Monday, January 12, 2015

Monthly Faber-Castell Challenge

It is that time of the month when Mou posts her monthly challenge on the Faber-Castell blog.  Thc challenge this month is January: the first month of the year! A time of making new resolutions, fresh starts, starting again. It's the time of new beginnings. Your challenge this month is to create anything to celebrate new beginnings. 


This is a 5 x 7 canvas board.  It is a gift for a young lady in her 20's who has ventured forth to live her dream.  I know that she can do it but she sometimes battles her demons and they try to break her wonderful spirit.  One of the demons right now is also cancer.

The canvas represents being positive.  You have two choices - glass is half full or half empty - choose the positive one - choose the sunshine not the rain.  Although that monkey looks pretty happy in the rain.  Must be the snazzy little slicker and boots she is wearing.

Why a monkey - she loves monkeys.  Why a huge orange sun - aren't suns yellow - well orange is her favorite color.

I covered the canvas with gesso.  I just plopped some gesso on the board and then I took a paper towel and blobbed it around the canvas so I got some different texture - not the normal paint brush nothingness.  I then colored the gesso with gelatos.  I scribbled them on and then smeared them with my hands and some water.  The monkey was stamped on a gessoed piece of a book page and colored with different mediums.  He was glued to the canvas with gel medium.  The sun was a combination of different mediums to achieve the color I wanted.  I stamped the sentiment.  I added the little flowers last because I thought that added to the sunshine.  I used the Glass Bead Glitter Gel on the sun and also on parts of the monkey.  I added some texture with Whipped Spackle and a stencil.

I finished the canvas off with one of the Big Brush Pens around the edge (bright pink) and softening the edges with my fingers.

I know it will maker my friend smile and hopefully it will help her stay positive in this next big adventure called life.

1 comment:

Cora said...

Nice backstory Barb. Your canvas should be inspiring to her.