Today is the fifth Second Floor challenge! Are you ready to take it to the second floor? What does that mean? It means trying something vastly out of your comfort zone. Doing something that might not work. Experimenting with a crazy idea. It's all about pushing yourself. If it works, awesome. If it doesn't work, awesome!
The challenge this time around is to create something that incorporates or is inspired by a found object.
What is a found object?
From Wikipedia:
"A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature. In both cases the objects are discovered by the artist or musician to be capable of being employed in an artistic way, and are designated as "found" to distinguish them from purposely created items used in the art forms."
Click here to see what Nat did.
As for me, I decided to experiment with using newspaper as a foundation. I coated both sides with gesso and the newspaper turned into a lovely surface. It stitched well and ripped nicely and had a nice hand as well.
To continue the found object theme I played with using toilet paper tubes and shapes cut from deli paper and all sorts of stuff like that to make some prints inspired by this video. Here are two of them:
I didn't really know what to do with the prints. So I decided to add more paint. Again, continuing the found object theme I used a doily to do some stenciling and added a few layers of paint and ink:
I thought about simply gluing this pretty piece of paper into my art journal and calling it done. But then I remembered that I needed to take this project to the Second Floor.
I sat and stared and stared and stared and stared some more at the papers I had created. What to do with them?
And then the answer came from the recesses of my brain. Recently I visited an art gallery and saw a lovely painting featuring a brightly colored silhouette of a person against a stark white background. When I stared at these papers, that image called to me.
This is what I ended up with:
What I Learned:
- I think of found objects as pennies, washers you find in the street, feathers from the park, doll heads — dimensional objects that assemblage artists use. But actually there is a ton of paper ephemera that fits into that category. So as it turns out, I already use found objects all the time.
- Only time will tell what will happen with the newspaper, but I'm enjoying its flexibility as a surface to work on. The fabric-like feel of the paper once it's coated with gesso has my brain whirling with ideas and possibilities.
- I was reminded that one way to deal with a larger piece you don't like is to cut it up. The piece of paper that the silhouette is cut from was super fugly to my eyes. But I see the beauty of it in the silhouette!
- I have had a bunch of rubbing plates from Cedar Canyon squirreled away in my stash for a while now. I dragged them out for this project and breathed new life into them by stamping with them! It's a good reminder to me to look past the intended use of a supply and experiment with how else it can be used.
- I love, love, love the way the stenciled doily edges turned out. I've used spray with doilies, but never acrylic and a cosmetic sponge and I love the look. Definitely going to do that again!
- Another thing I've never done, and will definitely repeat, is working on a piece of paper and then attaching it to the canvas. It took away a lot of the fear of "ruining" a canvas and allowed me the freedom to experiment on several surfaces and choose the best one. That said, it would probably be better to attach it to a more taut surface, like a wood panel, in the future.
- I also love I was able to add stitching to a canvas! I did the stitching before it was adhered to the canvas, but nobody has to know that! I suppose if I stretched my own canvases I could get this effect too…hmmmm…something to think about.
I thought this was going to be a really difficult challenge, but once I stopped worrying about what the final product was going to be and just started messing around, it came together quickly enough.
Here's the linky list for this challenge:
Thanks for stopping by!
Love what you did Julie. I’ve been playing a lot with newspaper because it has a completely different feel to it than for instance computerpaper, and it’s stronger than tissuepaper. I have painted it with watered down white acrylic. That makes the original text peek through, but not so that you can read it. just it gives great texture. i have even put it through my printer after ironing it. Looks GREAT!!!
Love what you did Julie. I’ve been playing a lot with newspaper because it has a completely different feel to it than for instance computerpaper, and it’s stronger than tissuepaper. I have painted it with watered down white acrylic. That makes the original text peek through, but not so that you can read it. just it gives great texture. i have even put it through my printer after ironing it. Looks GREAT!!!
Love what you did Julie. I’ve been playing a lot with newspaper because it has a completely different feel to it than for instance computerpaper, and it’s stronger than tissuepaper. I have painted it with watered down white acrylic. That makes the original text peek through, but not so that you can read it. just it gives great texture. i have even put it through my printer after ironing it. Looks GREAT!!!
Love what you did Julie. I’ve been playing a lot with newspaper because it has a completely different feel to it than for instance computerpaper, and it’s stronger than tissuepaper. I have painted it with watered down white acrylic. That makes the original text peek through, but not so that you can read it. just it gives great texture. i have even put it through my printer after ironing it. Looks GREAT!!!
Love what you did Julie. I’ve been playing a lot with newspaper because it has a completely different feel to it than for instance computerpaper, and it’s stronger than tissuepaper. I have painted it with watered down white acrylic. That makes the original text peek through, but not so that you can read it. just it gives great texture. i have even put it through my printer after ironing it. Looks GREAT!!!
brilliant 🙂
brilliant 🙂
brilliant 🙂
brilliant 🙂
brilliant 🙂
Are you worried about the newspaper yellowing? Krylon makes and acid free mist that would keep it from doing that. Try phone books too, if you like the newspaper. The only challenge with those is to mask the yellow color. I used some on a restaurant themed scrapbook page recently. I liked how some of the restaurant names peeked out through the gesso and the paint.
Are you worried about the newspaper yellowing? Krylon makes and acid free mist that would keep it from doing that. Try phone books too, if you like the newspaper. The only challenge with those is to mask the yellow color. I used some on a restaurant themed scrapbook page recently. I liked how some of the restaurant names peeked out through the gesso and the paint.
Are you worried about the newspaper yellowing? Krylon makes and acid free mist that would keep it from doing that. Try phone books too, if you like the newspaper. The only challenge with those is to mask the yellow color. I used some on a restaurant themed scrapbook page recently. I liked how some of the restaurant names peeked out through the gesso and the paint.
Are you worried about the newspaper yellowing? Krylon makes and acid free mist that would keep it from doing that. Try phone books too, if you like the newspaper. The only challenge with those is to mask the yellow color. I used some on a restaurant themed scrapbook page recently. I liked how some of the restaurant names peeked out through the gesso and the paint.
Are you worried about the newspaper yellowing? Krylon makes and acid free mist that would keep it from doing that. Try phone books too, if you like the newspaper. The only challenge with those is to mask the yellow color. I used some on a restaurant themed scrapbook page recently. I liked how some of the restaurant names peeked out through the gesso and the paint.
NEWSPAPER is my new BFF!
NEWSPAPER is my new BFF!
NEWSPAPER is my new BFF!
NEWSPAPER is my new BFF!
NEWSPAPER is my new BFF!
Really like the finished product!
Really like the finished product!
Really like the finished product!
Really like the finished product!
Really like the finished product!
Just beautiful…I have a little stash of found objects that I should try and use….and can I just say I laughed so hard when I read the word “fugly”…HA!
Just beautiful…I have a little stash of found objects that I should try and use….and can I just say I laughed so hard when I read the word “fugly”…HA!
Just beautiful…I have a little stash of found objects that I should try and use….and can I just say I laughed so hard when I read the word “fugly”…HA!
Just beautiful…I have a little stash of found objects that I should try and use….and can I just say I laughed so hard when I read the word “fugly”…HA!
Just beautiful…I have a little stash of found objects that I should try and use….and can I just say I laughed so hard when I read the word “fugly”…HA!
I love these challenges!!
I love these challenges!!
I love these challenges!!
I love these challenges!!
I love these challenges!!
Okay….so I started reading and have to admit, that I wasn’t loving the papers and just as I was ready to move on, I just had to see how this one would end up. So glad you took it to the second floor and today’s post and end result is absolutely one of my favorites. I love the silhouette and how the fugly paper was so perfect for this project. Nice to see something great comes from all our not-so -fabulous experimental pages.Beautiful project today!
Okay….so I started reading and have to admit, that I wasn’t loving the papers and just as I was ready to move on, I just had to see how this one would end up. So glad you took it to the second floor and today’s post and end result is absolutely one of my favorites. I love the silhouette and how the fugly paper was so perfect for this project. Nice to see something great comes from all our not-so -fabulous experimental pages.Beautiful project today!
Okay….so I started reading and have to admit, that I wasn’t loving the papers and just as I was ready to move on, I just had to see how this one would end up. So glad you took it to the second floor and today’s post and end result is absolutely one of my favorites. I love the silhouette and how the fugly paper was so perfect for this project. Nice to see something great comes from all our not-so -fabulous experimental pages.Beautiful project today!
Okay….so I started reading and have to admit, that I wasn’t loving the papers and just as I was ready to move on, I just had to see how this one would end up. So glad you took it to the second floor and today’s post and end result is absolutely one of my favorites. I love the silhouette and how the fugly paper was so perfect for this project. Nice to see something great comes from all our not-so -fabulous experimental pages.Beautiful project today!
Okay….so I started reading and have to admit, that I wasn’t loving the papers and just as I was ready to move on, I just had to see how this one would end up. So glad you took it to the second floor and today’s post and end result is absolutely one of my favorites. I love the silhouette and how the fugly paper was so perfect for this project. Nice to see something great comes from all our not-so -fabulous experimental pages.Beautiful project today!
Love that stitched silhouette, and how I can see the figure both looking into the background and out from it. The brush stroke-y, canvas print-y looking color on him is awesome. Too cool!
Love that stitched silhouette, and how I can see the figure both looking into the background and out from it. The brush stroke-y, canvas print-y looking color on him is awesome. Too cool!
Love that stitched silhouette, and how I can see the figure both looking into the background and out from it. The brush stroke-y, canvas print-y looking color on him is awesome. Too cool!
Love that stitched silhouette, and how I can see the figure both looking into the background and out from it. The brush stroke-y, canvas print-y looking color on him is awesome. Too cool!
Love that stitched silhouette, and how I can see the figure both looking into the background and out from it. The brush stroke-y, canvas print-y looking color on him is awesome. Too cool!
P.S. The day I stopped worrying about “acid free” was the day I believe the true artist in me was born!
P.S. The day I stopped worrying about “acid free” was the day I believe the true artist in me was born!
P.S. The day I stopped worrying about “acid free” was the day I believe the true artist in me was born!
P.S. The day I stopped worrying about “acid free” was the day I believe the true artist in me was born!
P.S. The day I stopped worrying about “acid free” was the day I believe the true artist in me was born!
I really love how you built this up… that guy is awesome from your fugly other piece and the paint through the doily is too cool. I’m digging how it looks coming around the edge like that!
I really love how you built this up… that guy is awesome from your fugly other piece and the paint through the doily is too cool. I’m digging how it looks coming around the edge like that!
I really love how you built this up… that guy is awesome from your fugly other piece and the paint through the doily is too cool. I’m digging how it looks coming around the edge like that!
I really love how you built this up… that guy is awesome from your fugly other piece and the paint through the doily is too cool. I’m digging how it looks coming around the edge like that!
I really love how you built this up… that guy is awesome from your fugly other piece and the paint through the doily is too cool. I’m digging how it looks coming around the edge like that!
I love the finished piece Julie! It masters vibrant contrast with subtlety! I like that.
I love the finished piece Julie! It masters vibrant contrast with subtlety! I like that.
I love the finished piece Julie! It masters vibrant contrast with subtlety! I like that.
I love the finished piece Julie! It masters vibrant contrast with subtlety! I like that.
I love the finished piece Julie! It masters vibrant contrast with subtlety! I like that.
I love your pieces and that silhouette rocks!
I love your pieces and that silhouette rocks!
I love your pieces and that silhouette rocks!
I love your pieces and that silhouette rocks!
I love your pieces and that silhouette rocks!
so happy that this challenge was still open even though the next one has begun. I had this all planned with scrabble letters and was missing a few and had to wait until I could find another word game with letter pieces so I could do my piece. This was so much fun!
so happy that this challenge was still open even though the next one has begun. I had this all planned with scrabble letters and was missing a few and had to wait until I could find another word game with letter pieces so I could do my piece. This was so much fun!
so happy that this challenge was still open even though the next one has begun. I had this all planned with scrabble letters and was missing a few and had to wait until I could find another word game with letter pieces so I could do my piece. This was so much fun!
so happy that this challenge was still open even though the next one has begun. I had this all planned with scrabble letters and was missing a few and had to wait until I could find another word game with letter pieces so I could do my piece. This was so much fun!
so happy that this challenge was still open even though the next one has begun. I had this all planned with scrabble letters and was missing a few and had to wait until I could find another word game with letter pieces so I could do my piece. This was so much fun!