52 pages 2011

page 25. Illusion.

This was giving me problems, I had absolutely no ideas for this page, none at all. Usually I have at least something, a quote in mind, or a technique for the background or an image.But nothing for this page.

On Thursday I was having a rough day,worried about someone who was going through hell,and feeling powerless to help. On edge I lit up a yankee candle at the side of my desk, throwing the dead match onto my cuttting mat.

While waiting for news I reached for my stack of precut pages. I stared at the page and the blank page stared back at me. Idly I reached for the dead match and scribbled the charcoal onto the page, smooshing it around with my fingers. I felt miserable and the page felt miserable, to me it looked like a black hole. I didn't see how this page could be anything or how it could relate to this weeks word.

I don't know much about black holes, can't say that I fancy being sucked into one to find out...so I googled..as you do. The images I  saw were beautiful, not at all like my black sooty page.So I grabbed the colours I saw on screen and started to add them.

Suddenly the page had life. I added some white acrylic.

The images on screen sparkled and shone....only way to go was to add glitter right?..So i got out the stickles, choosing 6 colours. I swirled them around.

Suddenly the word 'Illusion' seemed fitting, this pages started as one thing and turned into something else.
I wanted my title to be not quite what it seemed either. I wanted it to look like I had written it, but not...that leaves printing right?..but on printer paper you would see the edges...so I printed onto tissue paper..

At least I did after 4 attempts.It's always a bit of trial and error doing this,but effective when it works.

I tore out the words and played with placement.

Then I glued them down...and voila! the tissue disappears leaving just the words.....like an illusion.

On the back I used a mixture of Stewert Gill paints and Shimmerz paints, topped with some silver leafing.

Finally adding my journalling, which is a quote. Again I printed onto tissue paper.

The photo isn't too clear, this is the quote...

“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts... For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.” ...Patrick Henry

I still wasn't clear how this page works, or how it had become, then I heard that 2 little girls had brightened up my friends day.

Two glittering swirls out of an otherwise black hole of a day.

Sometimes it only takes the arms of a child to make things not quite so bad as you thought they were.