I read on a blog that a good application of black could unify the composition…so I pulled out a graphic stencil and used a black Gelato and a baby wipe to rub on the black. I started out small and then just went crazy and filled in both pages. Gelatoes are water soluble..read smeary…so I put down a slapped on coat of clear gesso…a favorite product to avoid spray fixing. Wanting more layers I turned to some textured wallpaper to stamp on some contrasting color. The background felt finished but I had no idea what to do with it so it stayed that way for days.
I had a discarded book on my bedside stand that I decided to use as the visual element. I cut and pasted parts of the text to make a collaged girl and I gessoed and drew in her face…I hated it so I had to give her glasses and a focal piece to distract from her. I drew and cut the dog, then grounded them with text paper, and drew the leash. I saw the cat ad when having tea, and it just fit the space giving a reason for my dog's attention to that spot on the page. One accident led to another which led to "Opie Meets a Cat".
