"I love stencils that can be used in different ways. Although they are seemingly complete compositions, they can be used in their entirety, or they break down into parts as shown in the samples. They can be the main event in your pieces or play an supporting role. My samples are very saturated or high contrast, but they would be beautifully serene parts done in pastel-colored acrylics to create a subtle background. I used varied mediums to create my samples, so let your imagination go wild. Watercolor, alcohol ink, acrylic and gouache all worked well on mixed media paper, cardstock, prepped metal and mylar.
"I spent a day in New Zealand on a sheep farm. The sheep were the show of the day until I looked over and saw the most spectacular vista of rolling hills, wildflowers and stately trees. Five years later, I painted Kiwi Idyll, my inspiration for this stencil. It’s design size lends itself to a variety of uses: art journal, home décor, smaller works featuring just flowers or tree-focused among others. In your art practice, you may see something else. That’s the beauty of art. Pro Tip: I use different mats to decide what areas I want to use to create a different composition. You can achieve the same effect by cutting copy paper into what size viewfinder you want."