Mixed Media Canvases for Faber Castell and BuzzFeed Mason Jar Challenge

Yesterday I was feeling a little, well, defeated.  I have had a few big 'no's over the past few weeks.  We're working hard every day here to make ends meet and build new boats to set sail into new seas, but sometimes it just starts to all feel completely overwhelming.

Recently I received a package of the most delicious art supplies from the lovely team at Faber-Castell.  I have had five blank canvases sitting in the studio waiting for inspirado to hit for months.  It's been years since I painted anything, I'm always so busy making projects for my clients I don't have much time to just make art for fun.  I needed a break, so I unplugged, grabbed my Faber Castell goodies and two canvases, some brushes, old French magazine pages and some decoupage medium and played.

It was really hard to get out of my head and allow the art to unfold.  There are A LOT of layers here and at one point, I had pretty much given up on both canvases. 

While I was playing, two big opportunities were unfolding!  Yes, step away from the computer and suddenly it all shifts.  Sometimes you just have to shift your perspective a little!

I went back to the canvases with fresh eyes and started over.  I call this process intuitive design, it's the way I work with wire as well.  No rules, no preconceptions, no big plan.  I started with my Fiskars circle templates and a pencil.  The gelato medium is so color saturated, you just keep sweeping it across the canvas and hitting it with a wet brush to get a dense pigment rich watercolor effect.  They look like little chapsticks, love that they're so wide and easy to work into the canvas!  I used several different black markers including the Faber-Castell PITT artist pen big brush pen to frame the circle areas, again working totally intuitively.  There was one spot that really wasn't working, so I began layering paper and it all came together!  I am pleased as punch with these! They're not perfect, but let's face facts, neither am I.

I was invited by the lovely Pippa at BuzzFeed to participate in a Mason Jar Design Challenge!  You can get the 411, the tutorial and vote for my design (only if you really like it) on their blog.  Here is a link!

Love
Madge