All My Senses Collection Introduction with Jaycee Gaspar
What does it mean to be human? It is to perceive, to feel, to taste, and to touch the world around us. My name is Jaycee Gaspar, and with the All My Senses collection, we’re embarking on an artistic journey that breaks down and builds up the familiar human experience.
This collection is an exploration of the human experience through the lens of continuous line art and the structural beauty of Cubism. Whether you are drawn to fluid, ethereal profiles or bold, geometric facets, these designs are meant to be a sensory puzzle for your imagination. Because these sets are built on tonal values and intentional planes, they pair perfectly with color palette systems like the DIY Color Deck or the Sarah Renee Clark Color Cubes. Let’s dive into the projects.
The Connective Tissue: All My Senses Sentiments
Up first is the All My Senses BetterPress Plate and Die Set. This set features eight sentiments with individual coordinating dies for various occasions. These sentiments act as the connective tissue for the entire collection, anchoring the more abstract elements we’ll be building today. For the best results, I recommend using two shims on your BetterPress System to get those fine line prints and beautiful texture.
Setting the Scene: Ambient Aura Stencils
The Ambient Aura Stencil Set is a collection of six stencils designed to work together, separately, or even fragmented. There is no “correct” order to layer these images, but I recommend planning from lightest to darkest value to keep your colors crisp. By strategically shifting the amorphous shapes, you can avoid muddying colors and create a backdrop that feels like a unique energy surrounding your subjects.
The Heartbeat: Whisper Weave
Whisper Weave brings us back to the human form using a clean, uninterrupted single-line style. It features two striking portraits illustrating the delicate, woven connection between our thoughts and our senses. I love using select images from Ambient Aura to create intentional “spotlights” behind these faces, then using alcohol-based markers to selectively outline key facial elements like the cheekbones and jawline to elevate the illustration.
The Bridge: Line of Being
The Line of Being cutting die is the perfect bridge between our artistic inspirations: it carries the fluidity of a continuous line drawing but introduces the structural, segmented feel of Cubism. This die is designed to allow you to seamlessly inlay and align intricate cut pieces into their respective spots. By stacking cardstock fragments, we can create a bold focal point that truly “stands out” from the page.
The Structure: Fragmented Gaze
As we move further into the collection, we transition from fluid lines into something more structural and grounded with Fragmented Gaze. This set fully embraces Cubism by deconstructing the portrait into bold, intentional planes. It utilizes nine cutting dies to examine the human form as a collection of angles, shadows, and light. Reference your assembly guide to ensure you’re getting the correct shadows to give this angled visage true dimension.
The Ultimate Expression: Sensory Facets
We conclude our journey with Sensory Facets, the most complex and rewarding set in the collection. Featuring 20 intricate cutting dies, this set allows you to build a full-face portrait from the shoulders up. By using mirrored heart shapes for the cheeks and a perfectly symmetrical split-face design, we are illustrating the internal balance of our senses. It is a graphic, beautiful puzzle that celebrates the duality of our experiences.
Conclusion: Let’s Create
From a single line to a complete, multifaceted human experience, “All My Senses” was designed to be a puzzle for your imagination. I am so grateful you chose to piece it together with me today. I can’t wait to see which of your senses you decide to highlight first.
Let’s create.
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