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The home of exuberant amateurism.

Sunday, 14 August 2011

Opus Gluei Challenge #111. Oh I do like to be beside the seaside and all things fishy.

It's my turn this time to set the challenge over at the Opus Gluei Challenge blog.

So are you ready to roll your trousers up, tie a knot in each corner of a man's hanky to wear on your head, get sand in your hair and sandwiches?
Then finally in the early evening, to sit on the beach with your red peeling nose eating fish and chips covered with lashings of salt, malt vinegar and red sauce (Ketchup) out of a newspaper wrapping with a useless wooden fork provided by the Fish and Chip shop and to have the setting sun in your eyes.
Yes?
Well, it's time to put all your seaside memories or fantasies into a piece of art.
It can be based on the beach, sandcastles, donkeys, shells, beach huts etc. It could be something set on the sea, maybe a watersport such as sailing or surfing or just a seagull floating on the sea contemplating his next fish and whether or not he could ever become a pirate.
Perhaps you would rather go under the waves and use fish, mammals and other marine seascapes. Sunken vessels and treasure or mythical mermaids or even Kraken's. I don't know what a Kraken looks like but maybe you could show me.

I decided to represent through the medium of art; The birth of the Stampotique Mermaids.
Now as we all know, mermaids are born out of mermaids purses, which is presumably why groups of young women in the 1980's used to dance around their handbags down the disco often drunkenly and with their singing skills enhanced by the drink in an attempt to lure mortal men to their sides. (Mine's a Barcardi and diet coke please. Why yes, these white stiletto court shoes are very attractive.) They were of course mimicking the mysterious and beautiful mermaids singing to sailors and luring them to some fishy lovin' or to their doom depending on your point of view.
This is a 10 x 12 inch canvas that is shiny shiny shiny.
Click on any picture to make it bigger.






What I used.
10 x 12 inch canvas coloured with acrylics. 
The sea foam is Stickles frosted lace.
The background was covered completely with DecoArt glamour dust glitter paint in Ice Crystal. 
The Derwent inktense pencil coloured mermaids were overpainted with the other colours of DecoArt glamour dust glitter paint.
The text is Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations die cutter called Typeset (which is already falling apart after about 8 uses, so it has not been a good purchase for me.)
Other Stickles colours used were Waterfall and True blue.
Fushia glitter glue by Glitz-it.
The seaweed is one of the Spellbinders shapeabilities from the foliage set.
The various swirls are from two different Sizzlits Medium sets; Butterfly, Flower and Swirl set, and the Decorative flourishes set.
The fushia border diecut is from the Papermania chipboard set called Floral.

Hope you are inspired to join in.

Plus I am entering my Mermaids Purses canvas in the Alter It monthly challenge Sirens, Mermaids and the deep blue sea.

Happy Creating!
Gini
xx


11 comments:

Jane Wetzel said...

Absolutely ENCHANTING my dear....lol

SYLVIA-ANNE said...

Fabulous colouring Gini, and I love your inventive take on Mermaids Purses. Sheer brilliance as always!
Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

Zuzu's Blog said...

thank you for linking it to us at Alter It Monthly Gini. its lovely and the colours are stunning.. beautiful piece.
Z x

Kristen H said...

These are so gorgeous, Gini!
My grandma's family is English and the fish and chips here in the states is quite often frozen sticks and french fries... just not the same.
We have an English aisle at our grocery store, and can get Salad Cream and Spotted Dick and all sorts of other fun stuff. Jealous of your Fish and Chips...
And your wonderful creation!

xxx

HAve a most wonderful week!

Jana said...

Gini - This is a marvelous work of art. I love all of the textures and colors you have here. Those mermaids are terrific.

Congratulations on entering 2 challenges with this one. Way to go.

Rosemary said...

Your writeup alone made me smile! Mermaids, of a sort, down at the disco luring young men to their sides - sounds far toooooo familiar to me!

As always, you are creative and inventive and terribly clever with your project! I didn't realize mermaids were born out of mermaid purses and yet it seems so logical now! I love the vibrancy of this and those mermaids are nothing short of PERFECT in all their dazzling, blingy glory!

Excellent project and an even better theme for us over at OG!

Karen said...

ooooo lots of shiny shiny going on here my lovely!!! wonderful work xxx

Elly said...

Everybody can see, that the mermaids have fun with there purses. Shiny magic onder water. Stunning (:o) Elly

Deena said...

These purses are super cute...love this canvas...and all the stuff you used on it...you certainly would like a cricut if you like using sizzlits and cuttlebug stuff...but it is a large machine and you have to buy all the cartridges for it once you have the machine, so it gets expensive unless you know of friends that you can share with.

Sherry said...

Fantastic canvas Gini - I love how all the swirls create a feeling of movement and the little gems for the bubbles! The mermaids look wonderful in this setting - and you really took me back to the 1980s discos dancing around our handbags - LOL!

Jennifer Grace said...

Really clever idea to have mermaid purses like this! The colours are stunning, I love the big swirly frame around the whole thing too. Gorgeous! x