So Im not exactly sure where I took this photo, except that it was near Tekapo. This is the start of a work where I'm going to experiment with mixed media on a photo. I've started by printing it out large format onto some lovely 100% post consumer recycled paper that I have. Masked of the sides and painted in most of the water.
Loving the work of Kathe Fraga. Her work resembles aged decorative fresco panels, adorned with birds flowers, vines and leaves in a modern Chinoiserie style.
Tidy up the edges and it's finished. Sticking all the layers down was the tricky bit, making sure they were done in the right order and getting everything to line up across three panels. But pretty happy with the end result. What's missing from the pic is all the different textures in the paper which looks really nice.
A few things I learnt from this one.
- To get a really smooth glossy finish for the sky I'll probably need to sand the board a few times first. It's a little too rough at the moment.
- Thick paper layers with thin layers over the top need to run the full length of the piece or be added to with paper of equal thickness. Otherwise the thin paper folds over the thick and you can see too much of a line.
- Damar varnish takes a really long time to dry! Don't pick it up too soon.
All the different elements are done and the background is a nice deep blue, the next step is working our where to place them all...