Mixed Media Mayhem - Rise Above

Documented Life Project Week of May 16

Art Challenge:  Modeling Paste

Journal Prompt:  Rising to the Occasion

The beauty of art journaling is in the opportunity to work out my ideas and feelings concretely while protecting my vulnerability.  I can vent and celebrate but do not have to explicitly express these intimacies.  My journal entry tells my story, but only to myself.  I have the genuine key to the secret diary, but I can invite others to look for their own meaning.

I was really inspired by this challenge - texture - modeling paste.  I have been in a whirlwind of art making.  Bins of paper everywhere.  I am determined to use what's at hand and make this part of my problem solving.  I had some beautiful deli paper left over from a printing session.  I was excited about the color, the crinkle, and the translucency.

I also have drawers and bins of alphabet stamps, stencils, masks, grungeboard, and lazer cuts.  I used a sheet where after punching out the letters, I could use the leftover as a stencil.

I glued the letters and numbers randomly to the background, then used the stencil first to spray dylusions and then, to apply a layer of modeling/molding paste.

To add variety while sticking to the theme, I used some of my large lettering stencils choosing the "A" for "above."  I was able to use the stencil two ways, first as a stencil, then as an image.  

To extend the graphic and the message, I used punched letters to spell "above," traced them with graphite pencil. 

To set off the square stencil I added tiny copper brads to attach it to the background.

To make the message more explicit I stamped "Seek Clarity" on a piece of Braille paper.

Now I have the composition to tell my story.