Continued from Found Object Art, part one. During the decoupage process, my board started bowing pretty severely. Not having used canvases that much, I was not sure what to think. Did I put too much water in my gesso? Is it because I used a cheap canvas? What do I do now? I saturated the back of my board with water and gesso thinking that might reverse the curve, but it only helped a little.
My husband saw my dilemma and said I need to “backbend” it. We placed the canvas on a raised surface (smaller than the canvas) and put heavy objects around the edges of the board. After a couple of hours, it looked a lot better.
Then I started looking for objects and items to use. It started with the chain- I knew I wanted a chain or rope to represent “He sets the captives free” and I found a chain out in the garage. My husband with the help of my son used our new Dremel tool to cut one of the links off- I thought it’d be a way to symbolize freedom (upper left corner).
One of the challenges of using this rather heavy chain was how to fasten it to my canvas. I thought E6000 glue was a good choice so I glued several of the links in place but then as I thought about it, I decided I needed to wire it on somehow. I didn’t want to the chain to fall on someone’s toe as they stood, admiring my piece. That would totally ruin the mood. I used a small drill bit to make several holes. Then I attached the chain to the board with wire.
Next I focused on making the scroll. Since I don’t have any antique scroll holders lying around, I improvised. I found some plastic drumsticks in the toy box and (with my son’s reluctant approval), cut off the ends with a pipe cutter. I glued a marble on two top ends, stuck them in some Styrofoam and spray painted them black, and then dry brushed with gold.
Stay tuned for part three in this series.
