The collage that took many weeks to create

I want to update everyone on Journal 52's status and why I am no longer participating.  When I clicked on the link, I got a message that

This domain was recently registered at Namecheap. Please check back later!

Apparently it is available for purchase.  So Journal 52, although promised to last through the end of the year, is NO MORE.  I didn't quit J52, but it quit me!  Thankfully, I can say goodbye gracefully and be happy this challenge is now over for me.

Let's turn our attention to the collage that took forever to make.

Actually, this was not Day 1, but it was the first day I started documenting the process in detail.  Up until this time, I had mixed paint with pearl glaze.  Adding the paint and glaze to the collaged papers took a great deal of drying time, because it is not wise to use a heat gun if you don't want bubbles.

Next, I decided to add some reinkers to the mix.  I had no idea how the ink and paint would interact, but since they were both water based, I thought I would take a chance.

Have I mentioned I have a LOT of reinkers that I sort by type: dye, pigment, solvent, and distress?

Holy cow.  No wonder these were so cheap!  They were reinkers, all right, but they were meant to roll directly onto the ink pads, which I don't have.  I'll have to figure out a way to use them in fabric art, but they won't work with this pearl glaze I'm trying to color.

So there I was with ink stains on my fingers and fingernails, trying to get a decent color from this ink and glaze.

OK, this is horrible.  Once it dried, I realized I can't paint, not even what are supposed to be straight lines.

A close up shows an even greater mess.

So I did the next best thing and I painted over the entire piece with pearl glaze.  At least you can see the glaze

which is pearlescent.  Note how the collaged papers I glued to the book cover have started to buckle, too.

Next, I tried more pearl glaze, this time with more dye inks.  However, I didn't try to put it on so thick in places, but went for a more abstract approach.

Next I added a bit of silver glaze to the pearl glaze and attempted to repair the damage I had previously caused.  I also brought out some orange dye reinker and attempted to brighten the pearl glaze in places.

I can't find Day 4 or Day 7, except the detail , which seems to have covered the texture I created early on.  I confess I was tired of trying to make this look beautiful, so I decided a different abstract was in order.

This is the completed scan, but because the pods are so tall, it was difficult to get a good image.

I first tried scanning it so the pods faced against the glass, then with the book cover facing against the glass. Neither of these are true representations of the finished piece.  Once I added the pods, I really liked what I had.

These final shots were taken under my OTT full spectrum light.

You would really have to see this in person to check the subtle colors and shimmer it puts off.

Depending on the light source and position, you get a different visual every time you look at it.

I sincerely hope you like it because I spent a lot of time trying to get it right.  After about Day 5 or so, I realized it was never going to look like I pictured it in my head, so I let it design itself.  It has now arrived at my dear friend Patty's home. 

Patty commented on the pods, but I have no idea what they are.  I know I picked them up in the strip of grass between the two driveways, so they have to have come from someplace close by.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your continued support of my sometimes questionable artistic endeavors as well as your lovely comments.