July Theme
Ephemera
July 11 – Week 28
Art Challenge: Focal Point vs. Layering*
Journal Prompt: Time keeps on ticking
Whenever I think of time and ticking clocks, my mind instantly goes to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. There are so many references to ‘Time’ in the book and quite a few metaphors about the passage of time and how time should not be squandered. I love the book. I read it as a child and I read it as an adult. Read it. Words to live by.
So like most of my art journal pages, it started with a sketch . . .
And of course, I had to add a few bits of book paper (ephemera) because, well really, what’s a mixed media piece without some old text added to it? Duh!
The challenge is to use ephemera, but instead of using it as backgrounds and collage, try to use a piece as a focal point for your art work. I chose only three pieces – 2 vintage playing cards (the Queen of Hearts of course – DUH again!) and a teeny tag with string. Let’s see which become the focal point.
As you can see, that bright white tag really stood out against the vintage cards. That will never do. I added Antique Linen Distress Ink by Ranger to age it and labeled it with my Fude Ball pen.
Then I began to paint and paint and paint. I didn’t take pictures of this process because I am always using a pile of supplies that I layer on top of each other like acrylic paints (cheap), aqua markers, prismacolor pencils and graphite. I go back and forth and back and forth until it looks like this . . .
I used a stamp with gold ink in places that looked blank and added details with my white and black pens.
I sanded the cards’ surfaces down a bit to weather them and adhered them with matte medium. I also added some marks to them to tie them into the black and white paint on the page.
I glued down the “Drink Me” label to the neck of the bottle poking out of Alice’s apron pocket. I also used a gold marker to decorate the clock face and add Roman Numerals.
And here’s the finished spread. Can you find the focal point?
We won’t even discuss my silly white rabbit (first attempt)! Hope you all have a happy week of Documenting! Be kind to someone today! xoxo
For more information on this week’s challenge you can find us here:
http://arttothe5th.squarespace.com/
Flickr
Instagram: #documentedlife #documentedlifeproject
Looking for previous challenges? click HERE
Visit our blogs: Sandi Keene, Roben-Marie Smith, Rae Missigman
Join us on The Art to the 5th™ Academy™ – a thriving “community” and classroom for “The Original” Documented Life Project™! Find us on Instagram: #documentedlife
Share this Post
Comments
Outstanding!!
Thank you! Muah!
Delightful, Lorraine!! Love the colors and composition and EVERYTHING about this!!
Thank you Mary – you are always so kind – I hope we meet in person one day! xoxo
Lovely, lovely, lovely, Lorraine!
Thank you so much Sabrina – you are so sweet!
My favorite part is that amazing, cute, happy, fat little tea pot. I LOVE IT. Having the bottle in her pocket was a great way to incorporate that part of the story and making good choices is always an idea worth documenting! Thanks for a really cute spread – love the vintage cards you made. I just found a whole pack of coke drinking Santa cards that is missing one and I can’t use the deck anymore. I saved them to find a good use and you are giving me ideas!
Oh Mary, I am so glad you like it. The teapot is so easy to draw! And I bet you have a stash of amazing things – it would be fun to rummage through your goodies and make some cool art together!
Lorraine, this is a gorgeous spread. I love the cards and tag….but it’s all about the clock for me!
oh wow! This is over the top amazing- AS ALWAYS! I could be happy forever with just that first penciled sketch. To be able to have control of a pencil like that- wow! Your white rabbit is perfect! First attempt? Really!? Everything is so lovey, from the gold embellishments to the vintages cards. My favorite thing of all though is the teeny tiny bottle with the drink me tag – That is where my focus was! Wow is all I can say! xo
Awww thank you Rae – it does not surprise me that you love the little tag – I always think of you when I make tiny little things! I love you my friend!
Oh my goodness, I love it!
You are so sweet Kelly – thank you!
What a wonderful journal spread!!! I am so appreciative of you sharing your talent and process and thoughts with us.
Thank you Sara – and I am SO APPRECIATIVE of your kindness!
I love this and your style of art…..:))
Thank you Louise – that is so kind of you to say!
Just a delight!
Thanks Peggy!
I love this page spread and I love the Alice books too!! You have drawn a beautiful Alice!
Thank you June! It is really hard when people have a pre-conceived notion about characters . . . but this is the way I see her in my mind! Thank you for commenting!
This is beautiful.Maybe you will put this on canvas one day.I love it.I think of Alice also when I think of clocks.Beautiful.
Thank you so much Susan – I was thinking about doing her larger – thanks for the encouragement – xoxo
WOW! This page is fantastic! All of it is just beautiful and I especially love Alice’s face and, most importantly, her eyes. They look like she really is thinking of something!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Traci – you are so sweet to comment!
Lorraine, I just love your work. Alice is wonderful and the tag and cards are strong contenders…but for me, it’s the clock!
Thank you so much Cindy! I love the clock too! It makes me want to draw more and more! You are always so sweet!
Ridiculously AWESOME Lorraine! This is the GREATEST page ever… I adore your work!! Thanks for sharing!
Wow, what a compliment! Thanks so much and for taking the time to comment! xo
I love your page!!! So whimsical and fun and love the use of your ephemera. Do you ever have trouble with your pages sticking together in your journal when you use alot of paint on a page….? I can’t quite figure out what is causing that to happen…