Scrape. Stamp. Stick.

So I've been busy. Really busy. 

(And we got a Mac and I'm trying to figure out how to import pictures from iPhoto. I'm not sure where these pictures were on my computer or how I managed to get them posted. I need a Mac tutor to come over and walk me through this!)

And my Art Club artists have been busy too! We explored alternative ways to apply paint in these layered multi-media collages.

About half way through the project, I had my doubts, but I wound up very happy with the processes, and with the results too.

These are on mat board, about 8 inches x 12 inches.

 For the background, we scraped acrylic paint blobs across the boards with credit cards.

The following week, we made stamps from plasticine clay, stamping with both black and white ink….

… and I learned something about inks stamped on top of acrylics. The black ink was dye ink. Which worked just fine.
But the white was pigment ink. Just FYI, pigment ink says it's slow drying. I thought, "No problem. They have a whole week to dry before we do our collage work."

Which wasn't long enough.

BUMMER!!! I ironed every piece to try and heat set it. Nope.
I then sprayed them with a matte fixative, which helped a little, but the white ink still smudged.

Oh well. We kept going.

The last layer was cut-out shapes from book pages and old maps. (Some of the pages had an acrylic paint wash. (Note to self: I really liked the addition of color with the wash. It added variety and contrast in the collage work.) I suggested open shapes to allow their beautiful layered backgrounds to shine.

Can you see the thin black edge? Once the pieces were collaged, I finished them with a coat of gloss sealer. But they still seemed unfinished. So I put some black acrylic paint on a cookie sheet and dipped the edges. It really made such a difference, and it didn't take TOO long. :D

 The one below cracks me up. He made a mustache stamp. He didn't want any white stamping, and he was absent when we collaged. But I still think it looks very cool.

Once these were finished and on display, the compliments started rolling in. I love telling the kids how much people enjoy seeing their beautiful artwork!

(I'd never made stamps from plasticine clay before- so much fun! I learned about them here: http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/09/plasticine-stamp-printing.html I remember using stiff cards to scrape paint back in high school. And cut and paste was my favorite art project in early elementary school. We used construction paper and paste back then… )