AP Summer Project #4: Architectural Structure

Once again, a little more non-conventional. I tried a new technique, combining encaustic and Liquitex. I cute out 24 small squares, 24 medium squares, and 24 large squares. The smallest squares are composed of a marketplace scene in New Mexico on a postcard from the fifties or sixties. If you imagine that the smallest squares are pushed together as one unit, you can see the image as a whole. To help you identify this, look at the first column, second row. You will notice that in this square, the lower half is a darker/royal blue. Bring your attention to the square to the right of this square (column two, row two) and you will notice that the royal blue from the last square is continued in this square. This blue comes together to create a mountain in the background. In the foreground, people are gathered around a marketplace watching a parade of sorts. The medium and large squares are made of papers that showcase other New Mexican locations. After I encausted the three layers of squares together, I embellished them with thread, pins, wire, lace, ribbon, buttons, snaps, and even a brooch/ pendant (as the focal point). To create the background I placed a large piece of lace onto paper and used colored wax to create a rust orange, attaching the lace to the paper. After the wax had dried, I peeled the lace off of the large sheet of paper. The lace now had the same rust orange color as the background. I used Liquitex to attach it to a fresh white piece of paper. After it dried I attached all of the smaller squares with another coat of Liquitex. After this step was complete, I had a nearly finished product. I used the rust orange colored paper that I had pulled the lace off of to create a mat for the piece as a whole. The rust orange colored piece has a relief of the lace, which was a subtle but nice effect. I really like the idea for this piece. I hope that the architectural design is still identifiable in the photo. So, four down, ONE (summer piece) to go! :)