BleedingArt Challenge- JANUARY!!!!

I can't believe it is a new year already! I'm not one for resolutions or the "New Year/New Me" hype but I have accepted that my reality is no longer all art and creativity. I will no longer fight for the motivation to create and you know what? I completely accept this as the new ME. That doesn't change who I am, or what I am capable of...I have just noticed a change in myself...maybe a temporary one, I don't know...but a change that I now accept; I am more than the "Artist" that was my previous identity. I will not be tied to ONE identity. Maybe without the pressure to conform to such, my artistic nature will come back...organically.

With that said, I am pretty pleased with this months challenge piece that I allowed to come together peacefully. By that, I mean, I took the challenge rules and let them unfold without too much restraint (just what art should be). I did what I LOVE to do: took an old unwanted treasure and gave it new purpose! The old lantern was found at an estate sale a while back. I didn't take my own "before" picture but I googled 'vintage green glass lantern' and found this: 

(This is NOT my photo. I claim NO ownership)

I gesso'd the lantern in it's entirety and l allowed to dry.

I came back to it about...two days later lol

I wanted to create texture all over the smooth surface of the glass bulb (is that what you call the top?) Anyway, to do this I used my homemade honeycomb stencil and randomly used matte gel medium over the stencil, like this:

Ok, because I didn't do what I call 'process shots', what you see in the above image is just a close up of the finished piece. lol Notice the honeycomb design? When I sprayed the dried gel medium honeycombs, the Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists did not adhered completely the gel so it was absorbed by the gesso. I believe I used Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Vancouver, Partridge in a Pear Tree and a homemade blue.

 I coated the entire lantern in texture paste, art pebbles, sand, and of course...old rusted parts and gears!

I LOVE texture! I love the depth and the dimension that it creates.  Notice the cheesecloth pasted to the surface of the base then topped with the brass embellishments...I love it's texture!!

With my Prima Marketing rust paste, I randomly painted the gears for a rusted and patina look. I patina'd the whole piece!!

I want to give a big Thank You to all the ladies that are apart of the Bleeding Art Design Team for being patient with me over the past couple months! And thank you for letting me join in on this fun. If you haven't submitted your January project yet...do it! Now! right here