PaperArtsy: 2022 Topic 12 : Minimalism {by Etsuko Noguchi} with Ellen Vargo stamps

Tuesday, 16 August 2022

2022 Topic 12 : Minimalism {by Etsuko Noguchi} with Ellen Vargo stamps

Hi everyone, it's Etsuko My favorite things with you today, and I'm here to share with you my 'Square Mandala' project that for our current topic 'Minimalism' using fabulous Ellen Vargo's fine art stamps.

What I came up with in our topic Minimalism that we can see around us a culture of limited situations, spaces, colours, and shapes such as haiku, waka poetry, ink painting, stone gardens and tea rooms. So this time I made to create mandala using Ellen's geometric patterns and I hoped it works out to integrate colours and shapes.

At first, I wanted to use Ellen's geometric pattern Ellen Vargo stamp set 01, 03 and 09 (EEV01, EEV03 and EEV09) as they are without cutting or adding anything, so I made a square of drawing paper and put the stamped patterns on it and tried to see if they fit well. And happily they fitted well!!

Since the size of each square in the background was determined, the colour scheme was reduced to a few shapes of blue and the opposite colour of the focal point yellow and painted using masking tape. I used PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic paints Southern Skies (FF95), Summer Sky (FF150), Peppermint (FF189), Pea Coat (FF27), Pool (FF186), Snowflake (FF15) and Lemon Meringue (FF142).

First of all I made the spiral circles and paste outside the background frame, Peppermint (FF189) on the base, then stamped Ellen Vargo stamp set 02 (EEV02) on top of it with Ranger Industries-Archival Ink (Cobalt), and finally EEV01 with mixed Southern Skies (FF95) and Summer Sky (FF150).

I halved those spirals, and four per side just fitted !!

EEV01 triangles in the middle of the background were stamped with Pea Coat (FF27) based on the same mix of Southern Skies (FF95) and Summer Sky (FF150), and four pieces were made, cut and pasted.

Almost the entire mandala is composed of geometric patterns, but I also wanted a little decorative element in the mandala, so I added flower petals. However I kept the colours similar so that they would not be too showy, And yet I think those things softened the overall hardness.

The slightly bulging triangles of EEV01 are a good shape for a mandala, and I painted with Lemon Meringue (FF142) as base on paper, but the colour was a little bit bright, so I used Peppermint (FF189) for the rectangle of EEV02 stamped it, and it controlled bright color. Then I stamped EEV01 triangles on top of it with Ranger Industries-Archival Ink (Jet Black). The small circle EEV09 that comes in the center was also created here.

EEV03 diamond shape papers were stamped on the base of PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Pool (FF186) with Ranger Industries-Archival (Jet Black) and applied between the yellow triangles.

The spiral circle piece made earlier was placed in the center and the EEV09 small circle was attached last.

Finally each frame of the background was slightly changed with stamp and stencil. I stencilled the PaperArtsy Stencil by Scrapcosy (PS108) with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic - Lake Wanaka (FF69).

Next, EEV02 was masked and stamped on this area with Ranger Industries - Archival Ink (Cobalt).

Finally all pieces were pasted in place to finish.

In this project, the mandala itself is minimal, so my goal was to create a sense of unity throughout the mandala by reducing its ornamentation and colours, I have tried various forms of mandalas and finally settled on this one. Next time I will try to make a minimalism piece Ellen's stamps in the abstract method.

Thank you so much for visiting.

Etsuko xxx