Take Flight, Canvas by Julie Ann

Hello Everyone. I have a canvas to share with you today, inspired by the birdsong I can hear outside my window as I create. Blackbirds and robins mingle their songs as the day gives way to twilight, so that my heart wants to take flight too and join them high in their tree-top nests.

In this mixed media piece I wanted to experiment with different media and to explore a combination of flat surface and 3D to create a dream-like effect.

I began with one of the chunky 12. 5 cm x 12.5 cm box canvases I love. This is the stage I enjoy - choosing different scraps of tissue I've hoarded and fixing them onto the canvas with a fluid matt medium. There's some random stamping in brown archival ink on there too.

The canvas started to take on the dream-like quality I wanted when I applied diluted acrylics in different shades of blue. I added some stencilling and stamping with paint rather than ink. Throughout the process, I kept to the theme of wings, feathers and birds.

That little bird was my inspiration, so I kept the paint well diluted and light in colour when I applied it over him. To add interest, I spattered some darker blue paint over my background, using a toothbrush dipped in acrylic wash and flicked - make sure you're wearing an apron when you do this!

Now it was time to turn to my Calico Craft Parts to add a touch of whimsy. I love to mix and match the craft parts to create something a little different and I had a fun time arranging different components on my box canvas.

You can achieve a completely different look depending on where you place the arms and legs from the doll kit. Although, for this project, I decided to dispense with the arms, this 'play' has definitely given me ideas for future canvases.

As you can see, the body I eventually chose for my flying house fairy already had arms, but I'm planning to create some art work to which I can add arms on future projects. The block style house includes a roof, but I kept this one open to the skies. This was so I could fix the little blue, magic feather inside and give the impression that the sky is the limit where the imagination is concerned!

I am pleased with the possibilities the box canvas and the 3D kit give to see different details from different angles.

The mini tags covered in design paper were a great way to add a message to the canvas. I used a fine line marker to create the effect of strings attaching them to the fairy's wrist. The misty, twilight effect along the bottom of the canvas is created with tea bags attached with fluid matt medium. I hope the birds are singing outside your windows too and that your heart and your imagination will soar with them in the coming weeks.
Calico Craft Products Used in this Project
Block Style Tall House Kit (mini)
Standard Art Doll Kit Style 1 (small)
Sheet of Mini MDF Tags (classic)
Sheet of Mini MDF Wings Style 4
Sheet of Tiny Windows and Doors