A big collage part 1

 This collage took several days, and is really the culmination of what I had been exploring in the 2D fine art project to this point. When I had finished it I heaved a sigh of relief but actually there is so much further I could go, even just within this project. However we are on to 3D fine art from next week, so my mind has moved on! However here is part 1 of the big collage!

These first few pictures show writing which I intended to be covered up with paint. I have realised how much I love to have a story to my work, but as my tutor pointed out to me, it doesn't need to be obvious to everyone.

Bible verses are the foundation of my life so they are the foundation of this art work

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Painting over the verses was easy!

 Inspired by the work of Alan Bean - an Apollo astronaut turned artist who uses his moon bookts and tools to create texture in his paintings, I used pallette knives and my and Adrian's wedding rings in the acrylic paint. I mixed the paint with gel medium to allow it to hold the texture.

Grass created with pallette knife

I hoped this purple would show through where the wedding rings lifted the paint.

I rubbed in other shades of green acrylic and gold paint to highlight the texture.

Wedding rings created the sky texture - they look like planets or moons.

To create stars I used a spattering technique, making sure I masked off the grass.

 

I wanted to add a moon and a galaxy to my painting but I know I couldn't paint to the same standard as a photograph. However when I put the printed off galaxy on the piece it didn't work because printer black is too different from acrylic paint black. So it was bye-bye galaxy. The moon looked ace though!

My beautiful full moon

My awful galaxies!