In My Heart There Rings a Melody-A Peek-A-Boo Project

 My childhood was spent going to church at a small Baptist Church that stood on a hill just  about a mile from my county home. There were many restrictions and expectations about what a Christian should look like and behave. I felt trapped sometimes by its dogma. As a gay man I knew that I was condemned to "hell"  and I was an abomination. These words kept me from expressing my true self, but I did grow up with a value system that seems to be missing from much of our world today. I have made my peace with my faith and am thankful for all the darkness it has carried me through. I used to pray that my hope would be taken away because I have known some very deep disappointments. BUT  I am thankful that prayer has never been answered and I have somehow managed to keep a positive disposition through most of this past year. This is the inspiration for this artwork.    

    1. Attach Song Sheet to Wooden Cigar Box Substrate with Weldbond. This is from a church hymnal that came from Moreland Baptist Church. My dad loved singing in their small choir.

2. Add additional depth and interest using  ArtFomies Writer's Block and  Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold paint and script stamp and pink ink.

3  3.First Paint Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Sandra Evertson Filigree Heart - Mixed Media Chips (Pack of 2) with neon pink paint.

    4.  Paint Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Leafy Hearts with Transparent Red Iron Oxide and Pyrrole Red Paint.

    5. Paint  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Heart of Gears with Lumiere Metallic Rust and Copper Paint.

6  6.  Layer Hearts to see if there is enough contrast between the three layers.

7  7.I felt it needed more contrast and added some acrylic pain first then embossing powders  and  a Script and  a Wooden Grain Stamp. I used these Embossing Powders-Red, Metallic Bronze, Vintage Photo. Etched Platinum, Pewter, German Silver. Cure with a Heating Tool.

     8.  At same time Use Versa mark Gel to add Etched Platinum, Pewter, German Silver embossing powders to the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Barbed Wire Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Wrought Iron Set. Set with a heating tool.

   9. I layered again and felt like there still was not enough contrast between my layers and added metallic blue nail polish to the base heat.

    10. I added some streaks of neon pink to base layer to further unify the pieces.

    11. Add all the components creating your assemblage and adhering with Weldbond.

     12. Cover with waxed Paper and add heavy books to make sure all components dry securely and flat.

Some Final Thoughts.

My faith is now best described by Over The Rhine's song "All My Favorite People Are Broken"

All my favorite people are broken*

Believe me, my heart should know

Some prayers are better left unspoken

I just want to hold you and let the rest go

All my friends are part saint and part sinner

We lean on each other, try to rise above

We are not afraid to admit we are all still beginners

We are all late bloomers when it comes to love

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me, my heart should know

Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers, step forward

You can stay right here, you don't have to go

Is each wound you've received just a burdensome gift

It gets so hard to lift yourself up off the ground

But the poet says we must praise a mutilated world

We're all working the graveyard shift

You might as well sing along

Cause all my favorite people are broken

Believe me, my heart should know

As for your tender heart, this world's going to rip it wide open,

It ain't gonna be pretty, but you?re not alone

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me, my heart should know

Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers, you're welcome

Yeah, you're safe right here, you don't have to go

Cause all my favorite people are broken

Believe me, I should know

Some prayers are better left unspoken

I just want to hold you and let the rest go

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Waterworks Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Heart of Gears,  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Sandra Evertson | Filigree Heart - Mixed Media Chips (Pack of 2), Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Leafy Hearts, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Barbed Wire Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Wrought Iron Set, Wooden Cigar Box Lid Substrate, Music Song Sheet, Weldbond, ArtFomies Writer's Block, Golden Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Transparent Red Iron Oxide, Pyrrole Red, Diaylide Yellow Paint, Lumiere Metallic Rust and Copper Paint, Neon Pink Paint, Script  and Wooden Grain Stamp, Embossing Powders-Red, Metallic Bronze, Vintage Photo. Etched Platinum, Pewter, German Silver, Versa Mark Gel,  Heating Tool, Metallic Blue Nail Polish, Paintbrush, Heavy Books

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!

 

Love Finds a Way

As I have stated before one of my favorite bands is Over the Rhine, their latest album titled “Love & Revelation” in one of their more sorrowful, soulful ones in my opinion. It feels full of lamenting to me and I’m drowning in their luscious lyrics.

But for this blog I return to an older song titled “All My Favorite People Are Broken”

Believe me

My heart should know

Some prayers are better left unspoken

I just wanna hold you

And let the rest go

All my friends are part saint and part sinner

We lean on each other

Try to rise above

We're not afraid to admit we're all still beginners

We're all late bloomers

When it comes to love

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me

My heart should know

Orphaned believers, skeptical dreamers

Step forward

You can stay right here

You don't have to go

Is each wound you've received

Just a burdensome gift?

It gets so hard to lift

Yourself up off the ground

But the poet says, We must praise the mutilated world

We're all workin' the graveyard shift

You might as well sing along

All my favorite people are broken

Believe me

My heart…

This is the inspiration for this art piece.

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Shape Set, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Flying Heart Wall Hanging, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Steampunk Hearts, Magazine Images, Pencil or Pen, Sanding Block, Coarse Sandpaper Sheet, Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage, Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger, Weldbond, Matte Varnish Medium, Vallejo Red Oxide Paste, Spices-Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange, Suave Hair Spray, Rubbing Alcohol in Spray Bottle, Wow Embossing Pad, Ice Resin Enamels in Copper Glitz, Raspberry, Garnet, and Tarnished Brass, Allure Embossing Powders in Charred Gold and Hammered Metal, Wendy Vecchi  Red Germanium Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Weldbond, Alligator Tool, Grommets, Deerskin Lace, Scissors, 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire, Tweezers

1.  Gather Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Chipboard Pieces: Barbed Wire Shape Set,  Barbed Wire Deco Frame Rectangle,  Flying Heart Wall Hanging, and Steampunk Hearts. Take out piece you would like to use for your composition

2.  Find Magazine images you would like to use on the two large frame portions from the GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging Kit.

3.  Trace using a pencil or pen, so they will fit securely onto these pieces.

4.  A fun technique to age glossy new magazine images is to place them on top of a course grit sandpaper sheet and gently rub is a smoother sanding block until you get your desired patina.

 

 

5.  Use Range Alcohol Inks in Honeycomb and Ginger on back of newly distressed images, some will bleed through onto the front this is part of the technique.

6. Now edge and patina the front of your image with Tim Holtz Distress Stains Antique Linen and Bundled Sage.

7.  Glue onto your backboards using Weldbond.

8.  Give a quick coat of Matte Varnish Medium to seal the pictures in.

9.  While this is drying quickly add Vallejo Red Oxide Paste with a paintbrush to the corrugated cardboard pieces from GSLC Flying Heart Wall Hanging.

10.                To add a rustier appearance, use Spices of Chili Powder, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon, and Weathering Powders in Pink and Orange sprinkled randomly over the pieces.

 

11.                Seal and secure with Suave Hair Spray and Rubbing Alcohol from a Spray Bottle.

12.                Attach these corrugated cardboard pieces to the backboards using Weldbond.

13.                 While these are drying and pressed flat, begin embossing your other pieces.

14.                 I used Ice Resin Enamels Copper Glitz and Allure Hammered Metal Embossing Powders on the GSLC Barbed Wire Pieces and cured with a heating tool.

15.                I used Ice Resin Enamels of Raspberry and Garnet and Wendy Vecchi Red Geranium Embossing Powders and Chili Powders on the Hearts and cured with a Heating Tool.

16.                The wings and key were treated with Allure Charred Gold and Ice Resin Enamels Tarnished Bronze and cured with a heating tool.

17.                Assemble composition and Glue into place using Weldbond.

18.                Press flat to dry thoroughly.

19.                Once dry use the alligator toll to add grommets to the appropriate locations.

20.                Use brown Deerskin Lace to attach the two backboards together and to give it a loop for hanging from the topmost portion.

21.                I used 24 Gauge Vintage Bronze Wire and Tweezers to secure the key to the bottom of the wall hanging.

22.                Your Project is now ready to hang in the location of your choosing.

 Some final thoughts.

Another of my favorite Over the Rhine songs is titled, “I’d Choose You” It reminds me of my love for my partner and how we are a bit of an odd couple, different in many ways but a perfect pairing. I celebrate him on this my birthday month. I’d not be the man or artist I am without his amazing love.

If the moon fell from the sky

Rendering everything black and blue

I’d want you

I’d want you 

If the swallows fell like snow

Tumbling tiny angels with wounds

I will lay my body down

When the storm is finally through

If my faith should ever fail

Faltering look what I dragged it through

If the music all went still

Enabling all my fears to come true

I'd want you, I'd want you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!