A few weeks ago, I began composing SJ art letters by squeezing paint directly onto my substrate out of a bottle that employs a fine, metal tip screwed to its spout. This gave me tremendous freedom not only to be able to use all of the various paint mediums at my disposal, but also to be able to write in many different scales, from very large to very small.
One afternoon while composing a Stacked Journaling letter in this manner, I began to get frustrated with the paint I was using: I'd thickened it too much and it was getting blobby and heavy on the canvas. I grabbed a piece of deli paper, carefully placed it on top of the painted SJ, blotted with the lightest pressure, and lifted the paper away. POOF, I'd discovered Monoprinted Stacked Journaling. It was as if someone had hit me with a sledgehammer and my heart started galloping in my chest.
I've been obsessively using monoprinting with my painted SJ ever since.
In this piece, a 16" x 20" stretched canvas, I layered multiple monoprints of SJ in white, lemon yellow and golden yellow Neopaque paint on top of a painted background of soft yellows. A polishing of violet textile paint came next, and finally, one last bold stripe of monoprinted SJ in magenta brings the piece into focus.
To create the monoprints, I Journaled in paint onto strips of parchment paper, turned them over, and carefully pressed them onto the canvas. Using parchment allows me to wrap the SJ around the edges of the canvas, giving it an even more finished look. Here are those lovely, leftover parchment strips hanging on my design wall (I wish I could actually reuse them in my work, but being parchment, the paint will never adhere to the paper.)
In a wonderfully mysterious way, the Stacked Journaling plays hide-and-seek with the eye, fading in and out through the transparent layers of paint. The text, while perfectly obscured for privacy, still nonetheless reads as very deliberate and directed text (which it is), rather than as simple scribbles.
I think it's about time to take this technique to something larger, like a gallery-sized canvas or a couple of yards of fabric!
Happy creating!
12 comments:
This is such a cool technique. It has an Asian feel to it. Thanks for sharing!
If you did the writing on waxed paper you might just be able to use it. Perhaps by layering between a plastic, say recycled bread packets? and then iron (protected by silicon paper of course!!!) and it will all stick together, maybe even ending up with an amazing transparent work. Or if you explored encaustic you could layer it in.
Judi, you have really hit onto something. These are amazing!
Outstanding - not sick of these at all! I love seeing how they are changing and evolving - you're SO talented! :)
this looks great, l have done something similar in the past but not with writing..looks amazing. well done and we are certainly not fed up of learning from youx lynda
Fabulous! I love seeing all of them!
I love this piece the layers of paint and depth of colour you have achieved is great. I think making these on a larger scale would be really effective.
I love, love, love this work...but then again, I like all of your stacked journal pieces.
I too love what you are doing, some wonderful experimentation. Keep going! I saw your name twice in the recent Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, You Rock! You will be on the cover next thing you know!
I have been really intrigued by your stacked lettering, mostly because it is 1) beautiful and 1) allows for privacy while still being expressive. Where do you get your deli paper?
Lovely idea! I enjoy text in work and journal also. I love your work.
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