Steampunk Kraken Down Under!

Under the Ocean that is!!

 Sandee and amelie's Steampunk challenge this summer is a Tic Tac Toe challenge, and it is awesome! Check it out at their blog here.  If you like steampunk, vintage, industrial or mixed media, try this challenge out. You can go horizontal, diagonal, or vertical. I chose the diagonal and focused on the deep sea, metal, and crackle. But, if you look at the details, you will certainly see more.

I love to read steampunk fiction,  I find it so imaginative and full of imagery. I have read a number of stories about the Kraken found in the deeps of the ocean, and they called to me and said show us, show us!

So, all this Kraken mojo started when I got my Color Burst ink powders by Ken Oliver in the mail. I had to try them out, of course. Lucky me, this weekend I am taking two classes in Connecticut with him to learn techniques with these very cool inks, and I can't wait (I'll be sure to share more on that coming up). I played around with watercolor paper and canvas, and I LOVE them! Gorgeous colors and you can create wonderful textural designs like this.

One of these would be my base for my deep ocean. Of course, I did not have a Kraken stamp or image, so decided to draw my own on some of the watercolor paper I had tested the inks on.  Of course, when my son say this he said a Kraken is a giant squid, and I drew an octopus...LOL! I do think I am allowed some artistic license, don't you?

Messy project, messy hands, messy desk, but so much fun!

I had a great time stamping, painting (bottle caps and straws make great circles) with my Lumiere metallic paints and layering up.  Can you find the "old man and the sea" or the "sextant"? I kept thinking of nautical ideas to work in.

I deconstructed some cards I had made a while back and cut out the starfish, shell and sand dollar to add. Looks like things grow pretty big down there in the deeps! Lots of gears and fun metal gadgets sprinkled around.

This stamp (Blockheads) reminded me of a porthole, so of course, I had to include it and what better way than to make her the Kraken head. After all, some of those stories were also about man made Kraken, so who knows!

I used clear crackle on the Kraken, and copper crackle on the canvas. Today was a rainy day, and I got impatient, so used my heat gun to help dry it. I ended up with some interesting bubbly texture, but less crackling. I liked it on my Kraken. Look carefully and you will see a sunken ship.

So, what do you think? Are there really Kraken down there in the deeps? Or is this just the makings of a really good story? You decide...

Me? Well, I just really like how this turned out! 

Keep your eyes open if you are near the ocean, you never know....