Teen image transfer

14 year old

It's no secret the teens keep me on my toes. 

They usually show up and I share what I think is a great project idea which is met with an upturned nose and a very polite, "nah".

Such was the case last Wednesday night for a project idea that currently eludes me.

Further indication that I am indeed getting old.

Anyway, I quickly changed course and suggested we give image transfer a try.

I had just completed a weekend course with an artist who specialized in this medium and was anxious to share it with students anyway.

The only problem was I had intended to have the students bring their own photography to use, but since this was a "think on my feet" kind of moment, I brought out a bunch of images I had printed off as project ideas.

Of all the images, the student immediately gravitated towards the one above.

It is my mother on her wedding day in the late 1950's.

I gave the teen a wood cradle board to begin her project....a cradle board that took me a bit of time to find because like the first project idea, I could not remember where I had put it away. I also gave her a brayer and a very neutral acrylic paint palette.

She began to apply the paint and quickly got rid of the brayer in trade for a paintbrush.

When she was happy with the paint application, we applied matte medium to the board and to the picture side of the print out and then from the middle out, smoothed the paper into place.

Because we are both impatient, I got out the blowdryer to dry the matte medium quickly.

Once it was dry, I gave the student a damp sponge and told her to go over the back of the image until she began to see the photograph appear.

Then again working from the middle out, I explained she needed to begin rubbing off the paper until nothing was left but the image on the board.

When the board no longer felt rough from paper pulp and when held to the light we couldn't see anymore "fuzzies", she added charcoal and more paint.

Then I sealed it with a finishing spray.

The work was breathtaking.

The work was finished in ONE class period!! A rarity for this particular student.

But most importantly, she loved her work, which made me love her work even more.

I am so happy she turned up her nose at the ever elusive first project I presented to her.

Here's to teens keeping me on my toes.