Pure Experimentation

The Pure Experimentation online class has been pure inspiration. Been trying out some new things and adding some of my own touches. Next lesson will be posted tomorrow. Can't wait!
Here's my makeshift spray station on my back patio. I rigged it out of a big box with some strategic cuts and packing tape. I still have to cover the table. (After I scrub off the spray paint I got on it).

I have another box at work. I figured I could place it under the big exhaust fan in my kiln room and not have to worry about ventilation and fumes. Wrong! The *!#$@*!!!! exhaust fan has to be working. Since day 1 that thing works on and off even if the switch is on. Six years of bringing the issue up with district maintenance and not a thing has changed. Ugh!OK, I'm going to back track. Here's the book I bought last weekend that I used for the ideas to cut these:I used these for the portfolio covers. Two others didn't survive since they're made from regular bond paper.
Here's more that I haven't painted with yet. Hmmm, thought I made more square ones.I was asked how I'd used turquoise on the portfolio covers. I learned about these Preval Spray Guns from Jeane and I ordered some. (Google Paint Pro USA/Distributors Plus Inc. to order). I took craft store paint, mixed them with water an used them with the stencils. My ratios were off but after one try it wasn't a bad first attempt. No fumes! I can still smell the spray paint on he portfolio. Yuck! It turns out my bottles of spray paint were at work. I gathered some materials around the classroom and went to town. I limited the color palette to red, black, gray and sky blue spray paint.I kept some sheets close by and took the stencils and pressed them onto clean paper. My plan is to paint washes of color over these. Frankly, I think I like this subtle effect more.I was pleasantly surprised how well the lace stenciled.This was as far as I got. We're getting our yearly student art exhibition ready and I got way behind so now I'm busy getting all that ready with little time to play.
Marissa

Stencil Mania

After having such a cool experience participating in my first online art class with Kelly Kilmer, I thought I'd try another.
Last Friday Mary Ann Moss began her Pure Experimentation online stenciling class. She's shared some great examples of stenciled street art on her blog. I sure miss that about LA. Street art everywhere. I found these two murals as I was driving down the street in Mesa this weekend.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..... There's an alley in Central Phoenix that I read about in a local rag. The alley was constantly vandalized by taggers. The local merchants got together, pooled their resources and used graffiti art to decorate the alley themselves. I have to make an effort to find graffiti art. Mostly I see vandalism on my commute. Bah humbug!Our first assignment-use found materials to stencil on pieces of cardboard that will be made into a portfolio for our projects. I picked up a cool book over the weekend on paper cut outs. I spent Sunday afternoon in my kitchen with a pile of scrap paper, folding and cutting away.I used black and white spray paint. I thought I had the other colors at work. I actually remembered to look for the cans at work today and they weren't there. Turns out I brought them home and they're in the garage...duh!
The aqua and red are watered down acrylic sprayed with my new toys that arrived this week. I'm still in the learning stages of finding the right mix of paint to water. The hardest part was waiting for the paint to dry. This is Arizona but still used the heat gun on my back patio.Another new acquisition. When left to wander the aisles of the art supply store.... I found these. Yum! Perfect for mark making with acrylic paint.This wasn't part of the assignment but the surface didn't feel complete and I was itching to find something to do with my new toys.The front and back finished covers although my initials are calling for a bit of white. Now to hunt down red duct tape to put the portfolio together. Maybe I'll stamp on it or..... the stenciling is only the starting point.

The actual cardboard pieces were lager and then I trimmed them down. I was thinking of using a bookmaking technique I learned from Kelly to use the scraps for the covers of a handmade book. The hamsters are working over time in my head.
Marissa