Peacocks and Klimt Tree of Life

It must be my lucky month as I have won another prize. I joined the saa last month in order to give myself a few specific challenges as otherwise I procrastinate dreadfully about what to paint. I entered a collage competition and are one of the five chosen to win a small prize. Every little helps as I spend a lot on artists materials. Here is my collage and my blurb.

Peacocks and Klimt Tree of Life

Media: Acrylics, Mixed Media, Oil pastel, Watercolour
Subject: Wildlife
WxH: 38 X 52 Centimeters
My most unusual material used in this collage is Old Man's Beard or Travellers Joy (Clemati Vitalba). It is mainly hidden now amongst the flamboyant layers of cut-out leaves and shapes and glitter which compete with the finery of the peacocks. I have photos of the early layers showing the tissue foundation layer based on Klimt's tree of life with the old man's beard applied on the trunk which was painted with acrylics when dry then metallic oil pastels were dragged over the high-points. Finally sheer joy took over and the imaginative decorative layers of birds and butterflies fluttered in to hide the initial construction. Varnished to finish.

Collage based on Klimt

First I printed out Klimts tree to A2 size

Then turned it over and drew round the main shape

Then traced it onto 180gsm A2 paper and started to glue on tissue

I was aiming for a slight texture and using a bristle brush and pva glue

I wouldn't bother with the swirls again..too hard

Here I am pushing tissue down with brush end

Once dry I rubbed an oil crayon over and started to try my stamped motifs

I had made stamps using corks and made lots of motifs to try

The blue paper is out of a magazine and printed white with the end of a cork

I ripped up bits of green from a magazine page to try

then tried the ginger colour too. Took away the motifs while I work on the tree.

Painted the background with gouache and oil crayon and glazed the tree with glitter glue

Added  'old mans beard' seeds but they were too spidery!

Collaging the ground

Added hot wax scribble lines from a tjanting and used ochre oil crayon on them. 

Not that effective or worth the bother but interesting to try.

I have since added my motifs and completed the ground. I have cut the black centres out of the spidery seeds and added sequins and gold glitter. It synthesises well now and is ready for final touches.

Here is the final result