With a series of
three 12 x 12 framed collage pieces, I’ve depicted the remnants of the fabled
city of Atlantis, lying at the bottom of the ocean, now the domain of mermaids
and mermen. This underwater world has a
steampunk twist as I imaged the merpeople would adopt the Atlanteans
technology.
A statue of Poseidon stands guard over the ruined city while mechanical fish and crustaceans swim through the water and walk on the ocean floor.
A statue of Poseidon stands guard over the ruined city while mechanical fish and crustaceans swim through the water and walk on the ocean floor.
Last year I create a series of
mermaid themed collage sheet. This year
I thought I would add to the series with a merman themed collage sheet.
This set is packed with a 110 merpeople
(mermaids & mermen) and sea themed images.
Most of the images are also found on the Mermaid Garden Collage Sheets
and the Mermen Collage Sheet. But since
this is a digital image set it gave me the opportunity to include several images
not in any of the previous collage sheets. All of the images in set can be re-sized for your project as they are high resolution (300dpi) PNG formatted images. Images found in the set:
Mermaids (4), Mermen (3), Pearls (4), Shells (29), 12 x 12 Ocean Backgrounds (3)
22 – Architectural, Relic & Miscellaneous Images which
includes: Diver Helmet, Fantasy Clock, Helmets (2), Chariot, Architectural
Ruins (4), Rocks, Fountain, Frame, Pots, Shell Chair, Shell Throne, Trident, Compass, Medallion, Statues (4)
45 - Sea Creatures which includes: Sea Horses (10), Fish (8), Crab, Squid, Octopuses (2),Sea Anemone, Sea Urchin, Star Fish (7), Sand Dollars (2), Seaweed, Coral (10)
The collage sheet contains 15 tails of various sizes and colors which fit images on the collage sheets listed below and they'd probably fit a lot of other women and men (and creatures?) on other collage sheets too.
THE DETAILS
GENERAL NOTES:
- The mages you see in the three framed pieces are from the Mermaid Garden digital image set. You can also find many of the images on the series of Mermaid Gardens collage sheets and the Merman collage sheet. The only exception, are the gauges on the large steampunk seahorse which are from the Steampunk Elements collage sheet or the Steampunk Elements digital image set.
- The background images are from the Mermaid Garden digital image set.
- To create more dimension I popped all of the images using double stick foam tape.
- Each piece is showcased in a shadowbox frame that has a 12 x 12 opening. Many times you can find these frames in stores that carry scrapbook supplies as they are used to frame a 12 x 12 scrapbook page. I removed the glass so that the view of each piece is not obstructed by a glare.
THE GATE TO ATLANTIS
At the top of the colonnade is a steampunk clock. I
used Glossy Accents in the middle to create a shinny dome effect. Flanking the clock are two statues.
Swimming in front of
the columns is a steampunk fish. The
body of the fish is a piece of brass filigree (it comes in a set ) rubbed with Patina Gilders Paste. I used filigree fans as fins, a skate key as the
tail, a brass drop for the face, a rondelle (painted silver) and an olivine cat eye bead for the eye and watch
parts for the nose and face.
Sleeping on the balustrade is a merman guardian with his partner sleeping nearby. The balustrade is made from a die-cut chipboard painted with stone texture spray paint.
On the left hand
bottom of the picture below, you’ll notice some 3-D shells.
The shells are made
from paper clay and a silicone mold. I
painted the shells with various colors of Liquid Pearls paint. I incorporated some of these shells in each of the three pieces.
The columns are wrapped with fibers that
resemble seaweed and underneath are Mica flakes.
The sparkly coral
and seaweed that you see in all three pieces are die-cut chipboard that I
painted. Next, I dressed them up with mica flakes, glass chips and micro beads.
THE TEMPLE OF THE
SEAHORSE
In the background I
used stencils to paint seaweed on the right and left sides of the piece.
On the pediment of the Temple of the
Seahorse, is a painted brass shell and a brass patina seahorse. Hanging over the temple is fiber seaweed.
The body of the
steampunk seahorse is an image. Along
the length of the body are rondelles. On
top of the rondelles at the tail is a swirl hook. At two positions on the body, I attached
watch parts and then glued propellers on top of the watch parts. To the back fin I added a bronze skate key. The eye is a rondelle and a cat eye domed sticker.
Behind the seahorse
is more seaweed like fiber.
At the bottom of the
piece is a steampunk lobster. The body of
the lobster is made from a piece of filigree.
The tail is a Victorian drop or handle and a propeller. The legs are brass flourishes which hook into the holes in the filigree and are glued in place. The claws are lobster claw clasps and the eyes are black glass rondelles. The body is painted with Garnet - Metal Patinas Paint.
THE MERMAID QUEEN
The base of the
large steampunk seahorse is made from die-cut chipboard. It comes as a two part set.
I painted the solid
back piece a metallic blue color and the intricate top piece a
metallic copper. I attached gears to the face, a dome bead cap and watch part to the
snout. In the center and at the base of
the tail are various watch parts. I also
used gauge images from the Steampunk Elements collage sheet. I added Glossy Accents to the gauges to give
them a 3-D appearance. I used pen nibs
to accent the fins. Behind the pen nibs
is a piece of vellum that I cut in a semi circle and then accordion folded.
To dress up the
chariot, I added Glossy Accents to the center of the medallion. I printed the chariot twice on paper and once
on vellum. I added the extra paper and vellum wings to the chariot to give it a fuller look.
The queen’s crown is
made from a brass starfish and beads.
The body of the fish
is made from a piece of filigree that is part of the same filigree set as the first fish. All of the pieces in the filigree set would make great fish. The fins are brass flourishes, . The tail is made from a gear and an octopus charm. The face is made from watch
parts, a bead and a domed cat eye sticker.
At the base of the
columns are Mica Flakes.
DETAIL MASTER SUPPLY
LIST
This list has the
supplies used for all three framed collage pieces.
COLLAGE
SHEETS
DIE
CUT CHIPBOARD, STENCILS & MOLDS
METAL
& BEADS
PAINT
