RELIEF YOURSELF: A TUTORIAL

Need some relief from all of this snowy, winter weather?  Well, here you go; here’s some relief.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Perhaps you’d like to relief, yourself.  You’ll feel great, and to do so, this is what you’ll need –

• gesso
• molding paste
• a cone shaped plastic goody bag
• an empty cone-tipped plastic bottle
• acrylic paints, antiquing stain, or any coloring supplies of your choice
• a surface to relief upon

©Linda Nelson 2015

©Linda Nelson 2015

Sleeve a plastic goody cone bag inside a glass, then spoon in equal parts gesso and molding paste. Twist the bag shut and use a squishing technique to mix them together.  Snip the tip end of the cone and squirt your mixture into the plastic bottle.  Prime your surface area with a coat of plain, white gesso.  I chose a blank hemp journal, but wood/canvas panels, clay pots, etc…. would serve as great options, too.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Apply a few coats of gesso over the entire surface area of your piece, allowing it to dry after each coat.  Finish it off with a dry brush coat of acrylic paint, antiquing ink or any preferred technique to achieve the look you want.  I sponged on some mossy green acrylic paint.  I let it dry, then did a sponge on/wipe off coat of brown and teal tinted gloss medium.  The journal book came with a satin cord bookmark attached to it; I simply added the skeleton key.

©Linda Nelson 2015

If you’re a purist, you know that this isn’t an authentic relief process.  But, who cares.  There’s snow on the ground, and in lieu of shoveling, you might prefer a less back-breaking activity.

There you have it.

Now, go relief……, yourself.