Destroying some backgrounds...

In a previous post I described how I made my faux metal art journal. I then later proceded to make all sorts of backgrounds in it. Firstly, off course, because I loved doing it, but secondly out of a fear of white.

This actualy backfired on me. I liked several, if not all, of the backgrounds so much that, while I could see they were not finished, I was now afraid to do anything to them. So I set myself a task, to take a background every day and "destroy" it, to be able to take the page to completion.

This also fits in wonderfully with the Artists in blogland: color this quote - May challenge. With the quote "Every act of creation is first an act of destruction" by Pablo Picasso.

So here are 3 of the backgrounds taken to completion, with the original background.

 I'm afraid I didn't take pictures while working on them. Which, in hindsight, is a pity, because with the way I work, it can sometimes be difficult to see what I did to get to the end.

I will post the pages in chronological order, with first the background and then de completed page.

The first page was a background done with soft pastels and a collaged book page.

I collaged some scrapbook paper to the background and some die cut time pieces. I fussy cut the butterflies from a print out I made. Stamped the words on it and traced around the words and collage pieces. Distressed everyting with walnut stain.

With this page I stayed fairly close to the background and my destruction of the "pristeen" background was merely collaging the corners and thereby breaking up the layout.

The second page was a background with soft pastels and allready had some collage elements on it. Done quite a while ago, problable because I then liked it... They were now holding me back to do anything else to the page.

So I destroyed it with white paint and burnt umber. Created my own drippage with the paint and stamped on some circles. Added the words with die cut letters and writing. and doodled a little with white gel pen. I really like making these little circles =). They look like bubbles.

The third page was entirely done with soft pastels and I thought my little diamond shapes looked so cute. I also loved the colors.

So I started off really carefully with this page, by writing all over the page in a diagonal direction with a regular pen. Then I did some stamping with white pigment ink and embossed those with white embossing powder. That did break up the page somewhat, but not enough.

So I took some white paint and applied it with my fingers to the page. Sprinkled some water over this, to be able to wipe some spots away. Felt it needed some  blue and orange and did the same to these paints.

Found 3 die cuts, 2 spellbinders frames, I once cut out and never used and a flourish. I also found two pictures that I thought went well with the page. Distressed everything with walnut stain and apllied them to the page. I then wrote again on the page, but changed direction this time, still keeping the diagonal line.

The tiny frame I didn't paste to the page, but I used it as a stencil, all over the page. It looks like tiny little clouds. Applied some more paint, to tie it all in, stamped the little birds and birdcages in blue archival ink and added some washi tape. Found the quote in my little quote booklet, printed and distressed this and pasted it to the page. I then doodled to my hearts content and wrote around the pictures.

I actualy like all three the pages, but I love the last one. I really like the writing and the doodling. My writing on this page reminds me of my fathers writing and it brings back some really fond memories. So yes, happy thoughts.

For now I think I destroyed enough backgrounds to get me on the right track again =).

Thank you all for watching and have a nice day with lots of happy thoughts.

Linked to:

• Artists in blogland: color this quote - May challenge
• Challenges 4 everybody: challenge #20 Anything goes.
• Art Journal Journey: Challenge Yourself  (as I did challenge myself to destroy the backgrounds and on the last page I took my doodling to a whole new level for me. So that was challenging, but fun.)