Alcohol Ink on Canvas

A good friend of mine joined me in the studio for a day of painting with alcohol inks on different surfaces.  It was a great day of playing with ink! 

I was really looking forward to working with alcohol ink on canvas - I've been wanting to try this for some time. A few online posts recommended sealing the canvas first with Kilz Primer/Sealer Paint so that's what I did.  This paint is a white, water-based primer found in most hardware stores. Alcohol inks work best on a non-porous surfaces and priming the canvas provides this, otherwise the ink would just soak into the canvas and not blend.

supplies used: Kilz Primer/Sealer paint, white canvas on wood frame, Ranger alcohol inks, alcohol ink blending solution, 91% isopropyl alcohol, mixing palette, eye dropper, brushes, spray bottle filled with isopropyl alcohol, paper towels, gloves.

I applied the Kilz paint primer in all directions on the canvas and let it dry overnight. 

Painting with ink is different than painting with paints so I knew some experimenting would need to happen.  I had this image in my mind of large leaves and some flower petals but I couldn't get the leaves to work out. 
A few wipes with paper towel and blending solution removed most of the ink but still left faint color areas.  So if my initial idea won't work then why fight it?  I just let went with the flow (so to speak) and kept pouring different colors on canvas.  I switched to blues and liked how it was looking then added some purple and a bit of green.  Can't remember all of the ink colors used here but I know Sailboat Blue was one of them.  I dipped brushes in the 91% alcohol solution to move the ink around, and then this image started forming.   It reminded me of a nebula so I added a few splatters of regular white paint for stars.   I love the result. 

 

 

With this next piece I wanted a watercolor looking wildflower meadow look.  After a few attempts that didn't seem to be working too well either.  When I started dropping the ink on the canvas it was spreading out way too much and mixing around and I didn't get the circle effect I wanted. 

You really need to be careful when making drops of ink on the canvas, they keep spreading and spreading!  So I wiped off the ink and set the canvas aside to dry, intending to cover the canvas with Kilz and start again. 

 

After it dried the canvas still had small areas of lavender which made me think of Allium flowers, one of my fav spring blooming flowers.  So I carefully dropped small amounts of purple alcohol inks with an eye dropper onto the canvas.  Inks used for the flowers were:Eggplant, Purple Twilight, and Wild Plum.  I added different amounts of 91% alcohol sol to  "water down" the ink to get some shading.  Also I waited several min between drops so the colors wouldn't all pool together.

 

When the circles seemed dry to the touch I took a small brush, dipped in 91% alcohol to pull the color away from the center. A small brush, also dipped in 91% alcohol, then in alcohol inks, was used to make the stems/leaves.  Ink colors: Botanical, Citrus.

 

 

so overall I was happy with my first attempts at painting on canvas with alcohol inks.  Watch for upcoming posts on other alcohol ink paintings from that day.

wine charms

Using leftover wine corks for craft projects is very popular.  Practical when you have many guests, or when you just feel like adding some bling to your own wine glass.
This is an easy project to do and there are lots of variations on the internet.   What I like about these charms is using metal binder rings to attach to the glasses.  The ring binders are super easy to attach and remove from the glass stems.

supplies used: leftover wine corks (the cork kind, not plastic), metal binder rings (from ART-C), metal screw eyes (from Tim Holtz Idea-ology), VersaMark Black Ink pad, various rubber stamps, acrylic paint and brushes, Weldbond Glue, Modge Podge, craft knife, and something to hold the cork to keep your fingers safe (small clamp, large binder clip, pliers, etc)

I used a pliers to hold the corks and cut them into disks using a large craft knife.  I didn't measure them - just eyeballed the size of the slices.  Now I've read (but didn't try this) if the corks crumble when cutting then try steaming them.  Place the corks in a bowl over a pot of boiling water and steam for a few min until they get soft and pliable.  Allow to cool before cutting.  If I decide to do another wine cork project that requires larger cut I may try this.

Next I took the screw eyes, dipped them into glue, and hand threaded them into the cork.  I let them dry for about an hour.  Next I painted one cut side with acrylic paint and let dry for about an hour before stamping.  I found inking up the rubber stamp, laying it down, then pressing the cork pieces into the stamp worked best.  I let the inked pieces dry overnight before sealing them with Modge Podge.  Then I attached the rings and voila...some charming bling for my wine glass. 

     

snowflake tag

I had good intentions of cleaning/organizing my studio.  Really I did.  But there is something about moving art supplies around that, well, makes you want to stop and start using them!  So that's how this tag started.  But hey, at least I managed to clear off the table.

I've been looking forward to using my alcohol inks and decided to create a snowflake tag with bold blue colors. 

Supplies used: glossy cardstock, alcohol ink blending solution, alcohol inks (Indigo, Pool, Sailboat Blue), white felt, clear embossing powder, white embossing powder, clear ink pad, rubber stamps, and clear block for the stamps.  The snowflake rubber stamps were unmounted and from Touche Rubber Stamps - Rochester, MN.

I first cleared embossed a few snowflakes on glossy cardstock to create a resist with the inks. It's kinda hard to see but the clear embossing powder gives a raised image to the card.

 

after this I used a white piece of felt to cover the surface with some blending solution, and then began pouring the inks and moving the tag around.  Note:  you use A LOT of ink this way and it really coats your fingers.  So wearing gloves might be a good idea. Either that or tell people your fingers are blue because it's really cold outside.

 

When using ink this way it will take longer for the tag to dry.

 

Using a clean piece of white felt I wiped away the clear embossed snowflakes.  They didn't show up as much as I wanted so I added a bit of the blending solution to a new piece of felt and gently rubbed it over the snowflakes.

Much better.  After this I stamped the snowflakes again and used white embossing powder.

I really like the dimension of this piece. The clear embossed snowflakes were subtle enough to let the white embossed ones stand out. I finished it with a piece of white fluffy ribbon. 

 

Happy New Year!

Chalkboard lettering/chalkboard art has become very popular lately  Just before the holidays I took a day class in chalkboard lettering.  We used a white charcoal pencil for lettering - not actual chalk.  

Now taking a class for a few hours does not a lettering artist make.  Not by a long shot.  Even though I had some previous calligraphy knowledge and skill this type of art was a bit more challenging than I thought it would be.  I'm still struggling with the layout/design part.  Like all art, it just takes time, practice, patience, and a willingness to create.  So here's my beginner projects for the beginning of a new year.  

Supplies used: Generals White Charcoal Pencil, Faber Castell Eraser, Canson Mi-Teintes Paper in black.

Important note!  you know when you erase something with a pencil you just automatically brush away the eraser bits form the paper?  Well don't do that with this medium!  I can't tell you how many times I "brushed" and then smudged my lettering.  Grrrrr...  But hey the eraser did a great job!

 

 

I cannot take credit for the snowglobe design.  I saw a similar image on wrapping paper and in a magazine so I used that idea to create a similar image.  Even saw a similar image on Pinterest - so its a popular one.  I like how it turned out.

seize the canvas...

A fun little project this summer was working with a mini canvas and easel.

I belong to an art group called Cream City Calligraphers and Paper Arts http://www.creamcitycalligraphers.com/) We issued a challenge to members to decorate a mini canvas and easel over the summer and bring the completed pieces to our next meeting.

Since many of my summer activities revolved around water (ferry boat rides, touring sailing ships, etc) I decided my canvas should have a water theme. 

The canvas is 3 inches square.  Since it was so small it didn't take me long to complete. I used acrylic paints and glued a small seashell on the lower corner.  I wrapped the legs of the easel with string for that "nautical rope look".  The lettering was done with a micron pen.

I can't take credit for the caption - I saw that on Pinterest and thought it was perfect!

If the thought of painting/decorating a large canvas seems intimidating I encourage you to start small with a mini canvas.

It would also be fun to do several of these and put a grouping together on a wall.

stenciled rug

My summer project has been painting/stenciling a rug for our porch. I've been wanting a rug on the porch for some time now but I could never find one in either the size I wanted or the colors I wanted (to match the house).  So, after searching the web on painting rugs, I decided to try painting a rug.    Getting this project done when it wasn't raining or wasn't too humid to paint proved to be a challenge.

Numerous sites mentioned using porch & floor paint so I went with that.  I also read about using Frogtape (a painters tape) to keep the lines crisp.  A foam brush was used for the stencil and a 4 inch roller and brush was used for the larger areas.

I measured the area, did a design sketch, and then started taping. 

I decided to paint the entire area with the lightest color.  I figured this would give me a "blank canvas" to start with.

 

According to the tape package directions I needed to wait 3 days before applying the tape to newly painted surfaces.  I gave it a few more days due to the humid weather.  Then the fun of laying out the tape began.  I had to figure out which areas to paint first in order to get the tape down correctly.  I double checked the measurements and placement and ended up moving the tape a few times. 

 

Part one painted! after this was done I waited almost a week until I could apply new tape for the next color.

 

now the checkerboard pattern is starting to take shape.

 

the tassels of the rug were handpainted with a small brush. 

 

now the stenciling starts!  I stenciled all of the cream colored squares first, then waited a week and stenciled the green squares. The stencil is called "starflower" and is made by www.thecraftersworkshop.com

 

Behold the completed rug! I like how it turned out. 

I've read a few places NOT to apply a sealer since it may discolor the paint and make the surface slippery.  Now all I need is to add some chairs, a small table, and an ice cold beverage for a relaxing retreat.

 

 

 

 

Buttons and Baubles - Heart Canvas

taking some time to dust off this blog...(ooh lots of dust here) and it feels good to get back to posting some artwork.

With Valentines Day around the corner I wanted to make a new décor piece.  All of the items in this project were in my studio just waiting to be used. I'm calling this piece the "Buttons & Baubles Heart"

I had a 6 x 6 inch white canvas with wooden frame that became the starting point for this project.  Initially I thought of painting hearts on the canvas with some lettering. 
But after cleaning up the studio (yes, at times that does happen)  I noticed several embellishment boxes were overflowing and in need of some organization.  As I poked through the boxes I found a jar of wine colored buttons and that started the idea of creating a heart image of buttons.  Then more embellishments came out and they were added to the mix.

I started by painting a heart shape with acrylic paint.  I lightly traced some pencil points on the canvas to give me starting points. Heart shaped stencils could be used here too.

I let the paint dry for about an hour then started placing buttons and pieces on the canvas.  For adhesive I used Weldbond Glue.  I really like this glue for glass, metal, and plastic pieces.

I just kept adding pieces until I got the look I liked.  As some piece dried I placed others on top to give it added dimension.  I let it set overnight to dry.

To finish it I added a ribbon around the edge - mainly to cover the staples on the canvas edges.

 

after letting this dry for a few hours the piece was ready to display. I'm happy with how it turned out.  It felt good to use some embellishments I had been hanging onto for years.  And that reminds me...I still need to organize those boxes.