Tuesday 21 November 2017

Remember

I am a week behind with the prompts on Art Journal Prompts.  This page was created for week 46 and the prompt was Remembrance.  As we recently commemorated the centenary of the end of the battle of Passchendale, I decided to base my page around the Great War as it was known at the time.
 
http://www.gti-ireland.com/holimages/holiday/46/d-GTI-Tour-Image-WW1-Soldiers.jpg
My idea started by die cutting the Cheery Lynn barbedwire border dies from black and silver card, as I wanted to include a view of the trenches.  I was doing some online research when I came across a photo advertising tours of the battle field.
I decided to print it off on a colour laser printer so that it the image would not bleed when Distress Collage medium was used on it.  It was added to a piece of kraft card (19.5cm x 18.5cm), sealed, dried gently and trimmed.
I then started sponging different layers of paint over the bottom part of the page (drying each layer in between) to conceal the join and provide a background for the barbedwire die cuts.  I started with Black Marble Dylusions paint.
Next came Ground Coffee Dylusions paint, starting a little lower on the page.
Walnut Stain Distress paint was dabbed on and blended out with my fingers.
Some Vintage photo Distress paint was added in the same way, then a little more Walnut Stain.
Finally, a natural sponge was used to lightly add Hickory Smoke Distress paint in the foreground.
Once I was pleased with the paint effects, I add the barbedwire die cuts in the foreground.
The word 'Remember' from Claritystamp (Word Chain 5) was added using Versamark ink and heat embossed in Carnelian embossing powder from the Pearlustre embossable dream kit by Stampendous, to echo the colours in the sky.
The names of key battles from the Great War were printed out using my Dymo Letratag onto clear plastic, and added above the soldiers to mimic a time line.
The final touch was to add the final line of Wilfred Owen's poem, written at the time of the Great War, 'Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori'.  I added a question mark as Owen calls this 'the great lie' (It is sweet and noble to die for one's country).  I have always loved the poetry of Wilfred Owen and highly recommend it, even though it makes for uncomfortable reading, it clearly evokes the reality of the war.

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