Seeing Flowers by Guest Artist Renee Stien: a Mixed-Media Canvas
Today, we’d like to give a warm Somerset Place welcome to mixed-media artist Renee Stien, who has graciously stopped by to share this step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own bouquet of flowers on canvas. We especially like how customizable this project is and love Renee’s suggestion for artists to improvise!
Henri Matisse said, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”
Maybe I’m reading way too much into these words, but to me this is a great reminder that a positive attitude is a choice available to each of us. It is not always the choice we make, but it is always an option.
In a more literal sense it is true; there are always flowers around us. Maybe the flowers are on the wallpaper, on a tissue box or on a package of cheese in your refrigerator; you may have to search a bit, but the flowers are there.
As a reminder to choose a positive attitude I made my own bouquet of flowers so I can see them whenever I need to.
If you would like to make your own bouquet but do not have exactly the same things, you can easily improvise with something you have on hand.
These are the supplies that I used:
- 9 x 12” canvas panel
- Black gesso
- Glue stick, gel medium, Aleene’s tacky glue
- Black ink pad
- Acrylic paints
- Assorted papers
- Brads
- Modeling paste
- Flower stencil
- Tim Holtz trimming flowers
- Flower appliqué
- Black and white gel pens
- White Sharpie paint pen
- White charcoal pencil
Instructions:
1. Paint the canvas panel with black gesso and set aside to dry.
2. Tear the papers into assorted sized circles and use an ink pad to ink around the edges.
3. Assemble flowers by layering different sized circles and securing them with a brad. Use a little bit of glue with a glue stick on the center of each circle to help make sure they stay in place. Bend the petals up around the edges to add a little dimension.
4. Cut strips from one of the papers for stems and ink around the edges. Place the paper flowers, ribbon flowers and appliqué flowers on the dry canvas and play around with the positioning, leaving space to add two or more modeling paste flowers. When you are happy with the layout, glue down the paper flowers with Aleene’s tacky glue.
5. Mix Modeling Paste with acrylic paint and apply to the canvas with a palette knife through a flower shaped stencil and set aside to dry.
6. Give the ribbon flowers a little extra touch with a bit of blue, orange and white acrylic paint. Dry brush the paint on a few areas of each flower and then touch up the edges with walnut ink. With the same blue acrylic paint use your finger or a brush to paint a loose circle where you plan to adhere the ribbon flowers, this will help the ribbon flowers stand out. When the painted areas are dry, glue the ribbon flowers and the appliqué flowers in place and add paper stems to the modeling paste flowers.
7. Finish the piece with the detail work. Use a white Sharpie paint pen to make dots along the stems and around the flowers, black and white gel pens to outline and draw stems to some of the flowers and a white charcoal pencil to fill in the blank areas with wispy stems and leaves. Finally dry brush blue paint to fill any bare spots.
8. Your canvas bouquet is ready to display. I opted for one last added dimension with mine and I used sticky foam squares to mount the canvas on the outside glass of a frame.
Here is another example of a flower canvas using the same basic idea. By using a different color scheme and changing up the steps a bit you can create a piece with a totally different feel.
I hope you will make your own flowers on canvas; I would love to see them.
What a beautiful idea! Somerset Place would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Renee Stien for sharing this inspirational, creative tutorial with our followers.
You can see more of Renee Stien’s work in the May/June issue of Somerset Studio. She also welcomes visitors at her blog: thetingoat.blogspot.com.
Renee’s artwork has also been published in a number of Stampington titles, including Somerset Apprentice, Artists’ Cafe, Somerset Studio Gallery, and Art Journaling.
Posted: Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 @ 1:27 pm
Categories: How-To Project Tutorials, Mixed-Media Art.
Tags: flowers, Guest Artist, home decor, Mixed Media, mixed-media collage, mixed-media journal projects, paint, paper, Somerset Studio, texture paste.
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Thanks for sharing, Renee, I’m gonna try this in my favorite colors for my new studio space :)
Great idea! I’m going to make some with vintage sheet music and hang it above the piano in my front living room. The possibilities are endless!
I love this idea and technique! We should all have flowers!
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m going to make myself a bouquet!
Yes, thanks Renee! My Mother’s Day flowers are drooping-now I can paint myself a new bouquet~
Thanks Renee. I love this technique and how you can adapt it in may ways. Flowers are always a favorite. I know I will be using this idea a lot.
Love your beautiful canvas, plus I love flowers so may have to try this. I love the light version in the second one too.
Renee thanks for your inspiration. Simply loved your whole idea and your tutorial was superb! See my take here: http://www.somefromnone.com/some-from-none/2015/5/23/friends-with-yellow
Thanks for sharing the link, Frances. Your canvas turned out great, I’m so glad you gave it a try!