Venus Astonished WIP Finally Done

This

Plus this:

Plus a little of this:

Plus a whole lotta that:

Plus a pinch of this:

Finally!! 
Equals this:

And the gratuitous close-up:

This is 16x20. 

How does one set a price for a 
mixed media thingy?

Where do I take it?

Do I walk cold into a local gallery? 

I suppose I could google it.

But I would much rather let my art friends

tell me the 411.

You have 48 hours. 

Then the googling begins. 

teehee.

xoS

BroknHearted Venus

That last background was pretty but kinda bored me. I've put it aside until Broknhearted inspiration hits.
So instead I embarked on 3 collages at once! I pulled out my stash of favorite commercial and self made paper and ripped and glued my way to happiness! The collage that most captured my interest started out like this:
Here the canvas is completely covered with paper and in the process of being drybrushed with gesso:
Used Caran D'Ache crayons to add some hair and have taped images around to figure out the composition I like most. The images are Apollo 7039 transparencies printed with an inkjet Epson C88 printer which uses Durabrite inks:

Wouldn't this be an awesome Blog Header? The collage sheet with Venus' image and the words is courtesy/property of Misty Mawn. You'll have to ask her for permission to use it as a header!! I did my part!! I used crayons and made it my own!! Thanks Misty!

Here are the tools for a caulk transfer ready to go:

The first transfer. You can see I used yellow crayon to outline the cut out image. This was done so I could see where to lay down the caulk with the least waste. I am still VERY new to this technique. In this photo, I am holding the now devoid of ink transparency.

Here is the wet transfer: I blended the edges into the canvas with the palette knife. You can see there are some areas where the ink did not transfer. Its ok. Distressed, I believe is the au currant term. I f'd up is what I would say. teehee.

Here is what Buddy Guy was doing while I was creating. He thinks he is a dog. He loves to chew. My paper towel rolls are fair game.

I had some extra caulk on my palette, so I used it up in my practice book pages. The manuscript and chess piece are good, the arches not so good, I used too much caulk in that spot. The girl and corner post thingy were both soft get medium transfer. Caulk beats that for clarity, IMHO.

Here comes the Tricky Part: adding the caulk to the face for the shell transfer. I think I used a little too much. I can't wait until Trial and Error becomes Experience. Feel me?? If I mess up the face, I've wasted Time, Effort, Supplies and My Sanity. Sweatin It Big Time:

48 Hours later. Caulk still not set well enough for me to do a couple more glazes and some detail work with pencils/crayons. I may even add a few more small transfers. My wheels are still turning.

This collage has a title I will add to the canvas. I think it's perfect. You'll see it when it's all done. Thanks for joining me for this Work In Progress! Now, whatcha think???? Good or Bad Give It To Me Straight. xoSusan

Divine Miss Marsha

I got one of those emails in which you are Shocked and Awed. Marsha Jorgensen, generous friend and Artist Of The Highest Caliber (sounds like one of The Knights Of The Round Table doesn't it, teehee) has honored me by FairyFying Moi. Marsha and I have connected on many levels. It has been a rewarding personal journey filled with The Good The Bad And The Ugly. teehee. Always real, always heartfelt, always kind. Rebirth is a subject we are both striving to claim in our lives, whether it be from our past experiences, our own misguided thoughts, or outside forces we can't control. On this path, we have laughed our butts off and learned from each other. It's tough being a woman, but it is also Joyous. Marsha's art portrays the Joy and Magic we need to seek more often in our lives.

copyright by Marsha Jorgensen 7/31/09. All rights reserved. You may NOT copy, download, or use this image in any way without my permission.

If you haven't visited Marsha's blog, TumbleFishStudio or her etsy site, please do. And just maybe, if you are very, very lucky you will be able to bring into your home and heart, A Fairy Full Of Magic. Thank you, Marsha. You are Divine. xoSusan