Messy May “habit”

Series: Messy May #12

Prompt: 12 HABIT
Host: Amanda Trought @realityarts
Guidance: Create a habit of using recycled materials in your art journal as tools for mark making and background creation.

I already save far too much stuff that would otherwise end up in the bin; most of it is either used for collage or kept with more dimensional work in mind. And I did make some roller textures for gelli printing ages ago which made use of scraps of lace, string, foam, foil, elastic bands, and anything else that came to hand. So I definitely have the habit of collecting useful stuff (to the point where I have to stop myself from keeping everything — I already have far too many jars and boxes). I probably could improve my use rate, but then that could be said about most of my supplies.

I made a quick scrap stamp for this, using old tiny adhesive foam squares and a piece of cardboard. Other mark-making tools included some bubblewrap, a piece of non-slip mat, and an old store card (I have a stack of dead credit cards and membership cards and the like, they are so handy for spreading glue, gesso and paint). The blue strips are from a scrap torn from an old magazine and the butterfly was assembled from leftover die-cuts.

I rather like the haphazardness of the background paint with the stamping over the top. In fact the only bit I’m not sure about is the painted branch and even that doesn’t offend me the way it did when I first made this. It just goes to show it’s always worth putting things to one side and coming back to them with fresh eyes later on.