The Three Dimensional Butterfly Effect

The butterfly is a symbol of love, luck and the resilient human spirit.  It is a reminder of nature’s beauty, transformation from simple to extraordinary!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

When I finish a pouring I like to kick the painting up a notch with embellishments. Embellishments are anything that adds design interest to the piece of art. Embellishments could be glass beads, glitter, thick paint, string or anything used to enhance color or create brushstrokes and much more!

Supplies I Used:

• One completed pouring on canvas or wood panel
• Butterfly and flower image for reference
• Signo uni-ball white pen
• DecoColor extra fine black and liquid gold marker
• Loctite Flexible Adhesive—transparent glue to attach beads
• Acrylic Paint: Apple Barrel black, Craftsmart pure pumpkin, Anita’s Metallic gold, and white.
• Tracing paper for butterfly and flower placement on pouring
• Saral Transfer Paper to transfer image onto the pouring
• Toothpicks to apply glue and place beads
• Bead Treasures…blue and turquoise multi hexagon glass beads
• Option: Use a mix of glass bead shapes, sizes and colors for added interest.  
• 1 acrylic pouring …dry and cleaned
• Envirotex Lite Pour-on
• 2 Clear plastic cups for mixing and 4 cups for elevating the canvas
• 2 wooden stir sticks
• Disposable gloves
• 3M Painters Tape
• Spatulato spread resin
• Butane torch or heat gun to eliminate bubbles
• Disposable alcohol wipes for cleanup
• Plastic to protect work surface

The bad news… you can’t start gluing on beads and glitter…until you know what you are embellishing. Why is everything so hard? This next step requires that you let your mind wander free. The good news…no idea is a bad idea…kinda like in the lyrics from the movie… “Born Free…as free as the wind blows, as free as the grass grows,” etc., etc. You get the idea.

Tips on how I Search for what to Embellish

I study the pouring with a magnifying glass looking for something to emerge from the misshapen cells and blobs of colors. I turn the pouring sideways, upside down, and even view while squinting my eyes resulting in deepening my crows feet.  

Next, I lean the painting on the floor against the wall under the television determined to find something hiding in the colorful gravy of blue, purple, pink and white. Finally, I review my pouring while watching TV and commercials describing erectile dysfunction and the “little blue pill”…

Suddenly, out of the blue… I see it… something hidden in the pouring! It’s a butterfly on a flower… my idea for embellishing has wings! Wings of orange with black, white, and gold paint on a flower with tiny blue glass beads.  Yahoo! I do my happy dance!

My embellishment process begins with a pouring that has one coat of resin. Option: Add embellishment directly to dried pouring.

Once size and placement are decided, I trace the butterfly and flower stem onto the surface using Saral Transfer Paper. Note, that I placed the butterfly so it looks like it is sitting on the flower. Next, I painted the shape of the butterfly using acrylic orange and outlined it with black. When the paint was dry I added details with metallic gold and white paint. The black paint pen was used to make the fine lines of the antennae and legs of the butterfly as well as the flower stem. I applied the glue with an orange stick onto the painting and started attaching glass beads.

Easier Option:  Skip the resin step and coat the completed painting with Polycrylic Protective Finish (clear gloss).  

I begin the resin process by cleaning my acrylic pouring (silicone oil removed) and then elevate it on upside down on plastic cups so the resin drips off the paintings edge.

Next, I add the first coat of clear resin and let it dry until the surface is hard to the touch (about 24 hours) If I don’t like the way the butterfly looks…I can wipe it off with a damp paper towel. Acrylic paint can be wiped off an endless number of times. Yes!