2018 #2 Seth's NEW Fresco paints: What is it? with JoFY {by Keren Baker}

2018 Topic 2: Seth's NEW Fresco Paints

Is it a bird?......is it a plane? ......is it a bird feeder?......is it a key rack?..... submit answers on the back of a postcard please? or in the comments below as a 2018 option!  Keren doesn't know either...so whatever it is she did some stuff to it and it looks fab! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Keren Baker with you today and I'd like to share with you a project (that I have no idea what it actually is!!) using a wonderful blend of Seth Apter's new paints-Set 4.and some of the brand new JoFY stamps and stencils.

This was a fun project .... although I did wonder quite what it what end up like! 
I love Crackle Glaze 

... and it was perfect to show the contrast of the colours in the set; Venice Blue and Glacier Ice. I did have a problem with some of whatever was originally on the surface of the wood coming through, so if you are doing something similar and you have a wood with treatment on it, it might be worth doing a proper sand and clean before using Fresco layers.

This was it before; I would love to know what it's supposed to be. Please let me know in the comments if you know!. I wondered at a key holder or jewellery holder but they'd obscure the mirror. I really am none the wiser!

I decided to add some stencilling over the crackle glaze effect using Grunge Paste. The stencil I chose to use has such a useful negative (PS086) which means it protects the area around the stencilled image too.

I did love the contrast in textures between the crackle glaze and the Grunge paste. I didn't paint over it, but added some dry brushing with the Spanish Mulberry.

I decided to use the new stamp set JOFY61 and just cut out the images onto Smoothy. I didn't want to stamp over the paste and crackle as I wouldn't have got a clear enough impression.

JoFY's signature handwriting and lovely quotes are in evidence throughout her sets, and despite the colour combo at first glance seemingly quite masculine, I ended up loving the subtlety. I did sneak in some Green Patina as I did want a little green and the bluish tones just coordinated wonderfully with the other 4 colours. The uncharacteristically messy edges on the grunge paste were an afterthought, as the stencilling seemed to stop too abruptly and needed a softer edge. 

It certainly was a challenge to avoid bright rainbow colours, but I loved being taken out of my comfort zone and indeed having to have so little 'white' although arguably there's still plenty of 'white space'! I can't wait to combine Seth Apter's other paint set, as they will work so perfectly together. All his new paints are available from PaperArtsy stockists: see here for a list)

I really would encourage you to challenge yourself to a restricted palette. It's not something I do very often, and certainly not for fun; but there's something so easy about not having to think about whether colours go together as the paint set is pre-designed. JoFY's new stamps are wonderful as they're so versatile; I love that these flowers in the Spanish Mulberry suddenly became berries! Do have a scout around your local antique and charity shops to see what items you can breathe new life into!

In the meanwhile, I have to work out what I am actually going to do with this!! See you soon,
Keren xx

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