Blog: A Look Back

A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 09

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m looking at Gesso – yes that mixed media essential in my opinion. It has so many fun qualities and uses that it’s time to celebrate the powers of Gesso!!! Here’s a look back at some of the ways I’ve used it over the years. Enjoy!

 

Let’s start with the basics – why I call Gesso a Must-Have. I wrote this post back in 2015 but my feelings haven’t changed. Check out the original post for a really nice overview of the medium and some examples of it in action, as well as why I sometimes affectionately call it Dumbledore!

In 2015 I also shot a fun video showing Gesso and Acrylic Inks working together for background bliss. Check out the original post here to watch me create a textured background that gets layered up with luscious colored inks.

Let’s talk Black Gesso. Wow this is definitely the stuff I go to for BOLD backgrounds. If you want a patterned stencil (like my Exchange Place stencil here) to POP, Black Gesso is your BFF. Check out this post from 2018 for the full art journal spread to see why Black Gesso is just as essential as white.

And then there is Gold Gesso! Who isn’t a sucker for a bit of shiny metallic gold? I love to use it like I have here with my Amsterdam stencil – just a bit of high impact Gold Gesso pattern to adorn this art journal spread from 2018.

Looking waaaay back to 2012 for this one folks :)  I had a LOT of the same kind of black felt letters and decided to spruce them up in this vintage post with… you guessed it: Gesso! Gesso is fantastic for covering stuff up and giving you a nice surface for almost any kind of media on top. In this case, some markers. So thank you Gesso for helping me give these letters new life.

Speaking of covering things up – how about this art journal spread from 2017 where I use Gesso to tone down that extra hot background just a tad to give me a spot for journaling. Gesso is perfect for covering and giving a visual break from a wild background.

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some different things now too.

Here are some of the supplies I used in these posts:

Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 08

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m looking at some beautiful stenciled background from my Creative Squad alumni archives. These are some gorgeous and inspiring ideas using my stencils. Here’s a look back. Enjoy!

First up we have an art journal page from Creative Squad alum Josefine Fouarge. She blended my Toledo stencil down into my Art Deco Wallpaper stencil for a dramatic sky. I love the idea of an ombre effect that uses both color AND pattern! And that cityscape? That’s my Midtown foam stamp set :)

Next we have an exotic touch from Creative Squad alum Gwen Lafleur. She used my What’s the Point stencil and my Lily Wallpaper stencil for this art journal page devoted to adventures. The black, red, and gold color palette definitely transports us somewhere far off and interesting :)

From Creative Squad alum Tina Walker we have this fun background using my Beacon stencil that has me thinking about fireworks. You can reinterpret stencils in so many ways and see different things in the designs.

I absolutely love this colorblocked pattern using my Toledo stencil by Creative Squad alum Cheiron Brandon. Using blocks of color like this across a pattern is a cool way to mix things up with a stencil.

And finally we have this beautiful sunset from Creative Squad alum Michelle Rydell. She used my Toledo stencil with a bunch of spray inks for a gorgeous wash of color that we can’t get enough of!

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my Creative Squad archive and maybe you are inspired to try some different things now too.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:

And hurry into the shop because my Exchange Place ArtFoamie is now just $4!!! Super cool pattern and super great price!

Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 07

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m looking at some stenciling ideas from my blog archives – projects and techniques that make the most of your beloved stencils. Here’s a look back. Enjoy!

This was a cool page I did back in 2013 with my Circuit stencil. I sprayed my stencil with black spraypaint and while it was still wet I flipped it over and rolled it with a brayer. Voila! Reverse printed stencil magic :)

This was a stencil project I did on my staircase when we moved into our apartment in 2013 – and funny enough, now we need to paint over white again as we are moving to our new home soon :) It was a neat idea to personalize the risers of the stairs with a message, but it could be also nice to do a pattern stencil like my Amsterdam or maybe Van Vorst…. Hmmm thinking about decorating ideas lol

Back in this 2014 post a friend surprised me with a piece of handmade pottery, glazed with my Elephant March stencil on it! I am still thrilled with this and love how many different types of artists can use my stencils for amazingly creative things.

In this 2016 art journal page I used a stencil and a baby wipe to remove paint and create a pattern. This is so easy to do and it lets you use your stencils in yet another way.

And finally when you have a really crazy colorful background that needs some toning down and unification, I go for a stencil. Here I used my Art Deco Wallpaper stencil and some gray and white paint to bring this 2014 art journal page together.

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some different things with stencils.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 06

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m looking at foam stamps and some ideas for using them in ways you maybe didn’t think about, even with the help of my March Foam Stamplifier Challenge. Here is A Look Back. Enjoy!

You can use foam stamps in the canvas staining technique – just prepare your canvas staining solution (I used Flow Aid by Liquitex in this 2016 blog post) and use with acrylic inks. The canvas readily absorbs the color in a soft, washy way.

You can also paint directly onto a foam stamp with high flow paints as Cheiron Brandon did in 2016 for my Creative Squad. She spritzed the stamp with water and then got multiple colorful impressions from it on watercolor paper. Each was unique and super fun!

I made a little video here that may inspire you to try some different methods of “inking” your foam stamps. It’s nice to find the way that you are comfortable using foam stamps and in the video I show 3 easy methods.

In another helpful video I made back in 2016 I show how to reverse a foam stamp image using a gelli plate. This is an easy technique that you can use to create mirror images or patterns with a reverse.

If you are looking for a summer project with your foam stamps, here is a flower pot decorating tutorial I made. I used standard clay pots and acrylic paint to give my herb pots that summer a bit more personality.

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some new things with foam stamps.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 05

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

All month I have been posting Nat’s April Patterns videos on Instagram showing how to make patterns with my new rubber stamps. It’s been a lot of fun and maybe you are looking for ways to use these patterns, so this time I’m going to show posts and projects using rubber stamps! Here is A Look Back at some ideas. Enjoy!

First is an art journal spread from a couple year ago where I used watercolors to color the rubber stamped cityscape I built. I love how easy and quick it can be to add color to stamps in this way. Here I started with my Stroll Through the Hood 1 and 2 stamp sets and then added bright hues that make me happy.

When I was on that same kick of creating neighborhood scenes with rubber stamps from my Stroll Through the Hood 1 and 2 stamp sets, I tried something different in this art journal spread: I colored them using fluid acrylic paints. You have to be a bit more careful to stay in the lines, but it’s a much bolder effect.

In 2017 Kim and I had this playdate where we used rubber stamps on white ceramic pieces – flower pots and vases. Here she is using stamps from my Cardboard set and from my Embroidery set. You can find a lot of plain white ceramics online that are just begging for a little personality.

In 2018 Kim and I got together for this playdate to use rubber stamps as a pattern for embroidery. Here is my Craftsman stamp from the Stroll Around the Block set getting an embroidery treatment on a t-shirt. It’s fun and relaxing and you get a really unique clothing item in the end.

And finally, from back in 2016, Creative Squad alum Michelle Rydell used embossing powder to make this rubber stamped bird really pop on a black background. Using embossing powder with rubber stamps is fun to begin with and once you add a dark background – wow. I love it!

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some of the rubber stamp techniques I shared.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

Comments (1)

  • julie

    |

    I loved your art journal page with the gold gesso years ago! I bought some and the jar was broken and a hot mess but had fun applying it to everything in sight. This year I tried the clear gesso on top of an IOD transfer on a journal and it was very nice indeed to watercolor on. Thank you for the reminder to dig up those old tools and make them new again.

    Reply

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 04

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m looking at scale – and using the same patterns and designs in different scales to make magic happen in your work. Here is A Look Back at some ideas. Enjoy!

First up is using my Large Circle Jumble stamps along with my Small Circle Jumble stamps together in an art journal spread. The effect creates a depth to the background. Pretty fun way to create a little 3D environment for my Millie stamp.

From way back in 2016 I combined my Manhattan Border with my Manhattan Positive Negative foam stamps in this background. You can see in the finished art journal page here how this makes a complex but cohesive background to build on.

A year later I again used two of my Manhattan designs in different scales for another art journal background. This time it was the Manhattan 9×12 and Manhattan 4×4 stencils. I love how this gives the background more energy than if it were all just the same.

In this art journal page I combined my Santiago stencil with my Santiago foam stamp for a more subtle push and pull in the background. It shows that even a slight difference in scale can have a cool effect.

And finally, from Creative Squad member Maura Hibbitts, we have a collaged photo along with my Adirondack Chairs stamp to show how repetition in different sizes can provide emphasis for a subject matter.

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try playing with scale in your artwork.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 03

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m going to show posts and projects using one of my favorite tools – stencils! Here is A Look Back at some ideas. Enjoy!

First up is a classic – use your stencils with acrylic paint! But wait, there’s more: in this Art Journal spread I chose to use 2 different stencils that have the same pattern but in different scales: my Amsterdam 9×12 and my Amsterdam 6×6 stencils for an all over background. It is a subtle variation that gives more push and pull in the background.

How about taking your stencils and using them on fabric items? I did that here (in 2013 wow) with my Elephant March stencil, some acrylic markers, and acrylic spray paint on what we Germans call a “Heel Porsche.” Stencils are a great way to personalize everyday items.

Embossing paste is another fun medium to use with stencils. In this art journal spread again from way back, I used my Circuit stencil and some shimmery gold embossing paste to start the page and then added and subtracted inks overtop. You can gently wipe away the inks on top and reveal the embossing paste. And it has nice texture. Win win.

How about a little subtraction? Here I created a pan pastel background and then used my What’s the Point stencil and erased through it for some nice dots here and there. I love the softness of this technique.

And then I took the same What’s the Point stencil and embellished onto it with some acrylic markers for this art journal spread. Once you have the stencil pattern down you can jazz it up in all sorts of ways. So many options!!!

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some of the stenciling techniques I shared.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 02

A Look Back – a blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m going to show posts and projects using one of my favorite tools – bamboo sketching pens. I love to use them to add marks and writing to my pages and they usually help me loosen up too. Here is A Look Back at some ideas. Enjoy!

Let’s start with the essentials :) Yes the bamboo sketching pen is right there (number 6), front and center, in my Art on the Go Kit. This is the stuff I travel with so that I can create whenever and wherever the mood strikes me. Check it out.

How about some sketching with the bamboo pen on deli paper and then collaging it into your art journal? You can see the full spread here. I also used my Amsterdam stencil for the subtle background pattern and my Grove Street foam stamp for the circles.

Here’s a blast from the past – 2015 to be exact. And I used the bamboo sketching pen for some lettering in a scrapbook page. I also added some cool patterns to the circles in the page using my Marks stamp set – still have a couple of those left in the online shop where they are super on sale ;) Check out the entire page here and you can even catch a video of me talking about my products in that post!

In this art journal page I used the bamboo sketching pen for sgraffito – scratching into the paint in the background. And then I used it to draw with acrylic ink around the figure. See the original post from 2015 here.

And Finally, I like to use the pens also just to draw – as I have done here with the two women. It is a loose way to draw and a lot of fun. Here is the original spread. I used my Central Ave,  Broadway, and Grove street foam stamps for the circles in the background and my Downtown foam stamps for the patterns at the bottom.

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some of the bamboo sketching pen techniques I shared.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


Nat

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A Look Back – Cool Stuff You May Have Missed 01

A Look Back – Today I’m starting a new blog series to show you some projects and posts that you may have missed – sometimes going WAY back in the archive. I think it will be fun to revisit a few ideas that we haven’t seen for a while. I’m excited to see how a little look back might inspire something new in the future :)

This time I’m going to show things related to the theme “Layers”. I am big on layering in my art journal and my mixed media paintings. Layers can do a lot for you when you’re trying to pull a piece together or give a spread a little extra oomph. Here is A Look Back at some ideas. Enjoy!

First is an Art Journal spread way back from 2013 when I was just planning my move to the US! I went a little crazy with layering up the background here with my Circuit and Crackle stencils and all kinds of media. Check out the full post to really see all the deep layering I created.

This is an Art Journal page where I used a stencil as my final layer to resolve a not-so-great background. I had done a lot of stamping and stuff underneath and wasn’t too happy with it. Then I added my Buenos Aires stencil as a final layer and presto! Background resolved and now I love it. You can check out the full spread here.

Here’s another Art Journal page from 2013 where I played with spray paints and stencils to build up a really layered background. I still love how grungy it turned out and totally works with the mood of the page.

Next I want to talk about choosing a strong focal point in contrast to a layered and complex background. Sometimes you need a place for the eye to rest. Choose wisely – this focal point will be the “focus” of the piece :) Here I used my Lady Liberty stamp to grab your attention. You can see what the page is all about here.

How about layering up a combination of marks – both stamped, stenciled, and by hand? I love to mix it all together to create something that really is fun to make and to look at in the end. This is an art journal spread from 2017 where I’m mixing up my Kassel and Manhattan stencils, my Versailles foam stamp, and my Satin Doll rubber stamp. Lots to look at :)

Creative Squad alum Marsha Valk did a wonderful layered project for us back in 2017 involving the use of embossing powders and resist to create these “faux batik” papers with my Batik stencil and Batik 3 foam stamp. You can check out her video in the post – it shows just how she both adds and subtracts layers to make these super fun designs.

Finally how about a layered landscape I created back in 2015. I call this painting 2 Tallest and it’s the view of the NYC and Jersey City skylines from the perspective of the Statue of Liberty. You can see a little video in my original post of how I layered up paint and stencils to create the mood of the piece. This view never gets old btw! I’ve got some nice Giclee prints of this one still available too :)

I hope you enjoyed A Look Back through my archive and maybe you are inspired to try some of the layering techniques I shared.

Here are some of the supplies that were used in these pieces:


And catch me chatting LIVE today on Facebook at 12 noon EST. I’m showing my NEW ArtFoamies stamps!!!

Nat

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