I am going to be trying out making some fabric paper today. I am gathering my supplies and will post pictures and instructions as soon as I have something to show :).

These are images of a before and after of a painting. The first rather plain image with the green splotches on it was done by applying purple craft paint mixed with gesso to 140lb watercolor paper. An old credit card was used to move around the paint. Pieces of ephemera were applied using gel medium to the painted background. Green paint was blotted over the ephemera which was put aside to dry. I then applied a light layer of gesso over the dried painting to mute the colors a little more. I applied glazes of Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Transparent Red Iron Oxide, cobalt blue, payne's gray, and quinacridone magenta to the dried painting.

If you are wondering why I have so many backgrounds, I always either scan them in or take snapshots which I then alter and use in other art projects. Here are some more backgrounds that I made. All of these were done on canvas using both Golden, Liquitex, and Sherrill's sorbet paints.

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I am really hung up on doing backgrounds. This particular background is being done on a canvas board. I started out by applying a layer of molding paste. After letting this dry overnight, I applied two layers of gesso over the molding paste. After this dried, I then applied a wash of yellow ochre. I added some texture at this point using a sea sponge with Quin Nickel Azo Gold. Once dried, I added a couple of ephemera using gel medium. I then washed the whole canvase using Quin Nickel Azo Gold. I added touches of Cobalt Teal with a baby wipe (my newest favorite tool) and applied some Burnt Umber around the edges of the canvase using a paintbrush. I stamped a word image using a Adirondack stamp pad (Expresso, I think). I applied some texture by using Titan Buff through sequin waste. I am partially done with this canvas so check back again to see where I go from here.

These are canvases I painted today although the photographs aren't that great....the sun was going down when I took the pictures so I waited too long. I will take new pictures tomorrow.

Background 1 (the bottom image) was done using Golden's Yellow Ochre and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold with a paintbrush. I am not done layering yet so the next layer I will most likely be a cool color such as blue.

Background 2 was done on a canvas board which I had gessoed first. I then applied a glaze of yellow ochre (Golden) and then spot colored using Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold. Then I added with a baby wipe touches of Turquois (Phthalo) and Quinacridone Magenta. I added darker touches of color with a paintbrush which I then patted with a baby wipe. I save all of these baby wipes as they can be incorporated into other artwork.

Background 3 (top image) was done on a stretched canvas. I had used this canvas before but did not like the way it turned out. The texture was achieved with molding paste on which I used dry wall tape. I had also applied some vellum using gel medium which immediately buckled giving another great texture. Before painting, I applied two layers of white gesso. Once the gesso dried, I applied a mix of acrylic glazing liquid and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide as the base of the painting which I then highlighted with Quin Nickel Azo Gold. I then used a baby wipe to add touches of Cobalt Teal and Dioxazine Purple all over the canvases.