DARK SIDE

Let me just preface this by saying: this isn't my usual stuff. I participated in a WTA drawing (Winner Takes All) in one of my ATC groups. The lucky winner (she gets probably 15 or more cards) likes unusual gothic style stuff, so I aim to please. But I have to say, this one weirds me out a little. Art is supposed to provoke a response (and that is a little presumptuous of me to declare this "art"), but among the viewers, right? What do you do when you feel . . . uneasy . . . about your creation? Go with it, I guess.

The background was pretty straightforward. I am one to save my palette papers and use them as backgrounds. This was a remnant of a black gesso background from a set of Gothic Halloween cards I'd done recently. Added some streaks of acrylic ink to it, dry brushed the image of the goth chic and the skull with titanium white acrylic and glued it all down. Added Hambly Studio rub-ons in the four corners and still felt it needed something. A finishing touch. For me, that usually means mica, a burned edge transparency, or stitching. Oh, and of course it had to have a bit of text. The stitiching would have been too distracting on a card of this type, so I used some of my new speckled mica to top it off. The streaks are on the mica itself . . . no altering on my part.

Perhaps I've read too many vampire novels over the years. Or maybe it's the subtle shift in the air here in New Orleans. Halloween season has a certain mystique in this city, and you can definitely feel it. Whatever it is, the card is on its way to the intended recipient tomorrow. Hope she is pleased with it.

Ciao for now.

Shelly