Jo Myhill Project #2 Roman Fresco ....

"Hi everyone Jo here with tonight's project. I want to continue the theme this week and play some more with texture again with tissue paper".

I started again with a 10x8” deep canvas and put a thin layer of Grunge Paste over the canvas really smooth in the centre and some texture towards the edges. Again I didn’t go all the way to the edge of the canvas. 

Once this was dry I added some stencilled leaves top and bottom at the edges. Again, not symmetrical, but at differing heights as I was trying to create a Fresco wall finish that had been worn and crumbled away through erosion and decay.

Now for the tissue paper. I took a pack of 5 sheets of white tissue paper and roughly tore them into pieces about A4 size, it doesn’t have to be exact. I then crumpled these up into balls and then flattened them out, as I wanted the creases. On an old piece of heat mat (I have quite a few with holes) and using watered down PVA, I started sticking the tissue paper down layering it on top of each other. I really dabbed and prodded the tissue with the glue to get it all to stick together. I wanted it to look like a piece of plaster all rough and crumbly. 

When you’ve got enough layers and the shape you want carefully peel it away from the heat mat and lay on another piece of tissue paper that has been flattened out. Leave it to dry, mine took overnight but you can help it along with a heat gun. Having it on the bigger piece of tissue paper means you can move it around easily and turn it over to dry on the other side. Make sure you keep it flat and if it does warp put it under something heavy.

Now to start adding paint to the canvas. Start with Cheesecake all over the canvas and then layer of Haystack and Pumpkin Soup. To the Haystack still on your craft mat add Snowflake and tiny amount of Rose to make a pinky terracotta. Put this over the canvas especially the raised bits of Grunge Paste. With all of these layers remember you aren’t trying to cover up the previous layer but add tonal depth, so it doesn’t matter if some areas have more of one colour than the other but make sure they blend and the previous layer is dry before you add the next.

Don’t forget to do the sides as well. With a text stencil add some text using Cinnamon at the edges of the canvas in the middle. Once this is dry start adding washes of Pumpkin Soup and Snowflake to really done everything down. It’s a fine line between making it too pale and losing the text. So make sure the layers are really watered down. Better to keep adding transparent layers rather than going too opaque with the first coat.

Finally over the raised stencilling dry brush some Tango. On some spare tissue paper I stamped the scroll from HP1107 in Sepia Archival Ink. Once dry, I wetted the edges to gently rip the excess tissue paper away and added these to the canvas in places using Satin Glaze.  Ripping the edges means the tissue paper seems to disappear even more into the background when you stick it down. 

HP1107 

Back to the tissue paper plaster. Mix the paints again to make the same of nearly the same shade of pinky terracotta and paint the tissue paper. Once dry wet the edges of the flattened tissue paper and gently tear the excess from the plaster piece. Now you can keep adding paint using Cinnamon, Pumpkin Soup and Snowflake to get contrast and texture.

Using Sepia Archival Ink stamp the wrought iron gate stamp from USWI2 on the tissue plaster. You won’t get an even stamp just hints of the stamp because of the heavily textured tissue paper.

 USWI2

Now comes the scary bit. Rip the tissue paper plaster into pieces, I did 4 horizontal across the whole piece. 

Ink the edges in Vintage Photo distress Ink and staple back together. I stained my staples with Ginger Alcohol Ink to get that rusty colour. I did put all 4 pieces back together again but it looked too big on the canvas so I went with 3.

Finally add some copper foil over the raised edges of the tissue paper plaster. I use a Versamark Ink stamp to lightly touch the tissue paper and put sticky powder on. Heat this and when it goes shiny lay the foil down colour side up and rub it down.The foil sticks to the sticky powder! Again remember worn and decayed rather than even and neat. 

I stuck this on the canvas in a position that made sure that I could still some lettering and the tissue paper scrolls. Off centre slightly is better than dead central. I also added some copper foil to the raised Grunge Paste. For the plaque I coloured a small piece of card covered mount board with Haystack and Pumpkin Soup. I lightly dabbed the Versamark ink pad on this, added sticky powder and gently rubbed my finger across it to remove even more of the powder. Heated it and put foil on. I then stamped the plaque stamp from USAA3 in Potting Soil Archival Ink. Around the edges I added some black embossing powder just to define the edges. 

USAA3

I then stuck this to the tissue paper plaster, again slightly off centre.

To be honest this didn’t end up as the idea in my head. I was going to use one of the Arched Aperture images but when stamped it was too big so I had to have a slight rethink. The plaque from the same plate was the right size and it reminded me of wall art in roman times, hence – roman fresco! 

For me this is the joy of crafting being able to adapt something, change your mind because it isn’t quite working. So I have the inked Arched Aperture image and the spare piece of tissue paper plaster and I’ll be able to use those in another piece of art exploring similar themes. 

I really hope you are inspired to have a play either using all the ideas and techniques or picking a couple out to try. I really enjoyed making the tissue plaster and want to try that again, another idea is brewing! See you all again tomorrow night.

Looking for a post christmas pick me up, then why not be inspired by any of Jo's techniques this week and join in our challenge, simply click HERE to join in the party.

Leandra Says:Oh wow, this looks amazing Jo!. I adore texture, and this ticks that box!

Gillian Says: The warm/rich tones combined with the black & embossing is beautiful Jo. Your roman fresco project looks amazing with such wonderful textures and composition, a real statement piece.