Button it up, Frida!

I loved so much the inspiration challenge on Art journal journey this month (it was Frida Kahlo) that I decided to go a step further an make a canvas piece out of it. I love playing around and I love experimenting with different techniques, so this time I really took my time on my canvas playground. Hope you like it:

I thought somehow that Frida’s image would go pretty good together with some buttons. Somehow the soft lace and shining buttons create a beautiful contrast with the black and white, strong woman image. My first step was experimenting with my image. It’s a free internet image from Frida, that I turned to black and white in photoshop, I wanted to print it on a special rice paper, which is a real mission as Chinese rice paper comes in rolls and it’s even thinner then tissue paper. The handcut edge and the extremely thin paper is not the favorite of house printers, and the second problem is that the paper being so thin it can come out as a big black smash. After a day of tryouts I managed. Well Frida is sitting on canvas, but I can show you a second image printed on rice paper roll.

So back to my Frida, I was beginning with a layer of cadmium yellow hue deep on my canvas. Then I stamped with France Papillon’s French journal page using aged mahogany randomly on my canvas.

Then I used Finnabair’s elementals (lace stencil) with Lindy’s stamp gang spray (bells of Ireland green), to add some more Mexican color to my canvas.

After it dried I added my Frida image, the rice paper melts into the background if you use gel medium (with other words it becomes transparent). I also added some white lace to it.

Next I painted my lace with Lindy’s stamp gang flat shot (hibiscus rose).

I missed some red from Frida and from my canvas. I didn’t wanted to have a full cover. And I also missed some grunge vintage look. So I decided to use an old technique to create a sort of pilled paint effect. I used vaseline, but any wax will do it. I wanted to use something that can be applied cold and a bit thicker in texture. I applied vaseline through Finnabair’s elementals bubble stencil. Then I painted my canvas with red iron oxide. This must be let to air dry, no other way, if you heat wax usually it becomes fluid, so no heat gun! After it dried, I wiped the vaseline away revealing the underneath layers.

Now I got that red and the vintage look as well. Bubbles were not enough for me, I wanted to add some buttons, so I did as a decoration under my lace and in Frida’s hair (somehow I thought she would be happy to replace her flowers with buttons). I painted the buttons with Lindy’s stamp gang flat shots (mango mania and caribbean blue) and for some shine I sprayed them with Lindy’s stamp gang sprays (autumn maple crimson).

I was splattering some with Bachelor button blue next to my image to emphasize the shadow.

And finally I I was bringing some green back with luscious lime (Lindy’s stamp gang). I painted my image, actually I added some color to Frida’s mouth and dress.

 I hope you also like my Frida, and the idea of buttoning her up.

I am sharing my work with Craft Hoarders Anonymous challenge #14: Button it up!