Cat Themed Mixed Media Canvas

The theme this week is Cats, and for my non-card brief I've made a mixed media canvas art panel.

Tutorial

I started by stamping the fabulous Cat-tastic Background stamp onto watercolour card, and reactivating the distress inks that were already on my palette - waste not, want not!

I coloured a few randomly spaced cats, mixing and blending a few of the colours.

Adding coordinating colours to my palette, I worked my way round the cats, giving some of them stripes.

I used Stormy Sky distress ink to paint in the background, then using coloured pencils I added shading and detail to some of the stripes.

It still looked a little flat, so I added white highlights with a Posca paint pen.

Now for the canvas. I covered it in black gesso then spritzed it with Distress Spritz - Antique Linen and Broken China).

When I'm trimming background panels, I tend to save the strips. I found one that was the perfect size for the sentiment.

I scuffed the edges of the watercolour panel with the edge of my scissors, then adhered it to the black panel.

The spritz one the sentiment catches the light beautifully.

I made an easel stand for the back of the canvas panel so it can be freestanding, but it could easily be changed to hanging by adding thread across the back.