Sometimes I start out rearing to go with a great idea for a background in mind and it all comes together, so much so that I fall in love with the background, and then I have a hard time covering it up. Such is the case with this piece I created the background on a 6x6 chunky canvas by first adhering pages from a book using fluid matte medium on the front and the sides of the canvas. I then gave it a light coat of Golden's titanium buff fluid acrylic mixed with a bit of transparent glaze. After that I added other colors mixed with glaze, rings of color from gesso and acrylics and then splattered it with watered down acrylic . The sides I painted black and white striped and 
then accented the edges with a water soluble oil pastel stick.
I loved the depth it has and how you can see a hint of the text from the book pages, but now what? I couldn't decide what to put on the front and there it sat for several weeks staring at me I hated the thought of covering the background up and nothing seemed worthy silly as that sounds! Until I finally decided to just go for it and cut a moon shape out of a book page and painted it with acrylics and then adhered it with gel medium. I'm loving it now and will probably do a matching sun to go with it.
I've come to realize my favorite part of creating a piece is creating the background yet with that comes the hard part of taking that next step to put something on the background. I wonder if other people have a problem with this as well, do you?
Aileen, you just waited until you came up with the perfect image for this background...and then you chose very wisely. And, similarly to what you did, I often construct art in what I think of as component parts, leaving a background piece or a focal piece for a long time until it tells me what to do next.
ReplyDeleteJoanne
I think this is just fabulous, Aileen - the moon image is so perfect for your lovely background.
ReplyDeleteI can quite understand your reluctance to put things on top of your backgrounds when they look as good as this!! :-)
This is a very cool piece. I do love the depth of the canvas. Makes for a great border. I love to play with backgrounds. I hold them until I find the perfect image.
ReplyDeleteAileen, It is great. The background and the foreground are perfect.
ReplyDeleteTammy
Aileen,
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem with a few canvas backgrounds. One I had for two years and then while I was staring at it, I saw a sparrow pop out of part of the background. Less than an hour later, I had him drawn in black ink and some lettering in the lower corner and the piece was done. Now, if only my other two and a half year old canvas would decide what it wants to be. I have nephews younger than this!