Citra-solv for artsy effects

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I had so many comments on the painting I did that incorporated papers treated with Citra-solv that I thought I’d share the process with you if you didn’t already know about it (I didn’t until I saw Bonnie and Rosemary’s Show and Tell at the Studio). Here’s the painting – it’s a mixed media piece with altered paper, acrylic, and encaustic on a 16×20′ stretched canvas. Do you see the door in the middle? That’s a weird Citra-solv effect, very strange:

fieldofcitrasolv

I used torn strips of paper created by slathering Citra-solv cleaning solution all over the pages of an old National Geographic magazine. The results can be fascinating. I’m especially interested in how you can sort of control the dissolution of the images by the amount of the solution you put on the pages. Here you can see that portions of the original image show through the distortion.

Citra-solv effects and result

Citra-solv effects and result

Page with small amount of Citra-solv

Page with small amount of Citra-solv

Here’s a page done by artist Eva Macie that uses a lot of Citra-solv.

Christopher Staples has a great tutorial on his blog! Finally, here’s a link to a tutorial on the Cirta-Solv website – they are now selling their product at art stores like Jerry’s Artarama. It’s a fun process to play around with if you are into unpredictable results and eerie effects!

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All kinds of treasure for you . . . and ARTFUL GATHERING on the horizon

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Lyns large bannerThis is such a cool new adventure for me! I’m a part of the Artful Gathering faculty this summer, and it’s just unbelievable because the other faculty members are artists and craftspeople whom I’ve heard about and admired for years – people like Keith Lo Bue and Riki Schumacher. Who knew I’d be teaching alongside them? Zowee.

So here’s the deal with this particular post – there is a treasure hunt going on with the Artful Gathering site – you can see a list of prizes here – and you can play along in the Artful Gathering Treasure Hunt. Find the Big Red Square somewhere on my blog to get your secret word! It is in a red block on my side bar.  Look for the crown! Then go to www.artfulgathering.com to read all about the rules and prizes. I hope you’ll sign up for at least one of the classes – and you might even win a class if you play the Treasure Hunt.

treasure

Steal like an artist . . . .

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From time to time, I’m going to post other artists’ tutorials for my own reference (I know I can always find them if I put them on my own blog!) and also to share with you if you are interested. This one has a nice technique for using a Titan Buff glaze. It’s at the end of the video and gave me an idea for a painting series that I’m working on called Badger Dancers – here are a couple of my own first paintings in that series, and right below these is the demo video by Chris Cozen whose ideas I am happy to steal – with gratitude :).

Ironroot Dancer

Lyn Belisle, Ironroot Dancer 30×30″, Acrylic 2014

 

Lyn Belisle, Badger Dancer, 30x30", Acrylic 2014

Lyn Belisle, Badger Dancer, 30×30″, Acrylic 2014

Art is alive and in good hands . .

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Last night I was invited to Night Gallery 14, the annual spectacular showcase of student art from North East ISD. What an eye-opener! I was part of this show for 30 years when I taught art in NEISD, but, I swear, it’s just getting better! The teachers inspire, the students respond and the results are thrilling. Take a look at the video – and say congratulations to my wonderful friend Gloria Hill, who is retiring as Visual Arts Director for NEISD to pursue her own painting career. You can see her work on her blog, Open Doors.

Cheers all around to these dedicated and talented teachers and students – thank you for enriching our world with your creativity!

They came, they showed, they telled

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My brain is overflowing with all of the tips I learned and the notes I took at Studio Show-and-Tell Saturday – wow! It was so cool. I hope you were there – if you couldn’t make it, we will definitely be doing it again, probably in early May, so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who came and especially the wonderful artists who shared. Here’s a video – sorry that the sound isn’t better but I was using my phone camera for the video segments – next time I’ll be better prepared for the spectacular demos!

Show-and-Tell Saturday

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Citra-solv art paper

Tomorrow afternoon from 3-5 at the Studio is the time to show all and tell all (art-wise, of course). This is the first time I’ve asked you all to teach me how you work – what new techniques and ideas do you have to share with the rest of us? Most of us, including me, will be watchers and note takers. It’s a very informal set-up – we’ll just decide who wants to do what, and there’s no “official” schedule. It’s going to be so much fun!

I know that one of the “shows” will be using Citra-solv to create altered art paper from National Geographic magazines. The results look amazing. Even though I’ve never tried it, I did find a very cool video (below) on how to use these papers in collage, so if you want to learn how to DIY, drop by the Studio between 3:00 and 5:00. There will be refreshments and libations as well, of course. Hope you’ll join us tomorrow to show, tell, listen, sit, chat, steal ideas, give suggestions and hang out in a place of creative belonging!

Winner, workshops — and my new Shard work

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Happy Monday! And congratulations to Mary James, winner of the Friday Freebie Face Shard. Mary, when you’re coming by the Studio, she will be waiting for you. Now, about the Mask, Robe and Rune workshop on Saturday – it was glorious! Here’s a link to the video so you can see for yourself the participants’ wonderful dimensional creations.

I was so inspired by what we did at the workshop that I spent yesterday working on a new series called – are you ready? – Shardian Angels! These are assemblage pieces made with shards of earthenware clay and natural materials, and each one is named after a Celtic goddess. Here are the first two. I am absolutely loving the construction process. I’m still working on two others, and will be doing more in this limited series, but they will be at the Studio soon and will be available for sale at the May 3rd show with Lesta, Jan and Alison. Yay for Shardian Angels!!

Anoba, Celtic forest goddess

Anoba, Celtic forest goddess (17″ high)

andraste

Andraste, Celtic victory goddess (20″ high)

 

Frabulous Friday Freebie – so, subscribe to SHARDS!

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I am loading the kiln this morning with some new work for Shades of Green and also some 3-D assemblage pieces that I’ve made for a new sketched-out sculpture concept (stay tuned) – it’s great to be working with clay again. Here’s some of the stuff that’s going to be fired today:kiln1

So in honor of Firing Day (and to bribe new subscribers), this is the Frabulous (?) Friday Freebie (below) – a face shard that’s about 6″ across, already fired and finished with walnut ink, and ready to hang on your gate or your wall or put in a bowl or whatever else your heart desires.

kiln2 Just make sure you’re a SHARDS subscriber by midnight on Sunday and I’ll do a random drawing of all subscribers to pick the winner (and will ship if out-of-town person is drawn) – thanks! And TGIF, y’all.

 

Fun and free photo editing tutorial for you

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I’m teaching photo editing and web design right now in my Trinity class, and I thought I’d make a tutorial for you guys to show you how to use iPiccy, which is a free online editing tool. Click on the artsy-effect photo of me, below, which I just edited and fancied up in iPiccy in less than five minutes, and you can access the tutorial and see how to art yourself up too! Have fun 🙂

Colorado Springs, 2011

Colorado Springs, 2011

Shhhhh . . fabric and hand sanitizer transfer secret for Shards subscribers only

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OK, so I’m not posting this to FaceBook or any other site – just to you blog subscribers (yay for you!). Here’s how the hand sanitizer transfer process works. This technique and a bunch of other cool ones will be featured in my Collage on Canvas class at Artful Gathering this summer. (Hint hint).

You’ll need some inkjet transparency sheets (be sure to get inkjet, not laser) and a color inkjet printer. Here’s a source for some very affordable ones at Amazon. Print your image onto the transparency using the grainy textured side as the printing surface (usually face down in the tray). Set it aside while you cut or tear a piece of white cotton sheeting to approximately the size of the transparency. Tape the fabric piece down to one of those flexible chopping boards boards at all four corners, stretching it taut but not overly tight.

So now you need a small bottle of clear hand sanitizer. I used one of the little travel sizes that I got for 89 cents at Walgreens. Run a strip of the stuff across the top of the fabric, and pull it down evenly with an old credit card 6or small piece of mat board. Once the fabric has been smoothly coated, place your printed transparency, ink side down, on the fabric and rub it in to adhere it. You can use the other side of the old credit card or mat board to do this. Set it aside for ten minutes or so, then rub it again before testing a corner by pulling it up. It should have transferred the ink from the transparency to the sheeting. Optional – take a hair dryer and slip it between the fabric and the cutting board to dry the fabric before you peel the film off – this will set it and hopefully keep it from smearing (although I have never had a problem with the ink smearing). Peel off the transparency film. That’s it! let me know how it works. Even if it doesn’t work perfectly, you’ll be germ free – LOL.

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