nathalie-kalbach

Abstract Mini Canvases

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I am on my way to NAMTA Art Materials World in Pittsburgh today. Stampendous! will have a booth there too and these are some mini canvases I created using my Stampendous! Signature stamps.

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Basically I created a background for each canvas with different color combinations using Acrylic Inks or Soft Body Acrylic Paint – having some fun dripping and dropping

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Using the templates that are included in my stamp packages with Soft Body and/or Heavy Body Acrylic Paints I added another layer.

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For the third layer I used the Stamps with an Embossing Pad and added various Aged Embossing Powders on top of it.

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Carefully heat embossed it as to not burn canvas and/or acrylic paints

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I love the texture this creates

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I then used the stamps with acrylic paints and added some colors here and there and tied some elements together

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I had loads of fun with those canvases

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Here are all the supplies I used:

nSupplies



have a wonderful day – I am sure that I will share some photos of the convention next week – I am looking forward seeing inspiring stuff and meeting some artist friends.

Nat

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Nat

Comments (5)

  • Sue Clarke

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    I just ordered the mish mesh stamp set and some embossing enamel. Woo hoo!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Embossing enamel…oh no, another supply that I need.
    These are great Nat and have fun.

    Reply

  • stephanie

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    LOVE LOVE LOVE! new items for my shopping list.

    Reply

  • Linda on the Prairie

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    Love those! I’ll be playing with your stamps this weekend.

    Reply

  • Riikka

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    I might end up sounding like a commercial – but I’m loving it! Really cool canvases!

    Reply

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Fallen Off The Edge Canvas

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This is my newest finished canvas – view from Jersey City towards New York City. As a friend asked me “What happened to Jersey City, did it fall of the Edge” – I felt “Fallen Off The Edge” is an appropriate title ;)

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This Canvas also pushed me almost OVER the edge. I had a hard time with the colors and the triangle shapes versus the stripe shape…I am now happy but boy it was quite a back and forth here.

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I am very happy with the texture and the coolest thing is when the light shines on it, it really glows.

I worked with lots of different acrylic paint media – here is a list for those of you interested

nSupplies



Have a gorgeous day

Nat

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Nat

Comments (5)

  • Laura Strack

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    What an incredibly beautiful piece, Nathalie. Your layering has always amazed me and I’m still mesmerized. Thanks for sharing. The inspiration is wonderful.

    Reply

  • Lisa

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    Nat, I loved seeing this evolve on IG.
    It is the best thing EVER that I’ve seen of yours.
    It’s truly stunning.
    I’d be proud to pay & hang that piece of art in my home.
    Love it!! x

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…you’ve crossed the line from scrapbooking to paper crafts to mixed media to art. Not to offend any one with the definition of “art”, but this is ART. Love it Nat.

    Reply

  • Jackie P Neal

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    Nat, This is truly a WOW canvas! Love the title, the colors, shapes, and textures! A stunning piece for sure! xo

    Reply

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Goals & Dreams – Art Journal Page

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Once in a while I find it a good idea to write down my thoughts about my goals and dreams…otherwise it is all just big New York Cheese Cake in my head ;) It helps to put things in words…- I just started writing in the swirls of my Arabesque Stencil and went wild where to finish my sentences, connecting things that might not make any sense for others to see.

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It was a really nice and fun process- I enjoyed taking the time thinking about this- you can mix up private and business goals and dreams…sometimes they go together anyway ;)

nSupplies



Have a beautiful day

Nat

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Nat

Comments (5)

  • Nurse Ratchet

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    FabUlous!!

    Reply

  • Jackie P Neal

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    Your stencil is perfect with your choice of colors Nat! Beauteous!

    Reply

  • Tracy

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    I tend to shy away from the fancy scroll/floral stencils and stamps, but the color combination you used is fabulous, especially against the black!

    Reply

  • Amante del Papel

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    amazing page!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Pretty cool how the spaces worked out just right for little journaling/dream spaces. I picked up your antique car stencil at my LSS last week and I’m itching to play with it.

    Reply

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CREATE Mixed Media Retreat in Dallas, Texas

Wohoo- I am going to Texas! I have never been there- so, I am very excited to teach classes at the CREATE Mixed Media Retreat in Dallas, Texas – September 17-21, 2014.

Here are the classes I am teaching:

Click on images to enlarge.

IT IS ALL ABOUT LAYERS: ARTJOURNAL CLASS (6 HOURS) • NATHALIE KALBACH
Date & Time Price Materials Fee
Friday, September 19• 9am-4pm $152 $15
Skill Level: All Levels Technique: Bookmaking & Art Journaling
You will leave with… a load of knowledge about paint media and techniques and various finished pages in your art journal.
Description: Create depth and dimension by adding several layers with different paint and other media to achieve intriguing art journal pages. Learn about different media and playfully explore how to express yourself in your art journal. It’s all about the layers—so come and join us!
Students Should Bring: Please bring 5-8 different colors of Acrylic Paints as well as Black and White Acrylic Paint, (Liquitex) Matte Gel Medium, (Liquitex) Gesso, a white and a black journaling pen, a water jar, brushes in different sizes and formats, a fashion magazine, 2-3 cosmetic sponges, an old credit card, a water mister, baby wipes, a paper roll, a craft mat, optional deli paper, a brayer, an apron, scissors, palette paper, a heat gun, and an/your Art Journal. I use a Ranger Dylusions Journal but you can also use a Strathmore Mixed Media Sketchbook – whatever you prefer to work in.
Click on images to enlarge.

ENCRUSTED SHRUBBERY CANVAS (6 HOURS) • NATHALIE KALBACH
Date & Time Price Materials Fee
Saturday, September 20 • 9am-4pm $152 $15
Skill Level: Intermediate Technique: Collage & Assemblage
You will leave with… a beautiful finished home decor item and lots of knowledge of techniques that you can apply in future projects.
Description: We will create a wonderful home decor canvas using Acrylic Paints, Stamps and Templates as well as Embossing Media and create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
Students Should Bring: Please bring 12×12 inch big stretched and pre-gessoed Canvas, 5-8 different colors of Acrylic Paints as well as Black and White Acrylic Paint, (Liquitex) Matte Gel Medium, (Liquitex) Gesso, a water jar, brushes in different sizes and formats, 6-7 cosmetic sponges, a water mister, baby wipes, a paper roll, a craft mat, a heating gun, an apron, scissors, palette paper, black permanent inkpad, versamark embossing pad
Click on images to enlarge.

TEXTURE HEAVEN ART JOURNAL (3 HOURS) • NATHALIE KALBACH
Date & Time Price Materials Fee
Saturday, September 20• 6-9pm $89 $25
Skill Level: Intermediate Technique: Printmaking & Surface Design
You will leave with… a finished texture art journal and lots of technique ideas for future projects.
Description: Create wonderful texture pages with monoprinting, stenciling and stamping techniques, encrust them with different Embossing Media and bind them together in a beautiful tactile art journal.
Students Should Bring: please bring 3-4 colors of not too thick Acrylic Paint- I prefer Liquitex Soft Body 4 pieces of lettersized sturdy white cardstock or sketch book paper, (Liquitex) White Gesso, Brayer, Rubber Brayer, Black Permanent Ink Pad , Versamark, Heating Gun, 6-7 Cosmetic Sponges, Baby Wipes
Click on images to enlarge.

TEXTURE GALORE CANVAS (3 HOURS) • NATHALIE KALBACH
Date & Time Price Materials Fee
Sunday, September 21 • 9am-12noon $89 $20
Skill Level: All Levels Technique: Collage & Assemblage
You will leave with… a wonderful tactile canvas that serves as a home decor item.
Description: In this workshop you will create a stunning and unique canvas that will be a wonderful home decor item. Learn how to create dimension and texture with tissue paper, items of daily life, acrylic paint, lace, burlap, and gesso. Learn how to reveal the interesting and eye-catching texture with acrylic paints, art bars and acrylic inks and add some fun stamping techniques on top.
Students Should Bring: Please bring 12 x 12 stretched primed canvas, 5-6 different acrylic paints – colors you like, black acrylic paint, pencil, 2-3 sheets of plain white 12 x 12 cardstock, water jar, brushes in all sizes bristle and round, apron, cosmetic sponges, baby wipes, scissors, black journaling pen, White Gesso (Liquitex) , Matte Gel Medium (Liquitex)

I hope I will see some of you there! You can register here
Have a gorgeous day
Nat

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Become Your Dream – Art Journal Page

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Become your Dream – it’s up to you!

For this art journal spread used layered stencil- like my crackle stencil and the Cityscape Stencil by my friend Julie – on top of each other and used Liquitex spray paints. I really love how the background pops out with those darker colors sprayed on top.

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I sprayed on top again with a lighter color using my Circuit Stencil and also did some marks using markers (they are called markers for a reason, aren’t they? snigger)

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I love the results when you use acrylic spray paints- I am so happy about the weather getting better now so I can use them more.

nSupplies



Have a beautiful day

Nat

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Nat

Comments (4)

  • Denise spillane

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    Love these pages. Great stencils

    Reply

  • Tracy

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    A nighttime cityscape, the love the bright colors against the darker background colors. It looks better with just a bit of black, but with blues and greens. Those stencils are incredible!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    The circuit stencil is so much more versatile than I had thought it would be. Nice combo and I love the strong, vibrant colors that you get from spray paints Nat.

    Reply

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Social Media … or Grumpledump Art Journal Page

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It’s the century of Social Media! We are all so freaking happy and authentic – oh yeah!

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Don’t get me wrong- I love Social Media as you can tell- but sometimes…sigh .

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I used some popping Liquitex Acrylic Paints on the Creative Palette and did some mono printing using the templated included in my Wired Stampset. This was a warm up page in my art journal which looked pretty much stupid weird unfinished- but when I sprayed the teal color over it – everything somehow looked fab and the colors popped even more.

That is why I love an art journal – it can be whatever you want it to be. It can be your art mournal, grumpledump book,  encouraging book, experimenting journal, journal journal…or all of it…which is pretty much what mine is  – this page is a grumpledump page ;)

nSupplies



have a wonderful non grumpledump day ;)

Nat

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Nat

Comments (2)

  • Tracy

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    The teal and green are fab together, and I love the stamp print. Grumpledump is awesome, fits purfectly with the mood of the page!! :P

    Reply

  • Linda on the Prairie

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    Grumpledump is such a wonderfully rich descriptor, almost as rich as the page!

    Reply

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Artvergnugen at The Ink Pad in NYC – Dates & Themes for May and June are up!

NatKalbach_ArtvergnugenAd

The new dates for Artvergnugen at The Ink Pad in New York City are up for May and June (April is already sold out- there is a waiting list) :

  • PanPastels! – May 9th
  • Wax & Oilbars! – June 27th

It starts the moment you sit down, an experience that is distinctly Art Journaling. A quick exhilaration, a sense of control, the art media’s surprising responsiveness as if they were simply an extension of you.

There is a word for this creative experience: Artvergnugen ! Artvergnugen is what makes your journal a piece of art.

Join Nathalie once a month and play each time with a different art medium or supply. Learn techniques, tips and tricks to take your art journaling further and turn it into Artvergnugen.

You will have to bring basic supplies – list on The Ink Pad Website – while Nathalie will bring the art medium/supply of the month for you to share. Sign up for as many of the sessions you want but be quick – space is limited.

Have an amazing day

nat

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Nat

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The Evil Look or…The Whatevers

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Are you ready for the next photo of the Second Round of Whatevers? If you missed what the Whatevers is all about (basically they are photos that my friends and I found on flea markets etc. and that we give a new life and story) or want to see all the past photos and takes…check it out here.

Click here to see what Cat, Vicki, Martha and Cuchy made out of the photo and which story they tell.

Here is my take on this month’s photo:

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Martha shot her new son in law another evil look just to ensure he understood her earlier whispered message during the rehearsal dinner: “If you ever make my little girl cry…I make you regret the day you were born!”

The little girl and her husband lived happily ever after!

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When we saw this photo we all laughed hysterically- I think it is too funny and it reminded me that I actually do have a photo of my great-great grandmother with a similar evil look – she was known as someone who was absolutely humorless – LOL.

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I love the little orange here and there peaking through the blue. Loads texture here.

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And here is the photo of this month’s Whatever for you :

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You can play along with us and share your story with the Whatevers- just link it up so we can see it :)

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Here is how it works

  • Vicki, Cat, Cuchy (Carmen), Martha and I and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
  • Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
  • If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you to download and show us your version of The Whatevers. The photo will be posted at the end of our blogposts- not on Facebook!
  • There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking- WHATEVER
  • There is no rules on the length or the form of the story– it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
  • There is no rules on the artform you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an artjournal page – WHATEVER
  • Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us and show us your story.
  • These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
  • If you want to participate we’ll have a linky list for each Whatever Post.
  • You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

 

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Here is what I used for the art journal spread:



Have a gorgeous day- no evil looks though ;)

 

Nat

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Nat

Comments (5)

  • Cuchy

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    LOL good advice… or better warning.
    I heard my father telling the same words :)
    Love the “new and colorful porch”

    Reply

  • Vicki Chrisman

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    Super fun Nat! I always LOVE how you use COLOR!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    Funny how many folks in the older vintage photos look miserable. I guess it was just a sign of the times. I assume that they didn’t have many pics taken so they wanted a “serious” one to display.

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

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      LOL Sue- I think it might be also because they had to wait forever? I am not sure- but I guess I would have looked miserable too ;)

      Reply

  • Catherine Scanlon

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    Haha, my husband calls that the evil eye! Love the story and the orange does look GREAT!

    Reply

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Put a Bird on it …or Playing with Transfer Techniques

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I was working on a fun assignment and created this grungy transfer for it. I printed out a nice photo of a graffiti wall which I had taken back in Germany and blew it up and then did the Transfer using Liquitex Gloss Gel. For a nice and even sheen I glazed over the transfer with some Liquitex Acrylic Inks mixed with Gloss Medium & Varnish – filling in the gaps too . I love the kind of torn poster wall effect this gave . This was exactly what I was going for.
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I collaged over some parts and painted in the bird with a brush and black ink. Also sprinkled some of the ink with a brush on the paper. I glued down some bird feathers with the Gel Medium and voila – done. Love it.

I will teach this as part of my upcoming class “Acrylic Media – Demystified” at the Ink Pad in NYC -so if you want to join – I would love to have you. The class will take place at Westbeth in the West Village and we will explore loads of fun media and techniques.

Here are the supplies I used for the transfer

nSupplies



Wishing you a gorgeous day

Nat

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Nat

Comments (2)

  • nanou49

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    i love this mysterious birdman gorgeous page!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

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    I like the effect, but I have to admit that the bird man kinda freaks me out.

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