You are My Person

Another of the challenges for "Hope You Can Cling To" is to "Make a Masterpiece": choose an artwork or artist to inspire a card. I remember when I was in my third-year art class in high school, my teacher told me my work reminded her of Georgia O'Keeffe. I've always liked O'Keeffe's work, and so I took inspiration from her oversized floral images for my card.

I began by stamping the "Mondo Magnolia" from Essentials by Ellen on a piece of 140 lb. Canson XL watercolor paper, using Colorbox Putty Archival dye ink. My original intention was to stamp off, then do second-generation stamping for the final image, so I could have just a faint outline to follow. Unfortunately, that outline turned out to be just a bit TOO faint, so I just used the ink full-strength. Not totally true to O'Keeffe's style, but I couldn't think of any alternatives. I figure, I got close enough! :)

After I stamped the first flower, I masked that off, and stamped a second one lower and to the right. I taped the panel to my cutting board, and then used Distress inks to watercolor the images. For the centers, I used Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, and Mowed Lawn. I added shading to the petals with Antique Linen, then went over that with a very diluted wash of Shaded Lilac to add some color.

I stamped the greeting, from the same set, in the lower left with Versafine Onyx Black ink. Once that had dried, I applied a coat of clear water to the background. Then I dropped in diluted Evergreen Bough & Pine Needles Distress inks, using my brush to help move the color. Once that had dried, I removed the masking tape, trimmed the panel to just under 4.25x5.5", matted it with black, and adhered it to a white A2 card base.