Acrylic Sampler Challenge

I have decided that I really need to push myself artistically. I need to work larger. I need to stop struggling with a new technique every month, and refine the ones I know. I need to evaluate what I like, and work on it, instead of trying to make myself conform to the aesthetics of other members of my art group.

Here is the first effort:
I got a 2'x2' wood panel from the hardware store, cleaned it with denatured alcohol and primed it with gesso. Then I started layering on texture.
It is divided into about 4 areas- 3 horizontal layers on the left, and a skinny column on the right. I did draw a sketch before starting on this piece, which I almost NEVER do.

I smoothed on a thin layer of Golden gel medium and let it cure. Then I used Golden molding paste, mixed it lightly with water into a lumpy cottage cheese texture, and splattered it on one area.
In another area, I laid down a smooth layer and imprinted it with a cheap foam stamp from the hobby store. In the middle strata, I embedded some cheese cloth.
Last, for the bottom strip, I buttered up a plastic stencil with Golden molding paste. It's a little uneven, and when I removed the stencil, I had some bubbling, but overall, it looks good. If you don't like what you've done with molding paste (or gel medium either, for that matter), you can scrape it all off quickly before it dries, and start over.

All of this texture needed to dry. The top and bottom dried pretty quickly, but that lumpy stuff needed several hours. I worked on the images that I wanted to use in the middle of the panel.
I chose several coordinating papers from a stack that I got at the scrapbooking store. I also used a few pages from a little 1916 calendar I got at an antique store, and some images from a historical pamphlet. I used Mod Podge to adhere them all onto a veneer panel that I got from the hobby store.
The panel started to curl right away. I had to weight it down, but the Mod Podge wasn't dry. Do NOT try to cover up Mod Podge with another paper or book until it is completely dry. I learned this the hard way. It will continue to dry beautifully if you put a layer of wax paper on it before weighting it down.
That book, Acrylic Revolution, served as my guide throughout. I am SO! happy I purchased it!

Well, I checked my big panel, and the lumpy stuff was not even close to dry. I have some copper mesh that I want to embed, but it looks so new and rigid. I need to distress it.
I am pulling at the diagonal edges, trying to fray the wires. They are very sharp! I also warped the fibers a little with the pliers.

My lumpy stuff is still mushy, but I can lay down some color over the other areas.


I thinned out some artists' grade tube acrylics and spread it very loosely over the top two thirds. I also flicked and squirted some fluid acrylic metallic paint. Pretty, huh? (if you click on the pictures, you can get a better view of the texture. The cheesecloth, in particular, doesn't show up at all in the published version, so enlarge to take a look.)
Next, lightly painting a wash over the stenciled motif. This layer needed to be pampered a little. I didn't want to be too rough with the newly cured relief, and I wanted to be sure that the paint didn't pool in the crevices and distort the design. I did a lot of blotting with a rag.
And here is where I left it to go run a few errands.