Paint-Stained Stencils and Masks as Collage Elements

It's long been fun for me to set aside the prettiest of my paint-stained StencilGirl masks and stencils...

... and what follows is (1) I order new replacements! -- and (2) cut apart these stencils and masks stained with acrylic paints for use as collage elements.  Because these stencils and masks have been used in multiple previous projects, each is unique; no two are stained with the same color combinations or patterns.

Paint-coated masks and stencils are easy to cut apart with scissors, or a hobby knife paired with a cutting board.  But I use Joyce Chen scissors, originally marketed as a kitchen tool for cutting apart chicken bones!

Often, these collage elements are added in the finishing steps as I develop my artworks on stretched canvas.  Other times, I've added them to an artwork during an early phase in the process, since I sometimes decide to add more paint atop them -- or even to cover them with thin tissue paper that I can fold and wrinkle around these pieces of sturdy Mylar.  

When adding tissue paper as the last layer, I use liquid matte medium.  But to adhere the stencil-pieces to the substrate, I always use acrylic heavy-body matte gel medium .

Above:  stencils and masks used include ...

...my Prayer Flags (9" x 12") 

...Warped Holes 9 (9" x 12") designed by Lizzie Mayne

... and City Stencil (9" x 12") designed by Jamie Fingal. 

Next on today's post:  5 close-ups showing stencils and masks, paint-coated and scissor-altered, showing up as collage bits; these 5 are all part of a bigger piece on stretched canvas.  Most of these close-ups show stencil or mask prints as a bottom layer, while the stained and modified stencils or masks are used as a top layer.....

Above upper left:  ABSTRACT COMPOSITION BACKGONES MASK s864

Above upper right: ABSTRACT COMPOSITION BACKGONES MASK s864

Above: ABSTRACT COMPOSITION BACKBONES MASK s867

Above upper left:  ABSTRACT COMPOSITION BACKGONES MASK s864
and bottom:  SASSY SPRAY S465

Above upper left and center:  SASSY SPRAY S465 (this stained mask is a collage element added over a print made with Palm Fronds Silhouette Small s238)

Moving now to new territory --

Above:  part of my 9" x 12" Blooming Where Planted,  stained with acrylic paints, then collaged over a background printed with my 9" x 12" Prayer Flags.

In developing the artwork above, I used these stencils and masks of mine ....

....6" x 6" Pavilion Shadows 

.....6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small (also available as a 4" x 4" mini)

....6" x 6" Kaleid

....6" x 6" Trivet A (also available as a 9" x 12" stencil)

....and the 6" x 6" stencil (borders removed) from the May 2019 StencilClub 3-piece set.

The following 2 photos show abstract compositions created on backgrounds that are fairly tame; my goal in creating them was to give the stencils and masks the leading role in each of the pieces:

Above: 6" x 6" Kaleid  (left) and 4" x 4" Palm Fronds Silhouette Mini (right)

Above:  orange-and-yellow pieces are cut from 6" x 6" Palm Fronds Silhouette Small and the central purple-green stained stencil is cut from my 9" x 12" stencil Blooming Where Planted 

Thanks for stopping by here today!  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.