In the style of Finn

Hello everyone!  Today I have a mixed media canvas that I did after my daughter and I took two classes with Anna Dabrowska, aka Finnabair, at our favorite paper arts store, The Queen's Ink, in Savage, Maryland.  We have loved Finn's work for a long time and were so delighted when we heard that she was coming to the Queen's!  We had two fabulous days of creativity and I'll share what we made soon.  But, I came away so enamored of Finn's technique and style of working that I had to make another piece somewhat like we did in class.  I had found some fantastic seaside papers that owner Patti had just gotten in.  This has been my summer for beach and seaside themed projects and so I just had to have all the papers.  They are truly beautiful.   I decided to use them to make one last beach project this summer!!  Here is the finished canvas.

 

 

I glued one of the sheets of paper down to an 8x8 canvas and used heavy body gel medium through one of Finn's new stencils. I used pieces of a shell themed napkin to add some transparent shells to the background.  Then, because I didn't want to cover the design of the paper, I used Perfect Pearls to spray the entire piece allowing the design to still be visible.  The shells and jelly fish in the corner and the border are the paper's design.  Then I got  out my collection of shells.  I've collected shells for years and I thought this would be a good place to use some of them.  I also used some shell beads and some chip board sea life pieces that Linda from Funkie Junkie Boutique gifted me in an order.  Thank you, Linda!  I played with the arrangement a bit, but it came together quite quickly.  I glued it all down with Glossy Accents, although I could have used gel medium, too.  I then took a sticker from the set of papers and put that at the top.  I sprayed the whole thing again with Perfect Pearls spray and used Silks transparent acrylics dry brushed over the entire piece.  I used my finger to rub some gold Gilders' Paste over the shells and some of the background.  Here are some details.

 





 

 

 

 

I'm very pleased with the way this turned out.  I love what I call Finn's encrusted look and I think this has that quality. 

I'm done with summer projects now!  I've put  all my summer papers and odds and ends away.  It's time to move on to late summer, Halloween and Fall.  But, I've  had so much fun remembering fun days at the beach. 

 

I'm going to enter this piece in the Frilly and Funkie challenge, which is By the Seaside. 

 

Thank you for visiting today.  I'm so happy to have you take the time to stop by my blog.  I hope you have a wonderful and creative day.