Another Finished Piece On My Learning Journey

You know I've been trying to learn this mixed media/collage stuff and in continuing to practice and learn, this is my 3rd finished project.

Back on March 13th I had shown you the below as it was the first time I attempted to start a paper and paint project. I loved the colors and love, LOVED the white squiggles from one of my stencils. I liked so much how it started, I was hesitant to put the next thing on it even knowing it wasn't finished. I was afraid I'd mess it up and be sad that I had lost it. So, it sat around while I made more painty papers and finished two other small practice projects.

A couple nights ago I didn't have the next thing in mind to do, so I picked up this piece and stared at it a few minutes. I still had no idea where to take it and keep parts of it I love. In watching fun videos on youtube, several of the artist said things about not getting too "precious" about how you started or what you had on a piece when you were part way through. You have to be brave and just do something and if it goes sideways, there is always more paint and more paper and you will just change the direction you thought you were going in. Sounds so simple, doesn't it? I realized I was being "precious" about it and if I was going to go forward, I had to just do something and let it go.

So I did ! Now THAT's crazy ! Wah !... and... here we go! On goes the orange.

....and then some black and a torn piece of paper.

....and then MORE random papers.... UGH! OMGoodness.... this hurts. 😬 😂 It's so obvious I didn't have any direction in mind and so it scattered, because there was NO direction.

I put a printer copy of someone on it thinking it might be a fun addition.

Unfortunately it didn't help enough and away she went. More papers, more papers.

Then it was time for bed as I had to work the next morning.

Then yesterday on one of my work breaks, I found myself standing at the art table looking at the mess I had made the night before. All the lovely "precious" was gone and sure enough, it had gone haywire. So, I decided it was time to change directions AGAIN! .... and I painted black over random parts of it.

What an UGLYFEST ! LOL I decided the next direction needed totally opposite colors, bright and ... well.....more like ME. So I pulled some bright painty papers out and laid them on the table near the disaster project. Then I had to go back and work some more.

Last night I headed back to my play space to face the task at hand. I laid different pieces of torn paper around, trying to get a clue. I finally decided it would be a wonky vase with wonky flowers, using multiple designs from my painty papers stash. I tore the bottom off of this and called it a vase.

I cut out some flower heads from the balloon smash designs and used bits of other paper for the stems. I laid them out on the paper and took a photo to see if they looked right before gluing them on.

"Right" being in the eye of the behold and all that.

After, I decide they needed some paper dots in their centers and some leaves, so I punched and cut those out and added them. I also made small changes with some black and blue paint and some small bits of paper to balance the background out.

In the end I was surprisingly pleased as although I had lost all the precious parts of the original I loved, it had come to be true that there still could be a decent outcome.

Some parts of it look really neat close up. So many layers now.

So there it is !

I will soon be heading out to my Mom's. Some folks in my family decided our Easter lunch should be today, so that's what we're doing.

I hope you are all enjoying a happy weekend.

Love you more than chocolate Easter bunnies !

Jacey