Well, it's a little late in the day. This week I've been to Jack's kindergarten registration, always stressful for us right brains (any tips on helping a lefty learn to hold a pencil correctly and improve his handwriting)! Then, I had him to the dentist today because he fell so hard on his front teeth that we think they are dead.
In other news, I actually managed to uncover my desk! Whenever this happens, I just have to make a mess of it again. So, I got out the paints, the wax, some paper and a photo and starting taking a little art vacation. I had an idea that's been percolating in my mind...... what would happen if you melted beeswax, painted it onto your paper as a resist, then painted over that. I was imagining that you could tone down all the paper, except the parts you had painted the wax. Guess what..... that's exactly what happened.
Check it out!
You'll need beeswax. Then you'll need a way to melt it. I was using the Ranger Melting pot, but you can also make do with a double boiler. Whatever method you end up using, be aware that melted wax is not easily cleaned from it's melting container, so it's best to just have a dedicated container. Then, you can let the wax harden in it and use it again next time by re-heating.
While the wax was melting, I took an 8x6" canvas and painted some color blocking for background interest with acrylic craft paint.
Then, I painted the paper. Now, painting wax on paper is easy, except for the fact that the wax dries super fast. Because of this, it's easiest to work with small areas, like the little flowers I chose. After you've painted everything you want to stand out, paint the rest of the paper with acrylic craft paint. You can use a wash (thinned with water or medium) if you want the pattern to subtly show through, or you can go completely thick and opaque. Once the paint has dried, take a straight edge and scrape off the top layer of wax revealing the true colors underneath.
I chose to use the same paper three times, just painted in different colors. After you finish making your papers, paint or distress your photo if desired.
Use acrylic medium to glue everything down to your canvas. Paint over the top of it all with the medium to seal it.
I added a title by cutting apart the words on our Tiny Type stickers. I liked the look of the different sized lettering.
For a finishing touch, I took an oil pastel and went around the collage burning the edges. This technique helps to frame your work, bringing your eye into the piece. I added some eyelets for hanging, but I don't yet have the perfect ribbon. A hanging wire may be a better choice. We'll see!




