WINTER BERRIES MASK and WINTER BERRIES STENCIL (both 9" x 12")

Above:  This multi-layer piece was created with 3 separate applications of paints thru Winter Berries Stencil.  Before adding the top layer with purple acrylic paint, I covered the lower two layers with a coat of zinc white acrylic paint, since I wanted a translucent layer that would fade the background yet allow it to remain visible.

Above:  a greeting card cover created with Winter Berries Mask and Distress Inkpads.  A round-tipped brush is daubed into the inkpad, then daubed across the mask and the surface below it. 

Above:  Another greeting card cover created with Winter Berries Mask and Distress Inkpads.  A round-tipped brush is daubed into the inkpad, then daubed across the mask and the surface below it.

The final two prints above were made with Winter Berries Stencil.
In both cases, the stencil was first used in the normal way -- to make prints on other papers.   Immediately after lifting this stencil from making those prints, I turned the wet-paint-covered stencil upside down, and pressed it to two sheets of textured gold foil, cut from a roll of giftwrap.  You can click on the above images to enlarge them and better see detail.

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To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Variety of Backgrounds for Prints made with Stencils and Masks

Ever wonder how many different looks you can get using the same stencil or mask?  Variety can be achieved in ways probably too many to count, but one easy way is to start with pre-printed backgrounds that very widely from each other.

Made with Longwood Florals Stencil on an old calendar photo.

Made with Longwood Florals Mask on previously painted paper.

Made with Longwood Florals Mask on previously painted paper.

Made with Longwood Florals Stencil on paper previously spattered with green paint.

Made with Longwood Florals Stencil on previously painted paper.

Made with Longwood Florals Stencil on previously painted foreign newspaper.

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To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl masks and stencils, please start here.

The Many Faces of WINTER BERRIES

Developing the art sample below, I started with Winter Berries Stencil, printing thru it onto a red background.  After that layer dried, I placed Winter Berries Mask over the paper and ran over it several times with a sponge brayer loaded with heavy-body translucent yellow acrylic paint.  The translucency allows glimpses of the background show.

The art sample above was created on stretched canvas with Winter Berries Mask and a few glass pebbles, along with aqua and blue Golden High Flow acrylics.

Below is a greeting card cover created using Winter Berries Mask and spray watercolors.  The decorated wooden heart was added (with an embellishment-strength glue-stick) after the watercolors had dried.

Above is another artwork on stretched canvas.  My tools were Winter Berries Mask, some glass pebbles and Golden High Flow acrylic paint.  These glass pebbles are the kind that usually decorate the bottoms of fish aquariums.  They're responsible for the bigger circles in the painting above.

The art below was created with Winter Berries Stencil.  The stencil was heavily covered with red acrylic paint, having just been used to make a red print on another paper.  While this heavy-body paint was still wet, I turned the stencil over and pressed it to an old sheet of red and lavender printed paper -- using it the same way as a rubber stamp is used, to make this reverse print:

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To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Many Faces of Complexity -- with Stencils and Masks

How's this for a complex image?

My first print, with black acrylic paint and my 6" x 6" Swatton Links Stencil, was on an old certificate that had previously been tinted blue.

After the black paint dried, I did a "rainbow print" using 6" x 6" Garden at Nemours Mask.  ("Rainbow" printing will be the topic of a future post.)

Below is another complex image of several layers. This time, I used my 6" x 6" stencil Kaleid with pink acrylic paint to create a base layer on dark gray paper.  Once that paint had dried, I again added a rainbow layer with yellow and red acrylic translucent paint, with 
Garden at Nemours Mask.

Below is another kind of complex image, this one created on stretched canvas with modeling paste applied thru my 9" x 12" Longwood Florals Stencil.  After the modeling paste had hardened, I sprinkled the canvas with water-soluble pigment powders.  (I use Brusho brand but others are available.)  The complexity happened when I gently misted the raised floral elements, and the negative space around its elements, with water in a spray bottle.  The pigment powders then released their individual colors.  You can click on the image below to enlarge it and better see detail --

Of course, the most popular way to achieve complexity is to use layer after layer of paint and either a variety of stencils, or, as in the case below, the same stencil.  Over and over, using different colors within the same color family, I used my 9" x 12" Winter Berries Stencil on stretched canvas.  Each time I applied a layer, I not only changed shades of color, but also changed the stencil's position on the canvas.

Today's stencils include:

Garden at Nemours Mask (6" x 6")

Kaleid (6" x 6")

 Swatton Links Stencil 6" x 6")

Longwood Florals Stencil (9" x 12")

Winter Berries Stencil (9" x 12")

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To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Upside-Down or Right-Side-Up -- LONGWOOD FLORALS MASK and LONGWOOD FLORALS STENCIL

Longwood Florals Mask and Longwood Florals Stencil, both 9" x 12", are -- like Winter Berries Mask and Winter Berries Stencil -- exact opposites of one another.  Some effects can be achieved with a stencil, whereas others call for a mask.

Above:  Made with Longwood Florals Mask

Another character trait shared by Longwood Florals Mask and Longwood Florals Stencil is that they are designed to be used right-side-up or upside-down.  The original inspiration for this design was actually dangling greenery with flowers.  But -- as shown in the example above -- they work equally well when presented as upright plants.

Above:  Made with Longwood Florals Mask

Above:  Made with Longwood Florals Stencil

Above:  Made with Longwood Florals Mask

Above:  Made with Longwood Florals Stencil

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To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

More about Positive Space and Negative Space

Winter Berries Mask and Winter Berries Stencil are exact opposites of each other, making it exciting to combine them, creating a play between negative space and positive space.  Viewers can ask,  "Which is which?" --  because the negative space can visually trade places with positive space.  An interesting image can challenge the viewer to see the berries first as figure (positive space), then in the opposite way, as ground (negative space.)

Above:  artwork, full-view, created with Winter Berries Mask and Winter Berries Stencil .

Above:  a close-up detail from the same artwork created with Winter Berries Mask and Winter Berries Stencil .

You can click on the above images to better see details.  The winter berries appear (in the bottom layer of paint) as near-white, surrounded by cool aquas and pale yellow-greens.  In the top layer of paint, the winter berries appear as solid areas of orange and yellow-orange.  These layered opposites seem to visually bounce back-and-forth between positive and negative space.  

The stencil and the mask themselves look like this:

Winter Berries Stencil (9" x 12")

Winter Berries Mask  (9" x 12")

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LONGWOOD FLORALS MASK and GARDEN AT NEMOURS MASK

Longwood Florals Mask (9" x 12") was the art tool I used in creating the first four art samples below....

 And for a complete change of pace, below is an art sample made with Garden at Nemours Mask and Quilted Flower Garden Stencil (both are 6" x 6".)

This mask and this stencil, separately, look like this --

Quilted Flower Garden Stencil

Garden at Nemours Mask

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To scroll thru my masks and stencils at StencilGirl, please start here.

LONGWOOD FLORALS MASK and FRIENDS

Creating the art below, I used Longwood Florals Mask (on the left) and, on the right, It's a Jungle Out There Stencil.  Both measure 9" x 12".

Below is another piece, this one developed by pairing Longwood Florals Mask with Garden Montage and Buds Stencil.  All three are 9" x 12".

The three photos below show art developed with Longwood Florals Mask and Garden Montage.  

The other stencils used in today's samples include:

It's a Jungle Out There Stencil (9" x 12")

Buds Stencil (9" x 12")

Garden Montage (9" x 12")

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To scroll thru all my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Nancy Sanderson Curry and GARDEN MONTAGE (9" x 12") Stencil/Mask

Sufficient superlatives escape me, when trying to describe artwork by Nancy Sanderson Curry!  She just gets better and better with those Pinata alcohol inks of hers!

She's still honoring me by using my stencilGarden Montage -- and doing me proud!

Above:  a close-up detail from the matted art directly above.

Another matted piece of Nancy's--

And you can click HERE to see a short, fun video made by Nancy herself. 


Garden Montage, a 9" x 12" stencil, looks like this--

Nancy Sanderson Curry commands more than one area of artistic expertise!  She has also made a video for StencilGirl Studio to demonstrate the making of prints with Citra Solv cleaning solution.  Be sure to check that out here!

Thanks for visiting my blog today!  To scroll thru the pages of all my StencilGirl stencils, please start here.