Saturday, September 19, 2015

Life: Documented

I am thrilled to be part of the 2015 lineup of featured artists in the Documented Life Project


If this is new to you, click here for a short video that explains it all.

The theme for the month of September is Journaling with Photos, the art challenge is Silhouettes, and the prompt is There is no shadow without the light. It is up to the participating artist to interpret these any way at all.


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Here is how it was done

I knew that I wanted to create in my current journal and I had a specific photo in mind at the start.


When I first started this journal, I painted black gesso on every page. The backgrounds, including this one,  are created pretty organically -- marked and painted along the way as I create other art.

While I understand the symbolic meaning of the quote, I chose a photo that interpreted it a bit more literally. I took this picture in Venice when I was there maybe 10 years ago. I thought that the shadows and reflections in it suited this project very well. I hand altered the photo using an awl, sandpaper, and dye ink.

Since the quote for this project focused on both light and shadow, I decided to add some brightness to the dark background with some sprays and splatters of acrylic paint. 

I have no clue how this picture was taken...but it definitely shows my process!


The art challenge this week for the project is silhouettes. I decided to create a simple silhouette of a face by cutting out the outline on painted watercolor paper.

The fun really began at that point as I dug into my stash of painted paper, ephemera and collage material and made this mess. 

I went with my creative gut, chose a bunch of pieces -- many of which were small scraps which most people (other than us) would have thrown away along time ago -- and began layering. Once the collage was completed and adhered to the journal page, I outlined much of it with a black Stabilo pencil, added some stamping, and splattered a bit more acrylic paint to finish it off.

When I was done, Look My Way was born.





29 comments:

Sisterhood of the Muse said...

Again, very nice work and so interesting to see how it came to exist. :-)

Lorraine Bell said...

Thank you so much Seth for this amazing interpretation of the challenge! We are honored that you agreed to be a part of our project and give our members a glimpse of your creative process! Wish I was standing in that spot in Venice!

www.raemissigman.com said...

So amazing! Thank you so much for joining in Seth! It was a great honor to have you as a guest artist. Your work is is surely something that captures the viewer. I always enjoy your projects!

JKW said...

This is truly amazing and so creative. So many things I would not have thought of. Thanks for taking the time (while creating) to explain and show how this beautiful page came together. Blessings, Janet DLP, PPF

Mary W said...

Love how the sentiment is expressed in a photo inside your head. Our "shadows" live in our head so this is so fitting. Great way to interpret the challenge and thanks for this beautiful page to enjoy.

elle said...

ooooh! This is a top ten favourite, Seth. Thanks for stopping the creative process long enough to share a few highlights. luv it!

NANCY LEFKO said...

What fun to open up the DLP post this morning and find you! Your journal page is wonderful...truly, I love it.

Carol P said...

I love this page. What a great way to show the use of all of those magnificent scraps of art. The photo as a sillouette is fantastic! Thanks for sharing your wonderful creative process with us today.

Barbara said...

This is wonderful! I love that you shared it with us.

Michele R. Unger said...

Really nice posting, Seth! Thanks for sharing your techniques with all of us.

Brian Kasstle said...

This is wonderful Seth! I would love to see the whole journal! You know journals are made for touching.

sara j said...

Love the silhouette ... along with Venice of course. Thanks for the look into your process.....very cool. I rarely work on black; you've inspired me to give it more of a go.

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing your creative process Seth.I love this journal page you created.Have been out of commission for a bit as I had my 2nd knee replacement 3 wks ago. Itching to get going again once pain gets better. :) pat

Chesley said...

I love your project! Thank you for coming to DLP and sharing this with us!

Connie said...

Very cool. Love all the textures and layers.

Unknown said...

Fabulous! Love your interpretation, Seth. :)

Sharmon Davidson said...

A great piece, Seth! Thanks for sharing your process!

Unknown said...

Love Love Love all the layers and textures you created!

mamablitger said...

Breathtaking result. Gosh.. What a lot of fab details. I love the way the silhouette was integrated at right side of the lovely photo from Venice. I LOVE what you did : painted all pages black... It's such a fabulous and dramatic background.
Thank you for sharing your awesome art.
Hugs from Monica... Spain

Roben-Marie said...

Seth, your piece is amazing and a unique addition to our weekly challenges. I would know your work anywhere! We truly appreciate the time you took to make this so special for everyone and thanks so much for agreeing to be a part of The Documented Life Project!

Kelly Warren said...

Gorgeous! Love all the yummy layers. Thanks so much for sharing your process with us.

bellefrogworks said...

Seth I love that piece. It's very cool. A great take on that quote and the silhouette theme

Jackie PN said...

Great interpretation Seth! I always love how your art- every form!!
hugs,Jackie

Dominike said...

It is gorgeous. So different from what we usually see.

Alison said...

Thanks for the step by step, wonderful page Seth!

Unknown said...

YEAH Seth! Wow - one of the BEST journal pages EVER. This is FABULOUS. I'm just awed. Wow. Love the silhouette - that was genius. The way you layer it all and the colors - the background - it's just INCREDIBLE. Soooo proud you are here. SUPER GREAT post. Thanks bunches and bunches for sharing. j.

the mixie pixie said...

I just joined DLP, and this is the first thing I am looking at. My first reaction was how cool that it's you! And then, how fabulous your journal page is. So glad to see the mess on your table - it looks just like mine! Thanks so much for sharing!~ The Mixie Pixie

Amber K said...

"I went with my creative gut, chose a bunch of pieces -- many of which were small scraps which most people (other than us) would have thrown away along time ago" this line resonated with me, my family doesn't understand my NEED to put all these little bits and pieces of things aside, lol!

Unknown said...

What an awesome page! Love how you have merged the silhouette with the photo...