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So you wish you could draw or paint so you could add a personal touch to your interior decorating? The answer is here. You can paint some of the most beautiful things from your back yard if you would allow Mother Nature to help out. It's called a monotype, and requires absolutely zero in the drawing department. The only tools you will need are probably right in your own house already, and the paint does not have to be anything more than the leftovers from painting the room and trim. So why not run with this one, and have a little adventure?
First, we're going to begin with a walk around the back yard, and maybe to the flower bed. If it were fall, I would go for the berry bushhes, but since it's early summer, I'm going to look for ferns, and flowers with no real lumpy parts on any of the bloom. Pansies and forget-me-nots are a good place to start. I'd like to have some tall blades of grass too, some morning glory vines, (complete with tendrils) and some leaves from trees.
The next step is to find a flat table top to work on, with a very smooth surface that is washable. An old piece of counter top is taylor made for this project, but you're welcome to substitute anything you have handy that will serve the purpose. I like to fill a bucket with hot soapy water and a cleaning rag before I even start to paint; that way it's already there for me if I get paint on my hands, and need them clean in a hurry. Of coarse you will need paper for this work of art. I like to use rice paper, because it works so well for a monotype.
Now get the paper that you will be using, and with the color of the trim, paint the paper completely, and allow it to dry.
Lay an old bath towel on a flat surface that is as near as possible to your work area. Run water over your paper until it is good and wet, then lay it on the towel, with the painted side up, to blot off the excess water. Now it's time for the fun to begin!
Paint the surface of your work area with the color you used on the walls, and while the paint is still wet, arrange the leaves, flowers, ferns on top of the paint, adding to it until you are happy with the overall pattern of it . Now it's time to lay the damp paper, painted side down on top of your fauna arrangement. Use the old towel it was laying on to put over the paper, and very gently, press down with open flat hands over all parts of the towel. You may get paint on the towel around the edges of the paper, that's why I said to use an old one
Now it's time to take the towel off, and set it aside. Ever so carefully, remove the paper, laying it on a sheet of waxed paper. If there are any leaves stuck to the paper, now is the time to remove them with a pair of tweezers. Allow the paper to dry, and see if you did not create a masterpiece!
Do not forget to clean up the work area so that you can do it again another day. Monotypes look great when they're matted and framed. I hope you have as much fun with this as I have!
copyright 2007 Sally RN Willson
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