How to Pound Flowers to Use as Artwork

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"In my front garden are thousands of Johnny Jump-Ups. Every spring they are the first flowers to bloom and the last flowers to die."

This Johnny Jump-Up Portrait is made by pounding flowers.

Materials Needed:

Smart Sheets Stabilizer Fabric
Hammer
Flowers
Fine Acrylic Marker
Packing Tape

Instructions:

1. Find interesting flowers and green leaves that you like.

2. Place the flowers bloom side down against the fabric stabilizer. Add some leaves and arrange it randomly or in whatever pattern you like.

3. Tape the flowers down using packing tape.

4. Turn the stabilizer over and begin to hammer it. The flowers colors will start to come to the surface of the fabric as you hammer.

5. Once hammering is complete outline flowers with a fine tip acrylic marker. Use additional acrylic markers for shadowing if necessary.

6. Frame artwork.

Helpful Tips:

I used the fabric stabilizer as my canvas because it thin like paper but far more durable. The fabric stabilizer also allows the petal colors to come through without bleeding and running all over the fabric.

You can experiment with other fabrics such as white cotton or white muslin. For me the however, the fabric stabilizer works best for purposes of a canvas.

Please click here to vote for my project.