"Travel brings power and love back into your
life." – Rumi
TRAVEL: To go from one place to another, as on a trip;
journey.
From the time I was a child the word “travel” was the
genesis of my wanderlust. I couldn’t walk past a travel agency without stopping
to look into their store window. Gazing at posters showing incredible scenes of
cities that seemed so far away only fed my desire to travel. I wanted to learn about the lives of the
people depicted in those posters. I wanted to see for myself the towns and
cities that looked so enticing even when viewed through a plate-glass window. I
wanted to put pins in a map of all the places visited. I knew I was destined to live a nomadic life.
And I have been lucky. I have visited almost all of the
places that sparked my interest. And I found when traveling my journey enriched
not only my physical but my spiritual life as well. And this is why I am in love with the beautifully
crafted Artistcellar Labyrinth series. Let me tell you about the journey I wandered
in creating this collage.
Starting with my Strathmore Journal, I covered a page
with Dye-Na-Flow Midnight Blue fabric paint using a 1” foam poly brush. While
still wet, I splashed on Dye-Na-Flow Magenta followed by dripping rubbing
alcohol into the wet dye. As the page dried a soft floral pattern emerged.
Although I liked the effect, I wanted to see how the dye
would react on Mineral Paper. But this time I drizzled on a bit of rubber
cement before coating the paper. The
beauty of Mineral Paper didn’t disappoint! I liked the way the resist seemed to
flow with the dye one enhancing the other. Although the technique was the same,
I now had two distinct looks. Where my journal paper produced a soft velvet
effect, the mineral paper was watery, wild and wonderful. Looking at the backgrounds,
I couldn’t decide. Which one should I use in the final work? As the saying goes “You can never have too
much of a good thing”, so opted to use both.
In my last collage I featured the Chartres stencil. This
time I knew Crete was the one to use and stenciled directly on to the page in
my Journal beginning with Viva Decor Inka Gold. I liked the effect I got the
last time I used this product and polished it when dry with a soft cloth. It
then became a wonderful base for shades of Silver, Gold, and Rose Red acrylics.
The final element added was a vintage map.
Just working with the Labyrinths allowed me to recall the memories of my journeys. I believe travel empowers you to wander with
purpose and explore the passions that drive you. Travel is more than the
physical movement from one place to another. Travel resurrects the desire to
explore within and find love and serenity in just being present.
MATERIALS USED
PLAID FOLKART METALLIC ACRYLICS: Rose
REEVES ACRYLICS: Silver, Gold, Rose Red
DYE-NA-FLO: Turquoise, Midnight Blue, Magenta, Sun Yellow
VIVA INKA GOLD GLOSS PAINT
NATURAL SPONGE
SOFT CLOTH
1” FOAM POLY BRUSH
RUBBING ALCOHOL
RUBBER CEMENT
MINERAL PAPER
STRATHMORE Mixed-Media Visual Journal 300 Series-
5.5" x 8.5"
LABYRINTH SERIES STENCILS FROM ARTISTCELLAR
DIGITAL IMAGES – Purchased & Created
