Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Angels in Our Backyards-A Peek-a-Boo Project

 

I have always love the song, One of Us, by Joan Osborn, because it reminds us that angels are among us. I like to think we have all the divine within us, the ability to choose good over evil, to be positive in our interactions, to treato others as we wish to be treated. I am not trying to get in a huge theological discussion, my faith is a simple one, modeled in grace, and elevated in love for others. These are the inspirations for this artwork.

Supplies:  (2) Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Little Niche Scalloped,  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Petal Corners, Crayons, Permanent Ink, Wood Grain Texture Plate, Watercolors, Paintbrush, TH Distress Stains of Your Choosing, DecoArt Terra Cotta Shale Green and Red Clay Textured Acrylic Paint, Golden Blue Lagoon and Titan Green Pale Acrylic Paint,  Fan Paintbrush, Resized Copies of Prints of your Choosing- I Used Angels and Backyard Pictures, Scissors, UHU Gluestick, Heavy Gel Matte Medium, Clamps, Ranger Glossy Accents, Premium Gemstones, FolkArt Matte Design Cream Gold, DIY Modern Mini Repositionable Tile Stickers, DecoArt Matte Varnish Medium, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Collected Bits and Bobbins,  Metallic, Green Gold Paint, Weldbond

1.  Gather Supplies.

2.  Use Crayons to Randomly Distress (2) Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Little Niche Scalloped

3.  Add Further Distress with Permanent Ink and a Wood Grain Texture Plate.

4.  Paint (2) GSLCuts-Little Niche Scalloped with Watercolors.

5.  Fill in Empty Spaces With TH Distress Stains.

6.  Add Texture and a Aged look with a Fan Paintbrush and DecoArt Terra Cotta Shale Green and Red Clay Textured Acrylic Paint.

7.  Add Another Layer with Fan Paintbrush and Golden Blue Lagoon and Titan Green Pale Acrylic Paint.

8.  Fold up Bottom Portion of GSLCuts-Little Niche Scalloped.

9.  Print Resized Copies of Prints of your Choosing- I Used Angels and Backyard Pictures.

10.                Cut to Size with Scissors and Glue to Cavity with a UHU Gluestick.

11.                Shape Bottom Portion of Niche and Glue Together with Heavy Matt Gel Medium.

12.                Hold Into With Clamps.

13.                Add Premium Gemstones To front Portion Of Scalloped Niche with Ranger Glossy Accents.

14.                Paint Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Petal Corners with FolkArt Matte Design Cream Gold.

15.                Once Dry Use Heavy Matte Gel Medium to Glue to Top Portion of Scalloped Niche.

16.                Cut DIY Modern Mini Repositionable Tile Stickers and Attach Where you Feel Best.

17.                Make a Stain of DecoArt Matte Varnish Medium and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold.

18.                Use Ranger Glossy Accents to Add Collected Bits and Bobbins to Niche Frame.

19.                Use Heavy Matt Gel Medium to Glue to Add Collected Bits and Bobbins to Niche Cavity.

20.                Antique Bits and Bobbins using Metallic and Green Gold Paint.

21.                Use Weldbond to Glue Top Portion Frame of GSLC of GSLCuts-Little Niche Scalloped to Bottom Cavity.


Some Final Thoughts.

A few years ago there were two  movements-Do Random Acts of Kindness and Pay it Forward.  One ask the recipient to pay the act of kindness forward-"Do onto others as I have done to you"-the other remains random and anonymous.   I see these as ways for us to be mindful of those that come into our circle of communication, these good deeds can show the other person compassion and empathy. The gestures can be done out of the goodness of the person's heart. with zero expectation of reciprocation.  A kind word and treating others with kindness costs us nothing but we can brighten their world for that moment and it cheers our soul too.

 

Another song I feel helps emphasize this idea of "Angels in Our Backyards" is Hands by Jewel.  


 


 

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Trilogy Triptych-A Peek-a-Boo Project


 Growing up Baptist I was often confounded by the Trilogy-the three in one-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-I never could understand how one entity could be three different manifestations.  I can understand a person having different ways of acting in various situations. In the end for me it not really matter, but I have always loved triptychs when I saw them in museums. I also find that many wonderful things come in threes, they are the inspirations for this artwork.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Arabian Triptych, Resized Related Images of Your Choice, Art Folk Design Creme-Gold, TCW-Stencil Butter-Turquoise, Black Embossing Paste, Scissors, Paintbrush, UHU Gluestick, Weldbond, Ranger Glossy Accents, Double Sided Tape, Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon

1.  Gather Materials.

2.  Resize Images of Your Liking and Print.

3.  Use Art Folk Design Creme-Gold, TCW-Stencil Butter-Turquoise and Black Embossing Paste and a Paintbrush To Paint Top Portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych Frame.

4.  Use a Pen and Back Portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych Frame to Trace the Portion of the Printed Images.

5.  Cut Out Images.

6.  Use a UHU Gluestick to Glue Images to Back Portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych Frame.

7.  Use Weldbond to Glue Top Portion of GSLC Arabian Triptych Frame to Back Portion.

8.  Press Weighted and Flattened Down.

9.  When Fully Dry add Ranger Glossy Accents , When Dry it Will Appear as Glass.


10.                Use Double Sided Tape and a Length of Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon to Connect Triptych Together.

Some Final Thoughts.

As stated wonderful  things come in threes. The Primary Colors-Red, Yellow, and Blue-Three Ring Circus-Three Little Pigs-the Three Stooges-Three French Hens-The Billy Goats Gruff-Three Sheet to the Wind-Three Piece Suits-Tricycles- Big Wheels-The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria-Three Blind Mice-3-D-On your Mark, Get Set, Go-Of the People, By the People, For the People-Up, Up and Away- Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil, see no Evil-Strongest Geometric Shape-Harry, Hermione, and Ron-the Rule of Three-Rock, Paper, Scissors-BLT-Shamrocks...Can you think of any others?

What would Christmas be without the Three Wisemen sometimes called Kings.

We Three Kings?

We three kings of Orient are;
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

Refrain:

O star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
guide us to thy perfect light.

[Refrain]

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain,
gold I bring to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
over us all to reign.

[Refrain]

Frankincense to offer have I;
incense owns a Deity nigh;
prayer and praising, voices raising,
worshiping God on high.

[Refrain]

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
breathes a life of gathering gloom;
sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

[Refrain]

Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Alleluia, Alleluia,
sounds through the earth and skies.

[Refrain]

I love Tori Amos' retelling of the story in her song, Star of Wonder. Give it a listen if you have never heard it before.