Birds of a Feather-A Peek-a-Boo Project

I’ve always enjoyed bird watching and have a favorite one for each season. Spring is the Jenny Wren, as it reminds me of my mom hanging out laundry to dry on the clotheslines as the lilacs were blooming. Summer is for the Indigo Bunting that can be discovered on the river trail in the nearby State Park. Autumn is reserved for the mysterious Ravens made famous by Edgar Allan Poe. Winter is the chickadee; whose colors remind me of the most gorgeously weather barn-wood found in my old neighborhood. I have joined MD Birding Facebook page and am thrilled to know so many amazing creatures yet to be discovered. These are the inspirations for this art pieces. I am also using a new technique for me, the layering of paper napkins but I wanted to give them a tintype appearance as I love everything vintage and antiquity.

Supplies:  Triptych Arch Top-D9B, White Gesso, WOW Embossing Pad, Ice Resin Enamels in  German Silver and Pewter, Allure Embossing Powder-Hammered Metal, Heat Tool, Aluminum Foil, Weldbond, Scissors, Pencil, Rubbing Alcohol in a Spray Bottle, paper Towels, Silver Leaf Run ‘N Buff, Paper Napkins of Your Choosing, Matt Varnish Medium, Paintbrush, Quinacridone Gold Azur Acrylic Paint, Interference Blue Fine Acrylic Paint, Clamps, Deli Paper,

1.  Take apart GSLC Triptych Arch Frame.

2.  Paint back portion with white gesso.

3.  On front portion use WOW Embossing Pad and ice Resin Enamels in German Silver and Pewter along with Allure Hammered Metal to give it your desired look.

4.  Cure with a Heating Tool.

5.  On back panels trace onto aluminum foil and cut carefully with scissors.

6.  Glue onto back panels with Weldbond, smoothing down and wiping clean with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel.

7.  Coat edges with Silver leaf Rub N” Buff, clean again if necessary with rubbing alcohol and paper towel.

8.  Take apart 3-Ply Paper Napkins.

9.  Once you have the desired pieces collage your back panels using Matt Varnish Medium.

10.                I wanted a layered look so I put down the tree trunks and branches first then added the birds and apples later.

 

 

11.                As a final vintage layer, I made a wash out of Quinacridone Gold Azur Acrylic Paint and Matte Varnish Medium.

12.                Put GSLC Arch Frames together securing with Weldbond.

13.                Sandwich with deli paper and press tightly together with clasps.

14.                I added a thin layer of Interference Blue Fine acrylic paint over top to give a more metallic glow.

15.                As I will be using these for panels for my book s of boxes I did not latch them together. For directions on doing that go to my Becoming Butterflies Post from earlier.

Some final thoughts. Tintype Photographs always seemed a bit mysterious to me, a treasure rarely found in our modern world. They remind me of a forgotten world and time. They have a way of settling me and putting me into a calm space. I keep a few in a wooden bowl on my nightstand and look at them if I am having trouble sleeping. I make up stories for my “collected relatives” and slowly find my place of rest. Bird watching is another activity that calms me and brings me great joy. I like to imagine the birds with personalities and stories of their own to tell.