"Love is..." canvas

I made this canvas for a dear friend a few days ago. She is a true inspiration to me. She is creative and very organised which is reflected in the way she keeps her house - warm and beautiful just like her. I can only strive for that beauty and energy ;)
A group of my friends and I went out for dinner last night for her birthday. We had 'pre-dinner drinks' at her house where we toasted her and gave her our presents. She loved my canvas and immediately put it on display. It looked great in her house I must say.

The canvas took me many hours but was lots of fun to make. Loving the shabby-chic look at the moment. I intended it to be more white but happy with the way it turned out. I used my favourite mixed -media techniques. The first painted layer was fairly dark peach. I white-washed it with gesso (how did I ever live wthout it) ;) Then many layers of bubble-wrap stamping,, collaged music papr, torn tissue strips. I made a heart out of my off-cuts of embossed paper and shaded with oil pastels.

Thinking of perhaps selling them via Facebook but not sure if I could simplify them enough so that they are quicker to make and are financially viable...Hmmm....

Lena :)

Some backgrounds

Life has really been getting in the way of art lately...Been working on 2 backgrounds in my 2 current journals. Very slowly...a layer here, a layer there. Finally have something to show for it :)


This is inspired by a member of my Blissfully Art Journaling Yahoo group. She posted a "Layered faces" tutorial to her Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/feliciaborges/sets/72157627033435415/ It's reminded me how much I adore making credit card technique backgrounds. Love the unexpected magic. I used velum for the image, the only transparent paper I had in the house. Bit stiff & 'crunchy'. Will have to get some tracing paper for next time.
As I was about to scan, was just thrilled to discover, as so often happens with Art Journaling, a beautiful serendipity. I wasn't terribly happy with my weird sea-weed-like doodles (I'm not an illustrator) ;) Just realised that the dictionary scrap on the right-hand side has a definition & a partial pic of roots. Wow! Perhaps a meaning there...I think I will leave this background for a while until the right page 'reveals' itself.


Another background in my other journal - a hard back novel. It's my first altered book (first time I used a book without spirals) I have a special, almost a spiritual connection to it...
I used torn strips of my 'art paper' (where I use up any paints left over on a palette) I also used, for the first time, a piece of kitchen paper towel that I use for blotting/blending. Interesting texture...I think I like it. As is obvious from the magazine image used, you don't want to see this page after it's been journaled on. Suffice it to say, the pic very accurately depicts my feelings in a recent situation I will write about :/
Thanks for visiting.
Lena :)