Around The World in 80 - Steampunk - Bombay - Mini Mixed Media Tutorial

 As promised, I'm back to share more of the mixed media artwork I recently completed for the CHA Winter Show last week along with a few snapshots of some of the wonderful artists I met  along the way for those of you who don't follow my FB posts.

Suze Weinberg and Yours Truly

When I first began to explore the mixed media/altered art world  in 2006, one of the first artists I ran across on-line was Suze Weinberg.  Well, I'm here to tell you for a fact, she is every bit as delightful and loving and kind as you may have gathered from watching her many on-line videos.  Suze, I love ya!   What a treat it was to meet you.   Thanks for all of your encouragement and for your generous blog post review!   

 Back to the art.....

One of the unintended and  enjoyable consequences of searching for images to consider  for this project was how much I learned about the various cities.  I became an armchair traveler as I scoured the internet for copyright free images to collage. Bombay was one of my top favorite "Destinations".  I love the  rich and vibrant colors, flavors and the spirit of its people.

I'd like to quickly clarify, that while the Taj Mahal is indeed not located in  Bombay,  to me it is such an enormous architectural icon for India, I couldn't resist using it in the background.  Is this what they meant as an "Artistic License"? 

Here's where my "musings" took me.... aka  What Were You Thinking?

The sadhu is seated on the steampunk sacred cow who I equipped with a metal "OM" symbol (solar powered by the way)  in Sanskrit  and the beginning  syllable in the common mantra " Om Mani Padme Hum ."

If you look closely  (it's easier in person!) you will see the sadhu is holding a key that rotates the "OM" symbol similar to a dharma wheel.   It really works.  I swear.    While he  rotates the OM, the steampunk sacred cow moves forward and  accumulates wisdom and good karma. The Ever-Ready Steampunk Sacred Cow.  Who knew?

Around The World in 80 - Steampunk - Bombay

24x24 x 1.5 inch mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

Image Credits:   Holliewood Studios and Eena Creations - www.deviantscrap.com

Copyright 2013 TwoDressesStudio

All Rights Reserved
-SOLD-

Mini-Tutorial

Supplies and Materials

Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Craft Attitude ( 7 8.5 x 11 inch sheets)

Handmade Textural Paper (for border)

Iron (see TIP below) or Laminator (depending on finished size)

Parchment Paper (to protect iron and Craft Attitude film)

Copyright Free Images

Acid Free Glue (for handmade cotton paper)  and E6000 glue (for metal ephemera)

Ephemera (stars, sprocket, letters)

Liquitex Satin Varnish 

Large Paint Brush 

Exacto Knife

Scissors

Computer/Inkjet Printer

 

This collage has seven individual layers to it including the handmade paper border in ochre and silver that wraps around the edges of the canvas.  Unfortunately, I do not have a series of step-by-step photographs.  Next time!

1.  Image of Western Hemisphere -  inkjet printed onto canvas and then stretched and wrapped  (24x24x1.5 inches)

2.  Print images onto Craft Attitude with any inkjet printer.  Cut out the images as desired.

3.  Place canvas on a secure surface,  and  using an iron on a cotton setting over parchment paper,  layer and adhere images one at a time sequentially.   Much like a sandwich - secure surface, canvas, image printed on to Craft Attitude, parchment paper and the iron.  Repeat with each image.

 TIP:  You may want to first test your iron on a small remnant of the Craft Attitude film.

If you are creating a smaller composition, you also have 3 other alternatives for adhering the Craft Attitude film to your substrate - with a glue stick, with a spray adhesive, or if you are working on a flat substrate, you can run the substrate and the Craft Attitude film together, sandwiched between a carrier sheet through a heat laminator.  

4.  Create border with paper of your choice.  I like the handmade cotton papers because if there is any seams created, the fibers on the edges seem to blend well.

5.  Apply a coat of varnish to seal the images (optional).


6. To finish,  I added the Sadhu's sandals, the wing and sprocket on the cow's ear,  the stars that I sprayed silver and distressed and finally the letters to spell Bombay.  As you can see below,  I had initially altered the cow digitally to add the wheels (inspired by Hollie Haradon's Steampunk Animals Kit) but reverted back to regular hoofs on the final canvas.

 Here are a few of the 'screen captures' as I mapped out the composition:

Next up this week:  Chunky TEXTURAL ATC wood blocks!  Thanks for dropping by - I hope you enjoyed the "Why and How I Created This" as much as I enjoyed creating it!

FYI - Craft Attitude is available for purchase  here

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