Welcome Back Jo Myhill Project #1 Moths .....

"Hi all, it’s Jo here again. This week I’m going to playing around with creating different textures and making more home décor. Today’s art is called "Moths". I wanted to create a Victorian style moth collectors display where the moths are pinned out".

I started with a canvas about 10” x 8”and gave it a good coat of Baltic Blue on the front and sides. One this was dry I added the second colour Hyde Park. I added some water to it to thin it down slightly. This second colour doesn’t have to be as neat as the first layer and as it dries it might seem to disappear into the background blue. Just keep adding layers varying the amount of water you add until you like what you’ve created.

For the third layer of paint I started going into the lighter greens. This time Toad Hall. Hopefully with this image you can see how roughly I added the paint just in areas, not all over.

The fourth layer was Sage. I thinned it down quite a lot to get a wash of colour. I added some paint, let it sit for a moment and then mopped it up with a piece of kitchen roll. Just keep adding paint and taking it away until you get something you like.

Finally a really thin layer on the edges with South Pacific just to add some contrast to the greens. Remember to keep drying in between colours otherwise you’ll get a muddy brown colour - think really dirty dishwater! Cut a piece of tissue paper that will go over the front and sides of the canvas. We are now going to make our own tissue wrap. Using a variety of collage stamps randomly fill in the whole of the tissue paper using a black ink. I used Versafine and I used the following stamps: Wings 1 (I actually haven’t cut this one up and left it as the whole A5 plate!), At Home 2 and Wings 4. The tissue needs to be thoroughly dry before you can start painting the back of it.                 

                                                                                                                             

                      Wings 1                           

                                                        
                                                                  Wings 4

 

Using the same colour scheme as you used for the canvas start colouring in the images on the reverse of the tissue paper. Once they are dry go over the whole of the back with Sage, you might need two coats. 

Dry, but be really careful when picking up the tissue paper as its fragile and could tear easily (doesn’t matter if it does because we are actually going to tear it anyway!).

Paint Satin Glaze all over the canvas and lay the tissue paper on top and over the sides.  Before it’s had a chance to dry start ripping away the tissue paper in places around the edges. I wanted to try and recreate the effect of wallpaper that has started to peel away revealing the plaster beneath. Pint over the top of the tissue paper with Satin Glaze to seal it. 

One this is dry you can add a thin layer of Grunge Paste in the middle if the canvas. Again I was trying to create a plaster effect, mostly smooth but in places some texture using the palette knife and the crackle stamp from Petals 1. Leave this to dry.

I then started to work on the moths. I took a sheet of MetalCard and added Treasure Gold in Amethyst, Indigo and Aquamarine. I used a stiff stencilling brush to really work the colour into the metal and get scratch marks. Let this dry for a bit and then polish with a softy cloth or some kitchen roll.

Cut out three moths using the die and stamp with moths from HPSD01 using your favourite black ink that will dry on metal. Set these to one side. Before I stamp I ran the moths through the die cutting machine to flatten the edges. 

HPSD01

Once the Grunge Paste is dry, paint it completely with Tinned Peas and then add Sage in places. Using Hyde Park and Holly dry brush some of the texture, especially the edges of the Grunge Paste to highlight it and add definition. Also on the sides and edges of the canvas add some Holly to add “dirtiness” and frame the canvas. 

Once this is dry lightly add Indigo Treasure Gold on a few of the raised texture and on the edges of the canvas. Take a piece of Kraft Card that will sit nicely in the middle of your canvas and rip the edges. Now scrunch up a page of text from a book and stick this to the Kraft card (the picture shows that I added Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo but they didn’t work with the canvas – hence the painting!). 

 

Before it has dried completely rip away some of the text page to add another subtle layer of texture. Paint this in Sage and add Holly to the edges of the Kraft Card. Stamp the butterfly lady from Letter 3. Stapled the moths to the Kraft card and finally glue the Kraft Card onto the canvas. I used a hot glue gun for this as I wanted it slightly raised up off the canvas.

Letter 3

I ummed and aahed as to whether to raise the moths up but really wanted to use staples to add another texture with the metal, so they are flat, but I think I would have preferred them raised. Next time I‘ll try them raised!

I am really pleased with the tissue paper effect and want to try it in browns for a different sepia style shabby look.  I also think the addition of fabric and string would be really good collage style effect to create even more texture.

Well I hope you like and give the tissue paper idea a go – have fun! I will be back tomorrow evening with another project.

Leandra Says: The stamped Tissue Paper alone looks brill Jo, the effect you have achieved on this collaged canvas looks totes-amazeballs. Love the placement of the stamped gentleman on the top right peeking out from underneath all that texture.

Gillian Says: Love the simplistic direction you took using the Moth images as the focal point, set amongst the wonderful textures Jo.