Steampunk and Tree Bark

tree bark (the beginning) or shirt (the end)

Steampunk sounded like such a fun challenge to me for the Postmark'd Art group.  I felt compelled to sign up.  Thinking and creating are two different things.  It was a harder challenge than I expected.  First of all a definition might be good to know.  The problem is there is no fast and true definition for this sub culture.  The definition I like the best was found on the blog The Clockwork Century.  It's based around the science fiction of a future that never happened.  The machinery is steam powered and the costumes usually have a Victorian influence.  But, there is almost a magical quality to some of the machines.  

I found a background that is full of older looking machines and printed it on fabric.  Next I stenciled some Victorian lace and a Victorian frame with walnut ink.  
                            
I felt this covered up the machinery a little too much so I used my inktense pencils to highlight a few of the items of machinery.  Finally I added a few little metallic touches with embellishments.  I hope they travel safely on the cards.  
                               
The card I have received so far I think had a little rivet on it as well, but it fell off somewhere along the way.  With 9 of us in this group, I'm picturing a drawer of rivets in the post office somewhere between here and there.  Isn't this card amazing.  I love the depth she created.

Steampunk by Lynn of Washington

                      
I've started working on a 12" square piece for SAQA and decided to make tree bark.  I have seven or eight photos of tree bark from different types of trees and have been wanting to make a series out of them.  The 12" square requirement for SAQA sounded like a good size to work with for this challenge.  So far I have destroyed an old top of my mom's that she no longer wanted.  I cut holes in the fabric and used my heat gun to melt the edges a little so they would pull back.
                                          I've also painted some lutradur with Jacquard lumiere metallic rust.  I think this will make a great background for the slits.  Now to put them together and add some moss etc.
                                      
Have a creative day
Janet