Mixed Media Monday: A Clockwork Owl

Hello again, and I hope you had a great weekend!

Today I am back with a mixed media piece to enter into some challenges:

* Mixed Media World - All Geared Up
* Stamplorations - Mixed Media/Stencil

* Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
* Love to Create Challenge Blog - Challenge 9 Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes

I wanted to make this project as I enjoy using cogs ad gears. 
For some reason I really love the look and idea of the mechanical style, which is strange as I have no mechanical knowledge or interest in the 'real' world! 
What to use was slightly more tricky and then I found laying in my craft cupboard an MDF owl kit by Anna Marie design that I had bought a fair while ago.  It had been brought out of a box and put on the side a couple of months ago to alter but then I had forgotten about it. 
In the back of my mind I remembered something about a mechanical owl, eventually I realised it was in an old (probably 1960's??) version of the film 'Clash of The Titans' and I knew then what I wanted to create!

I started by painting all the MDF pieces with black gesso...

Then a selection of gear and cog stencils (Finnabair & TCW) were used to apply modelling paste to the biggest sections of MDF.  I used a different stencil for each piece and then also applied white crackle paste with a spatula to the branch...

I wanted the owl to have a metallic look, but also wanted each layer to stand out so used a mixture of metallic colours.  The main body of the owl was painted with Goldfinger paint (IndigoBlu) then extra depth added to the colour with distress stains and gold mica spray (wild honey & vintage photo).  To highlight the cog texture I then added some Pebeo gold gilding wax.  I find that some sprays can tend to leave stickiness on MDF projects, so I used a clear matt spray sealer which sorted that out.

The eyes, beak and branch were painted with Miss Moneypenny cottage paint (IndigoBlu) and the other parts with Vodka Martini cottage paint (IndigoBlu).  To add a slightly darker tone to the silver I also added some Warm Grey silks glaze.  All the parts had different colours of gilding wax added to highlight texture...

The tummy of the owl was the part where I wanted to add extra layers.  A selection of watch parts and metal cogs and gears were adhered to the MDF using glue gel, then all covered using black gesso...

This was then painted with more silver paint, warm grey silks glaze and gilding wax added.

Once thoroughly dry all the pieces were stuck together with glue gel and left to set properly.

I wanted to add a bit of extra interest to the branch and so decided to make some metal flowers.

A sheet of thin copper was cut using a sizzix bigz steel rule flower die and then the flowers embossed with a cogs and gears decoboss folder from the Vintaj range by Ranger. 

Using Vintaj paints and sanding block, I then painted and sanded the flowers before sealing them with glaze...



Finally I wanted to add some words to the project so looked through some of my favourite sets.  I chose one from Stampers Anonymous, stamped it with Archival black ink onto vintage gold cardstock, then cut the lines of text up and applied them to the owl. 
Here is the final piece...



When I originally bought this kit I never thought it would become a clockwork owl, but I like the mechanical feel and will be finding a spot for him in my craft area (also known as the dining table!!).

I will be back tomorrow with a creation using Leonie Pujol's new stamps, but in a bit of a different way!

Jane x