Favorite Plaster Project: Journal

Some who keep art journals enjoy doing the covers FIRST.

They plan, dream and do.

Me, well, I PROCRASTINATE.

How do you bind 40 or so individual

pages with no apparent theme, 

together?

Part of the plaster course I participated in with Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee, was finding the many ways to apply plaster. The one I favored was working plaster into  rough burlap.

1. plaster on burlap, paint applied when dry. 2. burlap with sufficient plaster to make stiff, then deliberately cracked the surface by bending.

3. piece of painted burlap cut and being adjusted for book cover.

  

Burlap is adhered with yellow Elmer's Glue. Book weighted to

  avoid warping and thoroughly adhere/dry. 

(If you enlarge the photo you can see the cracked texture of the burlap, which is desirable.) I worked over this layer with multiple colors, sanding away color...and applying a wash of BU acrylic.

A piece of prepared burlap painted blue and cut into heart shape, plus odd Chinese coins were glued to the journal surface. Again weighted down with books and dried.

 

Finishing touches: acrylic and gouache painted face, small pieces of collage, and old brush were added to complete the cover. Acrylic finish over the top. 

This journal is nearly full. Yay! And for once there is a lovely cover to wrap it all up!

A few pages from the interior.

  This was a great experience and totally creative. I plan on covering other journals.....just don't hold your breath!!!

Have a great Friday...and for those in the path of the impending hurricane, I wish 

ALL  SAFETY and SECURITY. 

My BIGGEST WISH is for this hand of devastation to stay away from the coastline, and where it belongs in the OCEAN.

Plaster a New Medium

WE HAVE GOT TO GO UNDERGROUND, LIKE A SEED, SO THAT SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT, MAY COME FORTH.  TTWILLIAMS

I am pretty curious about any new art medium.

Then I read about a class working with plaster.

Yes, as in Plaster of Paris and Joint Compound.

The intensive course was taught by Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee, two very talented artists.  This course was the most professional, sharing, ground breaking class  I have ever taken. It is chock full of videos, specific information, short cuts and materials!

This was a A++ class with a very active on going forum.
 Judy and Stephanie first co-published a book

Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving

Like all new mediums there was definitely a learning curve for me. 
A bit like going underground and taking root. Those moments when one is taught humility!

A friend asked if I would post my first attempts at this medium.
 

There are interesting tools to use when working with plaster. The bowls I formed over old plastic bowls. 

On this small bowl I used gouache for the design. It soaks quickly into the soft plaster.
My next bowls will be more detailed.

My second piece was formed on cradle board. I excavated the design lines with the carving tools. Painted in acrylic, sanded then antiqued.

Similar technique on this piece created to give the impression of tiles.

The Pink Chicken is named after the little art studio I created for our grandchildren. The Pink Chicken Studio.

This technique is my favorite so far. I have used plaster over muslin and burlap. I then excavated (carved) into the plaster, did the design painting with oil sticks.


I am saving my favorite piece for another posting. It is the same technique. I adhered the burlap to a large journal creating a really fun cover.


I will show you the journal later this week.
You might enjoy looking at Judy and Stephanie's book. And more good news. They are in the process of producing an e-book that will cover everything that we did in class. Check their websites for further details.
Judy Wise    Stephanie Lee

When the weather cools down a bit, and I can once again work in the garage...(did I mention that this is messy stuff?)

I will keep on working at this new surface. 

It is way cool to do and fantastically creative.