March, at last....

At last I have achieved an acceptable, to me, interpretation of the Calendar Girls inspiration for the month. This was the picture of the Earth from Above which Carol had chosen for us.

On of my first struggles was the colours, I have difficulty in working with such "definite" colours. My second problem was what technique to use.
When I was at school physical geography was my favourite subject, thus my delight in the book by Yann Arthus-Bertrand's "The Earth from Above", which my son gave me for Christmas a few years back. So I wanted to do something that would actually suggest the earth.
It started with a piece of canvas slightly larger than the 6x4 format we usually use.The canvas was collaged with painted watercolour paper,with the addition of painted scrim. The frame is contructed by the off cuts from bringing the canvas down to size. I hated it!. But a lot of work had gone into it so I took the sand paper to it in an effort to "knock it back a bit".

I still hated it. In true Lynda and Carol form I painted it with gesso and then repainted it. I was still struggling to relate it to the physical earth which I love. I suddenly thought of the mica sheets I had somewhere in my stash and actually managed to find them. I covered the card with sheets of mica and was so disgusted I forgot to photograph this stage. I was getting desparate by now, and thought I waa going to have to abandon the piece which had so much effort in it. In disgust I ripped of the mica sheets (when you're are mean with stash as I am this takes some doing)and Wow! Lo and behold there as the effect I had been striving for.


Sharon, you may not like it, though I hope you do but at least you will understand just what went into it.