Summer Sunset Inspired Mixed Media with Flower Gradient

by - 6:00:00 AM

The sunsets where I live are absolutely stunning! It’s like the sky behind the mountains is on fire, with hues from yellow to purple. I wanted to recreate what I see out of my window by using a gradient of flowers in those same colors. 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

It's no secret that I adore Prima Marketing flowers. So to create this project, I pulled out a bunch of flowers from different collections to make this stunning gradient of colors! 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

But let's start from the beginning. I selected a 4x12 inch canvas and applied some Modeling Paste through the Scales stencil. I turned the scales so they created a sun shape over a horizon. I thought it was a nice little touch and knew it would create some fun texture to play off of.

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

I then used some of my favorite Distress Spray Stains and Distress Mica Stains to create a color gradient on the canvas. While it was drying, I pulled out Prima flowers that coordinated with those Distress colors. (I think I managed to match them so beautifully!) Here's the breakdown of the flowers:
Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

But before glueing all these gorgeous flowers down onto my canvas, I wanted to create a window. The Window to the Soul mould has the prettiest shutters, but instead of pairing it with one of the window frames from that same mould, I wanted something a little fancier. So I selected on of the Ornate Frames moulds. 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

These pieces were cast in resin, but if you use acrylic paint on them, you won't need to gesso them first. I applied small amounts of Metallique acrylic pain in Plum Preserves, Vintage Rose and Spring Blossom, matching the colors up as best I could to where the elements would be placed on the canvas. 


I added plenty of water with my paintbrush to lighten these paints and create an almost watercolor effect. Before the paint dried, I wiped the excess off the raised areas with a soft cloth to bring back the white highlights.

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

I then began to assemble my canvas. I know, I can hear you say, "But Adrienne, what about the leaf moulds?!" I'm getting there, don't worry! I wanted to make sure that the color of these matched up with the color on the canvas background really well, so I wanted to glue them down before painting them. I like to dry fit my elements first so I laid out the first layer. I adhered the window shutter moulds and first layer of flowers with Heavy Body Gel. 


After that first layer was down, I glued down the Leafy Blossom moulds. These were cast with a plaster type of casting powder, so they won't need a coat of gesso as they take any type of medium really well. I used a tiny bit of cardboard to help pop up some of the leaves where needed, gluing it all in place with more Heavy Body Gel.

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

I then added on the next layer of flowers, adding in some sisal fibers for additional texture. I glued down the Ornate Frames mould with a bit of, you guessed it, Heavy Body Gel! This truly is the best adhesive for mixed media projects. It has a bit of work time, but is nice and thick so it holds things in place while you work. 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

I used one of the bottom layers of a butterfly embellishment from the Pretty Pale collection. I applied some Glossy Accents to the wings and then sprinkled on some clear glitter glass from Reneabouquets. The butterfly then got glued to the frame and a flower got popped on top. 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

I then added watercolors from the Art Philosophy Pastel Dreams set to the Leafy Blossom mould. These plaster casts are pretty thirsty, so make sure you add a more concentrated amount of watercolor for more intense colors. While that dried a bit, I worked on making the flowers look more cohesive by applying White Gesso to the edges of the flowers that didn't have any already on them. I then dry brushed the same gesso over the tops of the leaf moulds to highlight their texture. 

Summer Sunset inspired mixed media canvas with flower gradient created with: Prima Marketing Sharon Ziv window to the soul mould; Frank Garcia Luna collection sweet and scary, thirty-one and luna flowers, Spring Abstract abstract beauty flowers, the plant department rooted flowers, Soprano purple flowers, Pretty Pale mystical flight butterflies, Midnight Garden and Autumn Sunset say it in crystals; Finnabair ornate frames, scales stencil, modeling paste, metallique paint in spring blossom, plum preserve and vintage rose

The finishing touches was to add some more sparkle. I applied more clear glitter glass to the flowers then popped on some gems in coordinating colors from the Autumn Sunset and Midnight Garden collections. I think this is one of my favorite projects! While I love monochromatic projects, sometimes a pretty color gradient steals my heart too!
Until next time, happy crafting!
Adrienne

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Below are some of the products that I used for this project.
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