Becoming - Mixed Media Canvas & Burlap

Do you ever live in you head, or let others live in your head for free? I do both. I stay stuck with ideas, thoughts, desires and don't act them. At least, that's what 2016 felt like to me, one big state of stuck-ness. This year I am going to change this. Self help gurus, the Buddha in his teachings, stated that if you think of yourself realizing, feeling your thoughts in the present state; you set into intentions and put that energy out into the universe;  not in those exact words, but you get the point. The idea is that one will be motivated to take actions (big or small) everyday towards your goals and for me, hopefully, I can get out of my head. So the word that defines this state of mind for me is "Becoming"....which is defined as the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state. Even Aristotle wrote about becoming as "any change involving realization of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality".

To pay homage to becoming the new me. I created this mixed media canvas. I really like the geared/steampunk butterfly chipboard; for me, it gave so much meaning to this piece, it signifies change and action (the gears). Adding to the concept of "change", the butterfly has a copper patina color, something that happens to copper over time, it changes. The zipper is the opening into the blue yonder to realize your dreams. The clock signifies time, for me, the time is now.

How it's made

I started by painting a 9"x12" canvas with  matte yellow-bronze acrylic paint and gesso, it's a color that best matched the burlap, since the burlap is a little see-through. I used a 12"x12" Canvas Corp #canvascorp burlap. I started by cutting the opening, then glued the zipper and lace. I then stenciled both the blue paper and burlap. On the blue paper I added drywall tape and on top of the tape, I added another layer of stenciled paisley swirl shapes with Golden Molding paste. To the paste I added Titan Buff acrylic paint. I then glued the blue background paper and burlap onto the canvas. The whole piece has been embellished with vintage lace from antique and thrift stores.


The butterfly and words have been treated with with Modern Master metal paint and patina acid for a realistic copper patina look. I could of painted this effect, but wanted to try this product out. The result is very random and one has no control on how it comes out, which makes for a cool effect. The butterfly is a chipboard from Creative Embellishment.

The gears on top of the chipboard gears butterfly, the gears and the pocket watch on the burlap are from 7 gypsies #7gypsies.   All the metal on the burlap was painted with black gesso and Tattered Angels High Impact copper paint  #tatteredangels, as well as bronze wax paste. I have embedded teeny tiny watch gears and parts in the pocket watch. I used mica sheet as the glass cover on the pocket watch, which I sandwich between the watch and chipboard.  All the flowers are from Petaloo. Hope you enjoy my "Becoming" Canvas project.  

I am entering this project to the following Challenges:

Canvas Corp - Word of the Year 2017 January Challenge;  #ccbchallenge
Creative Embellishments - January Challenge
The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge #32 - Put a Stencil on It
Frilly and Funkie - What are you going achieve in 2017 January Challenge
Country View - Anything Goes January Challenge
Mixed Media Place - January Challenge