This week’s Life Book lesson was entitled “From Here to There”. Taught by Roben-Marie Smith, it was all about her particular process of taking a page from being a daunting blank sheet to being a many layered riot of texture and colour. Smith led we tutees through each mixed media layer, step by step, which I found to be incredibly useful scaffolding since layering does not come easily to me at all. The idea of colourful chaos was emphasised, the need to be playful and intuitive – which I struggle with as much as I do with layering – but I think I slipped out of the realm of aesthetically pleasing chaos and into a hodge-podge of a mess. I managed to avoid making sludgy mud out of all the different colours, which is a definite success story, but I think the whole thing really needed pulling together with a focal point to draw the eye and provide coherence instead of the eye darting around from one area to the next. However, I used many more layers than I usually use and I didn’t create ugly mud so I will still claim this as a small success.
A Pict in PA 
Laura, I enlarged the picture and I can see all the details and all the layers you used! I hope I remember not to use big acrylic brushes and think small and control the chaos!
I will be looking forward to seeing your version of this lesson. I only used a brush twice in the whole process: once for the initial watercolour layer – which is now not even visible – and once for applying the paint that I then dribbled. I had not really thought about it but that is quite something to have all that colour and layering and only have used a brush once – well except for a waterbrush which I used to activate the Neocolor II doodles.
I think it holds together well. All the circles did it for me. I love it.
Thank you, Claudia. That’s my methodology: if in doubt, shove some circles and dots on it and hope for the best.
It’s beautiful Laura. I love all the layers and bold colors, especially the attention to detail. Love the white circles. Good job. 😊
Thank you very much, Christina. I appreciate your encouraging comment.
Beautiful. I really love how all the colours work so well together. There’s a lot going on and it all feels so balanced. 🙂
Thanks very much, Amy. It’s always so hard to judge our own creations, isn’t it? I don’t see it as balanced at all but maybe I’m just too close to it to see what you see.
I love layering! I think this really works too. Layered backgrounds give the eye a sense of depth and ‘story’ to the finished painting – I can see this with one of your fabulous figures or animals painted on top of it too – anything is possible. And not a drop of mud in sight!! ❤ I can't wait to pick up Life Book lessons again – the time is coming closer 🙂
I wonder if that is why I am frustrated with the lack of a focal point: I usually have a figure or creature in the painting or drawing so the eye always has something obvious to settle on. Perhaps I will try this layering technique for creating a background in future. Thank you for your kind and supportive comment.
This is definitely a success Laura. You followed your instincts and play with your heart. You did great. I hoped you made this in a bigger scale like in a canvas to display in your beautiful home.
Thank you. I don’t think this or anything like it will end up on my wall as I already have a lot of my art on display. I also have a project I need to start which is filling a huge wooden frame with lots of little apertures full of drawings. Once filled it will hang on the staircase wall.
Once your project is finished please share, I’d love to see it.
I will probably share each artwork as I create it rather than waiting for the whole thing to be done. Blogging about my art projects helps my momentum.
That would be wonderful. We would all get to see each piece and be inspired by them.
I’m currently prepping a 1970s recipe book to become a journal for another project. I wonder how many projects I can have on the go at once!
Oh wonderful! I am excited to see all the projects you will be having. I am learning from all of your posts and happy to see progress in your works.
Thank you. I really do appreciate your support. I consider you an art cheerleader.
Thank you for the compliment Laura. 🙂 🙂 🙂
I don’t know much about how you made this Laura, but the finished product is beautiful, so vibrant and detailed!!1
Thank you very much. Just piling on layers of different types of mark making plus collage elements.
I wish I could ‘just pile things on’ and make something as stunning as you did!
Thanks. I normally can’t. The tutorial took me through each step. Normally I make sludgy muddy mess.