A Tale of Gesso

Today, I'd like to share another one of my diary/visual journal spreads that I've been creating as part of 
The Documented Life 2015.  The weekly prompt for this specific week was "Gesso".  It is a white fluid that consists of a binder mixed with a combination of chalk, gypsum and pigment.  Gesso is mainly used in artwork on canvas, paper, wood and sculpture as a base before painting and adding other materials such as collage. 

                                           It provides absorbency, adherence and strengthens the  

                                           substrate.   Info & photo courtesy of Wikipedia                            

I took inspiration from one of my antique sari cushions and decided to go for a simple, monochrome colour scheme where I would use the white of the gesso, add some turquoise and lime green and focus on contrast and texture.

And here's my process..

I added a flap using a cereal box

Then I covered the page in gesso, sprayed some turquoise and lime green inks randomly.  Using more gesso and turquoise acrylic paint with a stencil,
I added a third layer.  I used a discarded hotel room card for spreading the gesso. 

Lime green distress ink was added to colour and age the edges of the paper

On the other side of the flap, I added turquoise paint. Once that dried, I spread some gesso with my fingers and wrote into the still wet gesso, using a blunt pencil.

Texture & colour = delicious!

I added meaningful words and phrases using a grey felt tipped pen

2B pencil smudges and scratchings added contrast
and a turquoise gel pen provided the finishing touches.