Mixed Media Mayhem - Live in the Layers - DLP - February 7

As usual I am behind by a couple of weeks in the Documented Life Project.    

February Theme

Layers You Will Love!

February 7

Art Challenge:  When Not To Stop

Journal Prompt:  "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough!" (Ooh)

I really enjoy their challenges and the opportunity to view hundreds of responses from people all over the world, but sometimes I work on my own impulses.  This particular challenge was especially appealing for its emphasis on layers.  I love layers - in art, in photoshop, in decor, in food... Also I have a poem,"The Layers," given to me by fellow artist and former student, Billye Miralgia written by 

Stanley Kunitz, Poet Laureate of the United States, 2000.  I kept the poem under glass on my desktop for years and this challenge represented an opportunity to use it in my work.

I began this challenge digging through all my scrap Gelli prints which in themselves represent the joys of spontaneous layers.  I choose one made with papyrus and other plants from my garden (which when viewed in any direction is a mystery of layers) and glued it into my journal.

Because the pages had a wide border I got out the Gelli plate (well one of them is always on my desktop) and printed some other foliage to fill in the gaps.

I printed directly on the pages and on some deli paper which i glued on top.  Is deli paper the most wonderful material for so little money?  If it is discovered as an art paper it will surely rise in price.  For the next layer (6) I added some previously printed deli paper that repeated the image of the papyrus.

I had a big decision on how to incorporate the poem...at first I thought of printing it on transparency sheets.  But to capture more personal meaning I hand wrote it on deli paper with a Faber Castel pen thus requiring a word by word relationship.  I hate my handwriting but went with recommendations of other artists to use it anyway.  Then I took the big plunge, handwriting my captions.

Just for translation, a photoshop rendering of what I wrote

For layers 9 and 10 I added stems of papyrus dried in my Microfleur and a coat of Golden Self-Leveling Gel to further preserve the fragility of the dried material.