Anything Goes

I decided to join the Smudgy Antics Challenge this week with a theme of "Anything Goes".  This is my first challenge with this group so I'm excited and I hope that they like what I bring to the table.  Here's a little art therapy --something I created this morning as the challenge ends today.  My anything goes is about foolish hearts.  I was inspired by a poem I wrote where I question my own heart and ask "what are you good for anyway, you're nothing but trouble."  Face it, we all play the fool at some point in our lives...I'm not afraid to pour that into my art.  So without further ado, I present you with my foolish heart. 

I love layers and I love texture.  So I REALLY LOVE this project because I got to use both techniques.

I first took a canvas that already had a black flocked design on it.  I primed it with a spray primer and then painted over it with bronze reactive acrylic paint.  I did a base coat and then added a second coat, at which point I sprayed it down with Patina.  I set it aside to dry and I moved on to the next layer.  I took a wooden slab --I think this measures about 4"x4".  I adhered a grunged up photo of myself and sanded the edges.  I sanded the edges and then stamped silver scroll work on both sides of the photo (over my black hair).  I painted the edges of the wooden block with black acrylic paint and then set it aside to dry as well. 

Then I moved on to the focal point of this mixed media piece --the foolish heart with all of it's little secrets.  The key is by Tim Holtz...I sprayed patina directly onto it to give it a bit of a mossy look.  I also took a porcelain crown that was white and I painted it with reactive acrylic paints as well.  I think I used brass on the crown.  I sprayed it down with Patina and then set it aside to dry.  While the key and crown did their thing, I went ahead and worked my magic on that little foolish heart.  All the while I was thinking that I really wanted to journal but I was struggling with "where" on my project I was going to have room for journaling.  I kept that in the back of my mind as I started working with the heart.  I took a thick piece of cardboard and stamped the heart on it.  I cut it out and when I was cutting it I noticed that the layers of cardboard were easy to peel back.  I knew exactly where I would do my journaling!  You'll see soon enough.  I punched two holes on the left side of the heart and wrapped and tied hemp through the little holes and made a knot.  I then glued lace to the backside of the heart, and glued the key and the crown to the front of the heart.  HOT GLUE IS YOUR FRIEND.  :D  And now to the really cool part...

I split the cardboard in half with my fingers --just pulled away at a nice thick healthy corner and I added my journaling to the inside "My foolish heart...what are you good for anyway?"  Ta da!

Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoyed my foolish heart project!

Y Ms. Ruin