Thursday 20 October 2016

Let It Be: Part of a Process

I had grand plans for this post. I had all sorts of things I had been considering saying about what has turned out to be a favourite page:


I was going to tell you all about the photo, which is the one I thought of instantly when Get It Scrapped asked for Ideas For Revealing Setting With Colour, Shape and Texture. It was taken in Prague, by a clever friend of the girl who posed perfectly against the graffitti of the John Lennon Wall.

I was going to tell you how I decided to try to recreate something of the look of that wall on my page


and how I began by laying down a layer of gesso and then blending gelatos in the colours I picked from the picture. And how I stamped in black, then, with any little phrases I could find which might echo the words of the Beatles songs we all know


And then I was going to tell you about the flowers and butterflies I hand cut from artwork by Wilna Furstenberg. I always have a few of these sitting on my desk, because I enjoy the cutting out and, of course, the end result.

And how when I started to lay everything out I discovered I was going to have to cover up quite a lot of my background, but that I decided to take a deep breath and go with it rather than re-design. Because, after all, the story of this wall is one of covering and re-covering, paint over paint, layer upon layer. So that would be just right.

And then I thought I'd mention the title, which took three or four tries before I got something I liked. I pulled out several alphabets and they all took attention away from the photo, so in the end, I smeared a little black ink over some white letters, just so you could make them out among everything else. The Lennon song title leads into the journaling, about the wall being painted over at one point in its history.


But, much as I love what I ended up with, I'm not in a hugely talkative frame of mind just at the minute, so I'll just leave you with the pictures..

16 comments:

Karen said...

It's a work of art, Sian. I think that says it all.

Ruth said...

Just think how long this post would be if you were in a chatty mood ...

Ali said...

Hope you are ok x

Patio Postcards said...

Brilliant page. John Lennon was my Mother's favourite Beatle. In spite of not being chatty at the moment & I do hope that is NOT a sign of worry or things sad, I like how you explain your process. Yes sometimes brilliance & creativity take the energy of what could be used for sentences ... let the art be the words.

Maggie said...

Had to smile at Ruth's comment...great minds!

Melissa said...

LOL! This is a fabulous page that perfectly highlights and captures the essence of that photo!

Jennifer Shaw said...

A wonderful page and I love that photograph!

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

Such a beautiful summery page to showcase that wonderful photo of your lovely girl. Thinking of you x

Lizzy Hill said...

Ha-dee-ha-haaaaa!!!!! For an un-talkative peep, that took S bit of listening (aka reading!!!).... love it. Love that you were BRAVE with it:):)!!!

Susan said...

This is so free-spirited and colorful - a perfect match to the photo!

Barbara Eads said...

I love your journaling technique over the paint. You've managed to tone down the paint while highlighting the journaling at the same time.

Susanne said...

LOL - fun post for that fanciful layout. Well done all around.

alexa said...

And very lovely it is too. Perfect, really. Such a great photo, and then skilful colour and shapes ... I can see why it's a favourite! I like your writing (not the handwriting, the post writing) :).

Sandra said...

Simply beautiful

alexandra s.m. said...

It's a gorgeous page Sian!
Both poetic and artistic with a touch of Bobo chic ;)
once again, very " anthropo"
xx

Jo said...

Great layout and great photo, I'm glad you didn't say too much about it ;)

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