I found this blog post by Jenny Marples on the Paper Artsy blog. It spoke to me. I loved it and had to have one of my own.
But as I followed along I realised that actually I don't like things to look like something. I don't 'do' realism. But I started off the way Jenny suggested. I put gesso on A4 watercolour paper.
I used my gel plate to print on deli paper
printer paper
wet strength tissue paper
I glued whole pieces of the painted papers onto the watercolour paper that will be the covers of my book
I tore up bits of the painted papers and glued them on.
However everything looks a bit too green. And there's possibly too much gesso!
I moved on to using stencils and rubber stamps.
I used an Inktense Charcoal Grey water soluble pencil to suggest stonework and added water.
I added a piece of something I found in my stash - I'm not sure what to call it but it's sort of string!
When I'm working on something like this, I tend to do little bits to each page rather than work only on one page until it's finished. In addition, I will stamp or stencil or whatever I'm doing on each page and then go away and do something else. Usually Facebook or read a book.
It maybe several hours or even the next day before I come back to it. And frequently the pages go through an ugly stage when I don't like them at all. However I know I can always gesso or collage over a bit I don't like.
At the time of writing this blog the pages look like this:
In an attempt to stop everything looking green, I used some blue paint. Which is too blue!
The next two photos show the inside of the covers. I used a heavier weight watercolour paper for the covers.
Thanks for joining me today
Bernice
