I generally don’t take part in traveling canvas-style collabs despite the fact that I have always wanted to participate in one. Living overseas can mean slow mail, high postage, or the possibility of the project getting lost in the mail. This is the type of project in which each participant starts off with a canvas, works on it a little in their own unique style, and then sends the canvas to the next person on the list. Eventually, the process comes full circle and you find yourself with your original canvas painted with a unique piece of art. The Virtual Travelling Canvas Collab has a similar concept, except that the canvas is not mailed out. Instead of each person working on your canvas, each person on the list takes turns sharing an art prompt. You then choose how to interpret the prompt on your canvas.
The time frame for the Virtual Travelling Canvas was determined by the number of participants. Each week over the course of 9 weeks, we took turns sharing our art prompts. A challenge like this can be both difficult and fun. Unlike most art pieces, it isn’t planned out. Each week’s prompt reveal is a surprise and you have to adapt the project to the prompt. Some prompts were more challenging than others. Some could be quickly completed while others took more time and thought. I chose to use a canvas sheet from a notepad rather than a canvas. I felt this would give me more flexibility as I worked.
The Prompts
PROMPT #1 (Jennifer Armstrong)
With a black permanent or semi-permanent pen/marker/pencil that you like to draw with, do a blind contour drawing. Could be a face, a houseplant, a still life, anything. Ideally something with organic shapes rather than mechanical lines, but it’s up to you. Your line should touch at least two edges of your canvas/substrate. When complete, rotate your canvas 90 degrees and do it again.
As this will be the very bottom layer, chances are not much of it will survive, but hopefully, a line or two will show through to the end.
Line weight is your choice, but obviously the heavier/darker it is the more chance it has to peek through here and thereafter eight additional steps.
My Take:
I used a Sakura Solid paint Marker to draw 2 faces onto the canvas.
PROMPT #2 (Tracy Villaume)
Because I love collage as one of my first layers…using one of your favorite (or more) Stencil Girl stencils, and ONLY black or white paint or Gesso, stencil onto neutral ephemera or papers – book pages, music sheets, sewing patterns, etc. – then randomly collage onto your substrate (you do not have to cover your entire first layer, totally up to you)!
My Take:
I saved some of the homeschool notebooks my son used to use for practicing his math problems. I stenciled onto a few pages of these and also onto some black and white tissue paper.
PROMPT #3 (Sunila Mahajan)
For the third layer, I thought of playing with thread and stencils. Let’s incorporate some needle works, or make thread marks using one or more stencils on any part of our canvas. This could also mean, creating collage pieces using fabric, stencils and needle work and adding them onto our canvas. Hope you all have fun with this one! Updated prompt – Since everyone is working on various surfaces and stitching may not be an options, you could substitute the threads with paint instead. So make marks using stencil and paint.
My Take:
I stenciled some circles onto the page and then added some french knots to the circles. I chose white thread as I felt I could alter the color with paint or dye if I chose to later on. With both prompts 2 and 3, my choices were very neutral. When working on a project like this with a lot of unknowns, I tend to approach it with a conservative point of view until I feel more sure of myself.
PROMPT #4 (Christy Strickler)
Using a marker, pencil or pen add stencil design to 3 corners of your piece. Use parts of the stencil design but not the entire stencil.
My Take:
My prompt is a conservative one. I tend to use a lot of visual triangles in my work. This prompt helped me ground things just a bit. I stenciled 3 roses onto the canvas using a gold sharpie.
PROMPT #5 (Laura Raynor)
Let’s let loose and add some runny media. With your fingertips, if you dare! Fluid paints, or India inks for example. Translucent or opaque. As much or as little as you need. Gloves optional.
My Take:
After being so conservative within the first 4 prompts, it was nice to get messy and a bit crazy. I sprayed some ink onto the page and rubbed it around the page.
PROMPT #6 (Susan Brown)
I’m thinking OPPOSITES here… So your last stencil purchased (meaning newest), and using your least favorite color, stencil a mirror image design onto your canvas. What do you all think?!
My Take:
Yellow is my least favorite color though I do find it makes a nice accent color. I added in some yellow triangle clusters near the stenciled flowers.
PROMPT #7 (Anna Karena)
My prompt this week will be two actually. The first one is to add tape to your piece. Masking tape or washi tape as little or as much as you wish. (Reminder: if using washi tape I always add extra glue or cover with gel medium so they don’t fall off).
The second is to add numbers to your piece. Again, as many as you wish in any format you wish. Hand write them, use a calendar, a clock face, or maybe make a number out of tape so it’s a twofer.
I hope you don’t mind two tasks this week.
My Take:
I broke the rules a bit here. My cat had just gotten into my sewing kit and destroyed part of my measuring tape. I cut it apart and used it here. Technically it is tape. It also has numbers on it so I think it counts as a two for one.
PROMPT #8 (DeeDee Catron)
I want you to REDO a prompt you’ve already done — this time in OPPOSITE.
Just one..
IE:
If you chose a bright color for something, maybe do it in a neutral.
if you chose a linear pattern, maybe go circular. you chose odd? go even. you covered something up, uncover it. good luck & have FUN!
My Take:
I chose to stencil some circles onto the page using blue ink instead of black. Technically, I only did part of the prompt I redid as I did not stitch anything else onto the page as I had with prompt 3.
PROMPT #9 (Tina Walker)
Create a focal point, using one of your ‘go-to’ techniques or a ‘you’ style. Does that make sense?
Then finish up your canvas in any way you deem needed.
My Take:
I decided that both faces should be lifted up out of the page. I used handmade soft pastels to color and shade the faces.
Which Way Up? by Christy Strickler Supplies: Ink, Handmade Soft Pastels, Sakura Solid Marker, Canvas Sheet, tissue paper, measuring tape, gel medium, embroidery floss, pens
There were times I really disliked my project. It’s always hard to tell what the result will be when you don’t have all the steps planned out in your head. It’s not one of my best pieces but I did enjoy the process of making it. If I were to do another collab like this again, I would choose a larger canvas or paper to work with. When I first drew the faces, I made them quite large. Then I decided I wanted to preserve them rather than cover them up. This gave me very little space to work on. The lack of space added to the challenge but I feel the work may have been more dynamic had I chosen a larger canvas to work on.
