Ephemera - Part 1
Ephemera is
sometimes explained as “items of collectible memorabilia that were expected to
have only short-term usefulness or popularity.”
When working with mixed media, this definition is loosely applied and
the term “ephemera” can be used to describe collected, found, and made items
that are added to works of art.
Working with Metal
There are a
lot of ways you can add metal to your piece.
Some of the easiest are by using metal charms or beads. These are easily
found in $ stores, craft stores and by taking apart jewellery found in thrift
stores. Using found items such tabs from pop cans or items from the hardware
store (such as washers, finishing nails or chains) are another way to add metal
to your piece.
Picture
wire, craft wire, floral wire, and electrical wire are all easily available and
can be used straight, as an element to weave into your piece or they can be
bent into shapes and used as a decorative element that can be stitched on. Wire can also be wrapped around paper beads
to add a further layer of decoration.
One thing
that I do want to spend some time on is the embossing of metal. When you talk
about the thickness of wire or metal you usually refer to the gauge. The higher the number, the thinner the metal. For example, a 16-gauge wire is much thicker
than a 24-gauge wire; a 36-gauge metal sheet is thinner than a 24-gauge metal
sheet. When you get to 36-gauge, it is sometimes called tooling foil. This is
much thicker and has much more body than the aluminum foil that we use for
cooking – even the extra heavy-duty type.
It is made for tooling (or embossing with tools) to create raised and
depressed areas.
We aren’t
going to go to the trouble of trying to locate tooling foil, however. We are going to use some easy to find work
arounds that are available in nearby home and hardware stores. To begin with, you can try heavy-duty
aluminum foil – the type that is use for barbeques. Fold the foil until you have about 4
layers. Make sure the foil is smooth.
Put the foil on a soft surface like a piece of craft foam or a layer of several
newspapers (you want some give under the foil).
Using a small ball topped embossing tool, or a ballpoint pen (that
doesn’t work) draw your design on the foil.
You want to use a rounded tool that won’t poke through the aluminum. If you have a paper stump, or a cuticle stick
or a chopstick, these may come in handy for smoothing or creating texture.
Something with a small, smooth curved edge can be handy as well.
From this
point on there is going to be a lot of flipping back and forth as you try to
create your raised areas on one side and emphasis them on the other.
Here is a
video that explains the process.
metal embossing on aluminum - YouTube
Aluminum
foil isn’t the only form of aluminum that is easy to access that can be
embossed. You can also use the aluminum
from aluminum cans. Cut apart the body
of the can and use the aluminum you find here.
You will need strong utility shears or tin snips to do this and will
need to be careful because the edges will be sharp. They should be folded over, filed, or taped
for you protection.
The same
techniques for tooling are used here as well. You will use a small ball topped
tool to trace your design and then begin refining it, switching back and forth
between sides to enhance the design. The following video shows you how to make
a small box but the steps he used to cut the can and do the embossing are
exactly what you would do to make your embellishment.
Working on
an aluminum can for any length of time can be hard on your wrist so my
preferred method of working with metal is to use metal tape. Metal tape come in
both aluminum and copper. Let’s start with aluminum.
You will
find aluminum tape in any hardware store or department, and it’s typically used
for HVAC work among other things. It
comes in different thicknesses, measured in mil and if you are putting it over
a cardstock background, any thickness will work. If you are trying to make a
standalone item, look for the thickest tape you can find. You can use metal tape in a way similar to
aluminum foil or can where you draw your design right on the back of the tape
(or card the tape is on) and keep flipping back and forth to refine it. When the design is as refined as you like,
the entire surface is covered with a coat of black acrylic paint. The paint can be let dry and then removed
with steel wool or removed with a paper towel while still damp. The black paint
should remain in the deep crevices of the design while being removed from the
raised surfaces.
Another way
to use metal tape is to lay something on top of the card stock (like chipboard
letters or paper clips or anything else that will create a raised texture) and
then put the metal tape on top of these items).
The metal tape is then smoothed around these items, gently at first, to
stretch the tape and then with more pressure to show more detail. This creates
“faux embossing.” When sufficient detail
has been revealed, the surface is covered with black acrylic as above and
removed to highlight the design. If too much paint is removed, more can be
added.
FAUX METAL TECHNIQUE - TUTORIAL ...
FALSK METALL... - YouTube
In addition
to aluminum tape, copper tape is readily available, and it comes in various
widths. It is easily found in ¼,” a size
that is frequently used for stained glass work.
You can also find it in 2” width and this is the one that I use. Embossing copper works in the same way as
embossing aluminum, in that you need to draw your design and then refine it
from the other side. Just as with aluminum, you will go back and forth from one
side to another until the design is the way you want it.
One nice
feature that aluminum does not have is that copper changes colour with
heat. If you use a heat gun or a torch,
the copper will turn yellow, red, and blue as it heats up. Copper will also oxidize as it is exposed
over time to the air, so if you like the colour you achieve and which to keep
it that way, you will need to seal the copper with a light coat of
sealer/varnish. If you wish a patina to
develop you can leave the copper exposed to the air or help it along by
exposing it to vinegar and then rinsing when the effect has been achieved. You
can also use other chemicals to develop a patina if you wish but these require
precautions for use and disposal so won’t be discussed here.
Brass shim,
which is a very thin metal can be purchased in a roll from Lee Valley. It also changes colour when heated and can be
stitched through. It isn’t as malleable
as the aluminum or copper tape and is quite thin so while you can do some
embossing, the results are not as attractive, and it can be prone to
tearing. It does look nice when textured
and stitched into a piece.
Another way
of adding a metallic look to paper is through gold or metallic leaf. In order to apply the leaf, an adhesive must
be used. The leaf is applied when the
adhesive is tacky but not wet. The leaf will stick to the adhesive and a soft
brush will remove it from any area where adhesive has not been applied. If parchment or wax paper is put on top of
the gold leaf, it can be burnished by rubbing with a smooth object like the
back of a spoon or your finger. If you
want a more textured look, gold leaf flakes can be used. There are proper gilding adhesives (they will
give the best results) but acrylic mediums and PVA glues will work if you let
them dry to a tacky state. Metal leaf
comes in gold, copper, silver, and a combination of metals. There is also real
gold leaf as well as the imitation. (For our purposes imitation leaf is a much
better value)
BEST GOLD LEAF TIPS for how to get
precise lines & fine detail on your artwork - YouTube
How to Apply Gold Leaf - full
instructions, professional results - YouTube
How to Apply Gold Leaf | Nancy Reyner
blog update to some of the information shown in video
While the
last two references are geared more towards professional artists, they are the
most thorough explanation of applying metal leaf for artistic effect, I’ve
seen. Many people who discuss using metal leaf with watercolour do not discuss
the possibility of the gold leaf tarnishing with exposure to air over time. If
you buy a kit, (which is a simple way to start) you are provided with the
appropriate sealer.
Working with Natural Elements
Natural elements
can cover many things: twigs, leaves,
seed pods, stones, shells, and we’ll include sea glass into that category since
it is nature that gives it its characteristic muted tones and soft edges. Many
of these things can find their way into the work of paper artists.
When you
work with natural elements there are always things to consider:
·
Cleaning
·
Preserving
the element if it is plant based
·
Attaching
the element to artwork
Cleaning
Cleaning
shells has as many recommended methods as there are shells. The shells I was
given had already been cleaned so I can’t vouch for any of these methods
personally. I would start with the easiest
and safest first.
Cleaning Seashells: Easy
Tips and Tricks for Beginners
When using
natural plant material that you have gathered from outside like twigs or seed
pods, place them on a foil lined pan in a 200° to 250° oven for 30 minutes to make sure
there are no uninvited guests.
Stones and
sea glass can just be washed with soapy water and dried.
Preserving
There are
many ways of preserving plant material.
It can be dried when twigs and seed pods have been dried, they can be
given a coat of matte varnish to seal them before use.
Drying and Preserving Plant Material
Attaching
Elements
Depending on
the weight of the element, most elements can be attached using a wrapping and
couching technique. In some cases, the
weight of the element will require adhesive to be used as well as stitch to
bond the element to the substrate.
Other Elements
Under other
elements we can include embellishments such as recycled materials and
non-traditional materials. Buttons,
punchinella , jewellery findings, bread
tags and a multitude of other things can be included in this category. It is open to your imagination.
Artist
Links
Ersi Marina Samara
Instagram
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