Friday 2 November 2007

Oil pastel journal pages



I've started my next altered book, this time I've glued some pages together, added torn paper scraps, scrunched up paper napkins, pieces of muslin, anything that will help created a texture. I've used gel medium to attach the texture materials to the page. When the gel medium is dry I then paint the pages with gesso.



Now comes the fun part, I've used oil pastels and water soluble oil pastels. I add splotches of colour at random all over the pages. At this point lots of the gesso is showing through, I then rub the colours into the page to hide all the white, I let the colours merge to reveal new colours. The only draw back is if you do too many pages at once, you end up with blisters on the ends of your fingers, I speak from experience.



The next stage was interesting, I studied the page to see if it revealed anything to me it didn't to start with, but when I squinted through partially closed eyes I could just make out the dome shapes. That was enough for me, my favourite buildings. I outlined evrything in black, coloured in the domes and walls, then used a thin piece of metal to scrape back the outlines and highlights. I'll probably add other things later, but for now I'm waiting for it to 'speak to me' again.



This is the next page, I think I see a person on either page linked by a pink heart. Well it helps to have a good imagination.

20 comments:

FARBTUPFER said...

Waht a beautiful page with its domes and walls - like the artist Hundertwasser, do you know him?

Sharon Tomlinson said...

I see it too. you are amazing! Can't wait to see how or what or who those two turn out to be.

Judy Wise said...

Stunning pages and clever approach. I too see the figures joined by a heart. You have such great ideas, Ro!

Elizabeth said...

These pages are stunning!! Every time I visit your blog, my fingers start itching and I MUST go and play!!!
Love this technique and the Domes are wonderful! Have you ever seen work by childrens book author/illustrator Patricia Pollacco? Your work reminds me of her work, wonderful color- she grew up in Romania!!

Thank you so much for sharing your work!!
Elizabeth

Regina said...

Such luscious colors! I've just been getting into oil pastels myself, and instead of using my tender fingertips to rub it in, I use these little orange applicators (about the size of a pinkie) with a spongy tip to do my rubbing. Works great!

Rebecca E. Parsons/Cre8Tiva said...

water soluable oils...i must have some...blessings, rebecca

lynne h said...

wonderful, ro! i've just been playing with oil pastels these last few days myself and am smitten with them! but, lol, i'm smitten with so MANY art supplies!!

thank you so much for sharing!

Linda O'Neill said...

Beautiful pages, Ro...nothing quite like the color you get from oil pastels. I used to use them a lot in my still lifes until I switched to acrylics. Love the Domes!

Mary lin Huskamp said...

BEAUTIFUL! As ALWAYS!!! Love all the vibrant color!

Jo Wholohan said...

looovveee how the pages are speaking to you Ro, so colourful!!! Was only just looking at domes in tour books at work this week, arent they fantastic :))

Debbi Baker said...

Hi Ro - I'm just catching up on blog reading and wow all your posts have been wonderful. You really breathe colour - I love it all! PS I can see the people and heart too!

Healing Expressions said...

Such fabulously delicious pages! Your creative inspiration is contagious! What a delight to share your heart with all those lucky ladies at your altered book class too! Happy arting!

david santos said...

Ro Bruhn, My friend, Please!

Send an email to the Brazil embassj your country and repor the injustice that the brazilian courts are making with this girl

Thank you

The resignation is to stop the evolution. (David Santos in times without end)

David Santos

Karen Cole said...

OK,so the person on the left is female. She is offering the person on the right her love in the form of these hearts. He leans away at first....just to tease her....he really loves her right back and if you look behind them, he has a surprise. A helicopter is on it's way to take them to a romantic destination....secret.

Great job of creating and presenting,Ro.

Unknown said...

Fascinating process! My 'goal' this new year is to faithfully work in a journal, this will be something I'm anxious to try!!

carla said...

What a wonderful way to create! I love letting the piece "speak" to me in the way you describe. these pages look magical:>

Jen Crossley said...

Wish I has your way with colour Ro,just beautiful
Jen

Susan Tuttle said...

Beautiful work!--I so enjoyed reading about your process. I just love working with gesso and water soluble oil pastels--so neat to see what you did with them!

Susan

Unknown said...

I just found your site by accident. It is wonderful. How can I find out more about using oil pastels? Laurie

Shelley Whiting's art said...

Your colors are very luminous and vibrant. They're colorful and bold. Beautiful work.