Mixed Media Rock Collage Tutorial :: Enjoy

So I've been thinking a lot about my word for 2011: enjoy. I think the reason I picked it is because this past year I have been so intensely focused on work that I've forgotten to enjoy the process at times. I'm ready to continue to stay focused on work but to try and combine it with a deliberate mindfulness to enjoy it all. Here's my latest creation that further honors the word.

Start by doodling the word onto a rock using a white gel pen.

Coat a piece of plywood with paint. (I used emulsion paint, courtesy of my friend Rachel Emilie Jackson. Emulsion paint is not so easy to come by in the United States but abundant in the UK. If you don't have emulsion paint, an acrylic paint will work just fine. The plywood is courtesy of my friend Lynn Whipple, who gave me a stack of plywood that she had cut at her local hardware store. The holes at the top can be made with a drill or an awl.)

Cut petals out of ledger paper and adhere with matte medium.

Use a Lyra graphite pencil to mark the sides of the collaged wood. (This is a technique I learned from my pal Lisa Kaus which I love because it makes the entire work feel like it has a nice frame around it.)

Rub and smear it with your finger.

Follow up with the white gel pen and add dots around the petals. I've tried many white gel pens and my most favorite white gel pen is the Signo by UniBall (made in Japan).

Then use a strong-hold adhesive (like E-6000) to attach the doodled rock to the center of the petals.

Attach wire at the top. I used 24-gauge black craft wire here but a thicker wire would also look very nice.

I'm gonna hang this close to my work area to remind me that as I'm working hard, I should always remember to enjoy the process.

Happy collaging. :)

Comments

[j.c.spock]

Love this...so simple, but so stunning! Nice job.

[Cindy Nolt]

What a perfect inspirational project! Thank you!