Hi everyone
Etsuko here with you today.
It may be a little late, but it's still January, so I hope everyone has a happy and wonderful year in 2023.
The first topic of the PaperArtsy blog is 'Shrine'.
Japanese shrines enshrine natural objects, phenomena, and mythological deities—what we call Yaoyorozu no kami (all things have a spirit). Therefore there are no idols like Buddha statues in the shrine, and it is almost empty. That’s like a white paper that we first get in hand, and on which people draw each image in them minds. At New Year's and seasonal festivals they pray for the good health and peace of their families and friends at the shrine.
And the current theme for the first quarter is 'Tracks'.
I likened the footprints of the wonderful designer Lin Brown's works and the introduction from the door to the inside as the theme Tracks. This is my project that fused these two topic and theme.
The triptych with spread material I made here was one of the first goods I ordered from PaperArtsy through a friend's introduction about 10 years ago. At that time, Linda Brown used her stamps, stencils and dies to showcase her wonderful techniques and art. The footprints are revived every time when I use her stamp. This time, I wanted to make a shrine that looks like a spirit dwelling in it that I used her stamps and stencils to begin by decorating the gate with flowers and placing to the shrine the birds which commonly found in the gardens of Japanese shrines.
Before I started this project, I worked out an ideas about how to represent the shrine, whether it was a physical shadowbox, a matchbox, a tin can with a lid, or an abstract flat surface. Afterwards some searching in my stash, I found this wooden triptych that had been lying in a cardboard box for years, and the problem was quickly solved. Since the container was decided, I chose the product for creation. Stamps are Lin Brown stamp set 17 and 26 (ELB17 and ELB26), stencils are PaperArtsy Stencil by Lin Brown (PS005) and PaperArtsy Stencil by Sara Naumann (PS092), colours are PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Purple Raine, Bubble Gum, Prown and Snowflake. I often used green and orange-based pink, so this time I used blue-based purple and pink, and white was added to increase the brightness.
The triptych with spread I used for this topic was a good size as shown in the picture and the thickness of the board is 1.5cm(0.6inch).
First, I applied two coats of gesso to prepare the base so that the work could proceed smoothly.
I realized halfway through that I had to remove the hinges first.
I print from my gel plate on the shrine interior, using PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Purple Raine, Caramel and Snowflake. Unlike when painting with a brush, the wood grain appeared clearly in the mono-print.
I used PaperArtsy stencil with Lin Brown (PS005), put it on the background and applied PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Snowflake using the sponge.
Then I stamped the Lin Brown stamp set (ELB 26) leaves with mixed Purple Rain and little Snowflake so that the first layer pushed back. And I applied splatter with Snowflake to the background.
I put stencil (PS005) on the shrine's each panel and applied the mixture of the PaperArtsy Grunge Paste and Purple Raine using painting knife.
First, PurpleRain and Caramel were spread on a gel plate, and then PaperArtsy stencil by Sara Naumann (PS092) was applied with Snowflake to the reverse-stenciling technique she introduced and I lifted a print it on the A4 paper.
reverse-stenciling-simply brayer paint onto the stencil, mist with water and press it onto your surface. This gives wonderful surface coverage and a more ghostly pattern design.--From PaperArtsy Blog by Sara Naumann. https://blog.paperartsy.co.uk/2022/01/new-paperartsy-products-eclectica-sara.html
The gate and back were also finished in the same shade using Sara's reverse-stenciling technique, in this case using brayer to the shrine to apply the colour directly onto the surface and brayer paint Snowflake onto the stencil, mist with water and press it onto the surface.
Once the surface is dry, stamp the sentiment from the Lin Brown stamp set 26 (ELB26) with Tsukineko - Clair (Nocturne) all over and push the layer back.
The color still stands out too much so i washed with Snowflake and splattered with same Snowflake.
Now I was wondering how to decorate the door with flowers,
I painted PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Purple Rain, Prawn and Bubble Gum on A4 paper, stamped with daisies and I thought it would look like a hinge if placed on the side.
And I thought it would be nice to have something like a doorknob, so I decided to make the same daisy flower with clay I had on hand and paint it.
It's been a bit long road, but the spirits are finally entering the interior. First of all Lin Brown stamp set 17 (WLB17) was printed on A4 paper using Tsukineko - Nocturne and Ranger Industries - Clear embossing powder. Embossing powder helps to define edges and prevent color smudging. I colored these birds using colored pencils.
The assumption is that there will be messengers to listen to my creative wishes, and there will be kings and queens to bring my ideas to life.
Apply masking tape to all edges before attaching the hinges to prevent smudging of the panel surface and paint each side.
There was a glass ball that was just right for the final finish, so I decorated it.
My project at the beginning of the year was done with all the tools I had on hand without any difficult techniques. Therefore, I was able to concentrate on the production and fully enjoyed the fun of making it. At first, I wasn't sure how much I could develop with two sets of stamps and two stencils, but when I started making them, I realized that there were plenty of possibilities, and I think I could create many different designs depending on my ideas. Why don't you all make a work with a goal such as this topic and theme? I also think it's fun to take advantage of sleeping inventory and leftovers.
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Etsuko xxx
