Sunday 6 April 2014

Q&L- Change - New England

The challenge from the Craft Barn crew this time was Truth and/or Change. I opted for change, as this songs takes me back to my school days.  Actually, it can't, as it was only released in 1983 (or 1984 if you go for the Kirsty McColl version) - I must have been imaging it my school days.  I was long gone by 1983! My song is 'New England' by Billy Bragg.
I don't want to change the world,
I'm not looking for New England,
I'm just looking for another girl

I love the end where he sings: 
Is it wrong to wish on space hardware, I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care
so I added that last line into the page.


  My school days were spent in Somerset.  With 20/20 hindsight, it was always sunny, the land was always lush, flowers bloomed permanently, never a care in the world.  I guess that may be why I keep returning to fairly verdant landscapes.  And watercolours.  May have to do some proper watercolour classes, before long, I guess. 
 
For this one, I used (for the first time) my inktense blocks, finely grated onto damp watercolour paper.  I used a very wet brush to create my fields and sky, and dabbed some of this off to create depth, and added more, by stamping hedgerow type foliage when it was dry, at the front, in archival ink.
 
I also stamped some butterflies, again because of the change reference, but also because I remember our garden being full of butterflies.
 
I am still struggling with white.  This time I opted for some liquitex acrylic ink, with a fine paintbrush.  It's still not as white as I would like, but at least it is there.  The others just soaked into the watercolour paper.  I did most of my colouring in with Pitt pens (india ink) - I like that you can see the archival through it, and it was still the colour on top of the inktense.
 
So thanks, Billy, for taking me back to an unreal world - I am happy with the memories that are created, so I don't want to change the world I have created in my head!

And....still managing to only use songs from people I have seen live!
 
Hope you like
 
 
Reosurces
 
Substrate Windsor and Newton Cotman Watercolour Paper
 
 
Paint and Ink
Derwent Inktense: various colours
Archival Inks: Fern Green, Sap Green, Jet Black, Hydrangea, Deep Purple, Leaf Green, Dandelion
Faber Pitt Pens
Liquitex Acrylic Ink: Titanium White
 
Stamps
PaperArtsy: HP1203EZ Botanical, HP1009 Happiness, HP1010 Poetry, HP1005 Take Flight
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Spring Sprung CMS084
Stampin' Up: Broadsheet Alphabet
 
Bling and other stuff
Sakura Gelly roll pen

13 comments:

  1. Love the song, super page. BJ

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  2. I've never heard this song, but it sure sounds like it is something I would like, especially in the wonderful field with the lovely flowers and butterflies.

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  3. Beautifully created fields, flowers and butterflies. A great song too.

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  4. Beautiful, I love how you have done the hedgerow and the colours used.

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  5. Love the feel of this - a summer breeze! Perfect song too.

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  6. Inktense Blocks and Pencils are just wonderful, i have a small tin of both. Really love how you have created such a wonderful vibrant, lush page. Beautiful stamping and butterfly. This song is new to me as not a Billy Bragg fan but i can see why you loved it so much. Love your lyrics :-) xxx

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  7. Beautiful picture, it brings me back to my childhood summer days!

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  8. Isn't every childhood memory of summer full of sunshine. Lovely page

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  9. A fantastic page, love the bright colors.

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  10. Lovely entry - can feel the summer spirit!

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  11. Fabulous page, great song lyrics.

    Sylv xx

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