Sunday 13 June 2021

Wanderlust 2021- weeks twenty-one to twenty-four - Poems and Quotes

Wanderlust has been challenging me again over this four weeks, but I have really enjoyed the poems and quotes theme.  We had to go for a walk or sit in the garden and be aware of sounds, sights etc.  The object was to write a poem and make an envelope for it on the page. The poem is featured above.
This is the front of the poem card.  I made the envelope from a masterboard of scraps, which I scanned into the computer and printed out.
Week 22 was one I really enjoyed. I learned a new technique of brayering gesso over the background which gave a 'old wallpaper' vintage look and which toned down the colours.  The poem I chose was 'Aedh wishes for the cloths of heaven' by W. B. Yeats.
Week 23 was about creating a poem from found text.  I used a Hammond Innes novel (The Trojan Horse), which has (surprisingly) been incredibly useful throughout this course, along with some magazine cut outs. I wanted to have a page with both cool and warm colours, so made two poems.  The background for these was so enjoyable to make.
Week 24 was illustrating a quote.  I wanted to create a pretty pastel page for this.  However, initially, I used Distress Oxide sprays, which created a muddy background (my fault for the choice of colours).  Not what I wanted.  I used acrylic paints in the hope of retrieving the colour.  That looked even worse!  Then I remembered the gesso technique from week 22, so did that and success, the page was saved!  After that, it came together pretty quickly and I am pleased with the end result.
Boundaries is the next theme. 

8 comments:

  1. WOW. And wow again. I love the way that you have bought artistic genres together to create something which is definitely more than its component parts.

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    1. Thanks, EC. I am fully embracing the challenges of this course (although I still find myself using my favourite cool colours, given the option) and am learning so much. I love the brayering gesso technique which saved this week's page. The course has confirmed that mixed media is definitely my 'thing'.
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. Fascinating...and as I understand it you wrote that first poem yourself. Lovely colour hues throughout particularly image four.Good contrast using black too. keep well Amanda x

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    1. Thanks, Amanda. Yes, that poem was written by me - something I haven't done since being a teenager, but very enjoyable. I was really pleased with the 'magic' page especially as it was such a horror to begin with!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  3. I am pretty sure I sent in a comment here a couple of days ago. Hope Blogger isn't playing up again! A x

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    1. Thanks, Amanda. The comments all came through in a block - I don't think Blogger is playing up, but you never know!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  4. Beautiful! I always like to see a golden, beady all seeing eye looking out of a page too :)

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    1. Thanks, Lulu. That eye just seemed to fit with the mystical, ethereal feeling that the poem gives me. I had saved the image from a magazine that was being recycled and I felt it would come in handy for something, although at that point, I didn't know what. Serendipity was working for me again!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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