Art shrines:
Early and later embellishments for mystery & dazzle
by aisling d'art ©2006-8
When using plaster-embedded gauze (see Breakthrough Shrines notes for details), you can create fabulous textural effects with common household and art objects.
Among my favorites are soft drink bottlecaps. Place one with the open side up, and drape the wet gauze over it. Press it around the shape, inside the cap, and leave enough gauze around the bottlecap to hold it in place on the shrine.
After it dries and you've painted the shrine, those flat-bottomed glass beads/stones fit perfectly, one in each bottlecap. (My current package of those beads is labelled, "Glass Decorative Gems.")
Here's how it looks when finished:
However, you can also use other supports for the gauze.
One of my favorites is a Pringle's potato chip can lid. This creates a circular area with a lip that is perfect for putting the focus on an inset image such as a religious icon, or small embellishments such as a rusty lock, etc.
I used a Pringle's lid for this shrine:
You can also drape the gauze over wooden shapes such as stars, moons, a Celtic cross, numbers, letters, and so on.
You might want an eerie effect, draping it over a doll's face, similar to the "mummies" that were popular in art a few years ago.
There are an endless number of textured and dimensional objects that can be used under this gauze. Check your toolbox, trash, or even your drawer of kitchen tools for ideas.
Remember two things: This gauze sticks to anything, including Altoid tins. And, be sure to drape enough of it around the applied object, so that it is held in place when the gauze dries.