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Below is the quick sketch I did of the skeleton I planned to create. I thought I'd be making a bah relief (think embossed or carved effect). But, my body and the universe had other plans and my idea totally changed. Or so I thought.
I’ve had ups and downs in health for much longer than I’d like now and am back on track to healing. But, sometimes, we need to pause and listen to our body, then change course. I’m learning to listen and honor the message, no matter how hard it is to hear. Spending time on health that I normally spend doing other things means less of those other things for now, including art.
After realizing I was going to attempt an art technique, the bah relief with paper clay, that I had never done, nor had any experience with (read neither failure or successes), I finally had to come to terms. I don’t like to work on techniques while on a deadline. I prefer to have tried, failed, succeeded, learned, and know how to do a technique before I attempt it under deadline. Otherwise, I’m a stressed out basket case. Not that bad really, but puts undue stress on my art and life and I need less right now.
I have tried techniques under pressure and time crunches and it can be very educational and huge inventions/breakthroughs can occur, but I’d rather save that for a different time/place than the alter project. You’d think one month was plenty of time. But for some reason, right now, my brain & emotional well being just need a bit less stress. So, I’m purposefully acknowledging and choosing the less stressful route. In future, I will try new techniques under deadline and will plan for it be a fun and enjoyable route. I've learned that planning helps make the journey fun and if you anticipate there will be unexpected turns, it is much more manageable.
After sketching Mr. Skelly Pants - who is actually a bit of a steampunk observer (he says, "Hmmm, yes... what is that I see" with the voice of a hefty walrus) - I grabbed all my water soluable crayons, pencils, and pastels and went to town coloring. Ooo boy, coloring between the lines! That was fun! You'll notice that I gave the feather a ton of color, but in the end it was a shiny purple. That was NOT on purpose. I was faking my way through, trying to to see what would happen. I think nicely though, the colors do come through a little and give the feathers and cap more depth.
After I watered it all down, it needed more still. I know! Twinkle H2O's! So, I painted the sky, the hat & feather, and a few other adornments in the wonderfully sparklie Twinkle H2O's. Now I'm really in LOVE!
The down side of canvas was that it was just a smidge too thick to fit into the space. Oh I can fix that! With a blade, I went to town cutting off the folded corners of the canvas. Dangerous? Yes. Because the canvas could peel away over time. Washi tape to the rescue! Round the edges and 2 pull handles so the piece could be inserted into it's slot on the printer drawer and then easily removed. Grab a couple of bits of secure glue and mount that mini painting to it's canvas style frame. Voila!
Looking back at him now, I think he definitely has the dancing feel of the silly skeletons above, don't you?