Paper Clay Experiments on Mini Canvas

A.C. Moore recently had a sale on their canvas, and I went a little nuts.  Well, not too bad… I got enough canvas to keep me busy for the next 6 months, at least.  That’s not too bad… at least, that’s what I have to tell myself after every trip to any kind of craft store.  The justification begins as I enter through the automatic doors, every. single. time.

Anyway, part of my horde of supplies was a pack of tiny little canvases, about  2 1/2 in. by 3 1/2 in.  I opened the pack that night and put on a layer of gesso, getting them ready for whatever ideas entered my head.

Here is my first completed mini canvas piece.  P.S.- they have mini easels at A.C. Moore, too.  *drool*

 Paper Clay Mixed Media Mini Art

I’ve been experimenting with different techniques recently, and this one is the perfect example.  Along with all my canvases, I bought some sculptymold paper clay at the store.  It’s a molding medium that dries much lighter than plaster, so I thought I’d give it a try and see how I liked it.

I created a step by step tutorial outlining how you can successfully work with paper clay on canvas, as well, and when you subscribe not only do you get access to this freebie, but all the other freebie tutorials I’ve created!

I followed the directions to mix a small amount, and then a added a couple dolops of orange and yellow paint.  I slapped that handful of mushy paper clay on my canvas to try a splattered effect (which didn’t really work- I’ll have to try it more watery next time) added my pieces of quilling, and let it dry for a couple of days.  Then, I mixed a half/half combo of red acrylic and water, used a straw to drop beads of paint in certain places, then used the straw to blow the excess paint over the canvas.  It didn’t quite work the way I thought it would- I used too much paint sometimes- but the effect is not unattractive.  I love how the colors play together!

I’ts reassuring that even though most of the projects I’ve done in the last month or two don’t quite work in the way I’ve imagined, they still turn out alright, and I learn a lot in the process.

If you still have questions, don’t forget to get my free printable tutorial by subscribing below.

So I suppose the only question I have now is, which way should I display my finished paper clay piece?  Vertically or horizontally?