempt to create. I used my hand as a model and continued to tweak the design until I was somewhat satisfied. My finished work needs a little improvement but I know that I will get better with each successive attempt in the future.

I Used a Stencil and Acrylic Paint to Create my Own Patterned Cloth.

Many people often associate black with hijab. Since moving to the Arabian Peninsula, I often see women wearing head scarfs and dressed in a variety of colors and patterns. I wanted to depict that in my mixed media painting. I also wanted to emulate the folds of the head scarf. I could have drawn it in, but I really wanted it to match the dimension I would have by using the textiles and resin pieces elsewhere on the painting. I opted to create my own cloth with a stencil, acrylic paint and a painter’s drop cloth. The drop cloth has a plastic backing which lends a little weight and stiffness to the material ( This would come in handy later when it came time to glue it down). I started stenciling onto the drop cloth with acrylic paint in a diagonal pattern, making sure that at times, the pattern ran off the edge of the material.

I Cut the Textile Pieces into Shapes and Laid Them Out on the Canvas.

The thick white felt piece had mottled patches of browns and blacks. I cut them into sand dune like shapes. I cut the green velvet like cloth into palm tree leaves and the brown mottle piece of cotton became the trunk of the palm. I laid them out on the canvas to get a feel for where I might place them.

I Traced the ViewMaster Slide and Envelope to Create the Horizon and Sun.

I guess you could say I sort of cheated on this part. I know we were supposed to use all of the pieces we were sent, but I just could not bear to put the Viewmaster Slide directly on this piece. The slide is for the desert in the Southwestern portion of the United States. The logical part of my brain fought hard against  placing it on a painting depicting a desert in the Arabian Peninsula. I have an idea for a mixed media project for that desert region so instead, I chose to use the shapes of the envelope and slide on the painting.

 Before I Adhered the Textiles and Resin Pieces,I painted in the background using watercolor and inks.

I took my inspiration from the blue skies I found both within the art of my Pinterest Inspiration and by simply looking out of our apartment window. I pulled the colors from the sand from the felt textile piece which was dyed with mottle bits of black and brown. I wanted to try to blend it into the background as much as possible. The back ground is a mix of watercolor and ink. The lady’s face and hand is a blend of watercolor crayon in a salmon color and acrylic paint.

I Cut the Cloth Into Strips and then Adhered It to the Painting.

On it’s own, the square cloth would have been quite bulky to work with on the page. I cut rectangular strips just a tad bit longer than the distance between the top of my veiled lady’s head and the edge of the painting. Two strips were needed to create the illusion that she was wearing a head scarf.I started near the top of her head, adding a little bit if Beacon’s Zip Dry as I went. I would tuck the edges of the cloth under so there were no rough edges and then arrange and fold the cloth in sections. After allowing a section or fold to dry, I moved onto the next part, each time placing a weight on top of the cloth and allowing the glue to dry. I repeated the process with the second side. To finish the head scarf, I folder the excess cloth toward the back side of the painting and glued it down.

During this process, I also began adhering the felt sand dunes to the background. I wanted portions of these to lie underneath the head scarf. I didn’t glue all of the cloth down around the wrist as I still had to adhere the electrical components to form the bracelets.

 I Painted the Resin Pieces with Gold Acrylic Paint. I Used Nail Polish to Add the Look of Enameled Jewelry.

It took about two coats of gold metallic acrylic paint to cover the resin pieces to my satisfaction.At this stage, I also chose to paint the chipboard die cuts gold as well. I could have left them alone after the gold paint dried, but I felt that they did not quite look finished. I used nail polish in shades of blue and green to get the look of gemstones and enameled jewelry.

Time to Add the Jewelry!

I adhered the electrical components to the wrist area and then finished securing the head scarf to the painting. My veiled lady is not necessarily from a particular country. However, I noticed that one of the electrical components had the word “pyramid” on it and so I chose to make sure it showed.

I layered the die cuts and resin to the top of the head. Some of the die cuts I left whole. Other I cut in half.The head piece hides the seam from the two sections of cloth used to make the head scarf. I didn’t have any chain to connect some of the headpiece bits. I painted the twine with gold acrylic paint and twisted them into a crude chain before gluing them into place.

The Veiled Lady is Finished!

We were also given small cards with a single word on them. I used mine toward the top and added a bit of hand lettering to it using a marker and a gold paint pen. I am of two minds about this card at the top. It both belongs and does not. I stuck it down just using the washi tape and might remove it later if I choose to frame this piece.

I chose to use the watercolor paper as my canvas and the paper curled just a bit. With time, I am sure it will flatten out. However, next time I attempt this, I hope to find a rectangular canvas to work with.

My veiled lady leans a bit toward the whimsical art style. I am still developing my skills and artistic style when it comes to drawing and painting people. Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome. She has inspired me to try again and I can see myself trying this mixed media technique with a series of paintings.

Now That You Have Seen My Project, It’s Time to Visit Other Projects Made for the Starting from the Same Place Artist Collaboration Blog Hop.

I owe a lot to the ladies in this collaboration. I have been doing these group projects with them off and on for over a year now. Prior to that, making art journal pages and mixed media art was just on my to do wishlist.Having the accountability of a group of like minded people is a great way to make sure you realize your own creative goals. These ladies inspire me and encourage me. I hope they do the same for you!

I think you will be blown away by the creativty in all of the art projects which range from mixed media assemblages and canvases to scrapbook pages and mini books. Visit this link to see all of the posts via InLInkz. Or follow along and visit all of the blogs via the links below. There is no particular order to the hop. Just be sure to stop by and comment on every post. 

Janice Aileen

Melissa Johnson

Sarah Lynch-

Jen Matot

Candy Rosenburg

Annette

Jacqui Hunt

Junk Ta Funk

Fiona Paltridge

Susan M. Brown

Annie Coe