Wednesday 19 March 2008

Serendipity paper and fabric

I was asked about serendipity paper which I used on one of the mini panels so I thought I would answer it on this blog.
I came across the name 'serendipity paper' when reading somebody's blog but I can't remember who it was. Before that I always called it 'mop up' which doesn't quite have the same ring to it so I call it serendipity now.

It is simple to make - always have a pieces of hand made paper and pieces of white silk on hand whenever you are painting with acrylic paints or other and silk paints. When you have finished painting or sponging with a colour - rather than rinse the brush or sponge out wasting the remaining paint use up whatever is on the brush on the paper until there is no more on the brush. I always wet the silk and scrunch it into a small pot to help disperse the silk paint and let the colours bleed into each other and create a creased effect. With the acrylic paints, when I have brushed all the wet paint off onto the paper, I wet the brush and brush it out again onto the paper until there is no paint left.
Do the same with bronzing powders if you have been sponging with them and also use up any paint left on stamps by stamping them on the paper until there is no paint left.
I do this whenever I paint until I like the covered paper and silk. It can take many painting sessions to completely cover and possibly over cover until I like the result. Then I iron the silk and store it and store the paper to be used as backgrounds for future pieces of work.
Here are a few sample I made recently or are ongoing - one has just been started but has lots of texture in the surface so should make a good serendipity paper.
They usually turn out better than if you tried to create them intentionally.

Three pieces of serendipity silk. It doesn't show but I also brushed out metallic paint on the silk which has added to the effect. Ironing sets the paint. These look as though they need ironing!



This is a piece of craft vilene.

This one has just been started - lots of paint to go on this surface.

I have finished two of the three prepared mini panels so will photograph them tomorrow and post.

3 comments:

sharon young said...

Hi Shirley
You really are an inspirational organiser :-) This is such a googd idea. I do try to mop up the acrylics but have never thought of adding to the pieces on another occasion, that takes forward planning, something I'm not good at, maybe that's why I never made it past the teacher training LOL
Thanks so muchy for sharing this, I 'must try harder'!!!

vivien said...

a great idea :)

I know someone who paints in acrylic with collage and pastel - she uses the Sunday Times as her palette and it lasts a week - each day she keeps the sheets of coloured patches and uses them in the collages of future paintings.


neatly economical :)

I save fragments cut off when framing to collage but will have to consider your method too in future

hippopip said...

Now I know,and what a great idea,The pieces you have used look lovely.many thanks