Sunday 15 January 2012

A Lady of Texture...

Thought I'd start this post with the finished page for a change, so if you don't have time for the full works you can skip the rest of the photos lol :D
And a huge THANK YOU to Rhomany for her free class on adding texture :D

This weeks theme at The Butterfly Effect is Quotes and Poems. I'm sure I've mentioned before that one of my most favourite poems is "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It is an epic poem set in the realms of Arthurian legend, and though she is the title character, most of the verses give vivid descriptions of the world reflected in her mirror,while there is very little description of the lady herself.

I wanted the page to portray the environment in which she lived, so I used modelling paste to give the effect of stone walls and reeds(she lived on an island in the river)
to which I added layers of yellow, green and brown paint...
and this is the yummy textured result :D
Next I wanted to show how "the curse" affected the lady when"the mirror crack'd from side to side", so I split her portrait into a before and after image.
One half youthful and beauteous...the other wrapped in her shroud on the brink of death.
Inked lines.....
added shadows...
build coloured layers...


then drew cracks and foiled to give the feel of broken glass.
A quick frame of brown patterned paper and some doodling...
paper flowers and lines from the poem...
and gold wax buff to lift the texture even more.
Close up of shiny foiled cracks in mirror :D
Sorry, I know that was a long one, but there are 19 verses(though each verse is more like 2) in the poem!
I have chosen 2 "second parts" of verses as inspiration;

"out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me"' cried
The Lady of Shalott"

"For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott." :D XXX


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16 comments:

  1. Fabulous creativity Gina, amazing art work yet again.
    luv and hugs {brenda} xoxo

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  2. Wonderful composition, I like the colors and texture you've accomplished, interesting process.

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  3. You have learned a lot! Fabulous texture. thanks for showing us the process. xoDonna

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  4. Awesome, I haven't read this before, great tease with just a taste of the poem & the artwork it inspired is awesome :)

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  5. This work is really stunning and the texture is a wonderful addition. I like your idea (regarding the postcard challenge) of keeping a little notebook to help track everyone. I'm sure I have a spare composition book here somewhere. Also, I popped over to the Flickr group today, and it's much easier to get to the cards that way. The only bad thing is you miss visiting all the wonderful new blogs. Have a great week!
    Sabrina

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  6. So utterly creative - I love how you've split the face to reflect the two elements - simply amazing and very powerful!

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  7. Great work, Gina, I'll follow you!
    Cheers.
    HD

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    1. Thank you Humberto...I will come look you out :D XXX

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  8. WOW!!! just freakin' WOW!!!!

    this is gorgeous!

    hugs :)

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  9. You have been wonderful portrait of The Lady of Shalott with the face divided by the before and after the curse.

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  10. that is a cool interpretation with all the textures and the cracking mirror in her face... all in all it is so meanfully and I ❤ it

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  11. Fantastic painting. I always love your step by step photos.

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  12. That's a gret poem Gina! Love the faces, too. But texture is just yummy. :)

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  13. i loved rhomany's texture class and i really love what you've done with it. Your page looks AWesome.
    :D
    and i love that you love poems.

    amy loves gina.
    xxa

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  14. This is an incredible piece of work. The mirror effects especially are genius. There is so much mood and mystery in this. I love it!

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