Stunning Stampscapes

“Abiding Embers,” by Kevin Nakagawa, 1998

Is this a gorgeous scene, or what?

 

When I first started stamping, I was blown away by the scenic art of Kevin Nakagawa, founder of Stampscapes. I may not be an artist, but using Kevin’s modular images of trees, mountains, streams, etc., I could stamp a scene that looked like a beautiful postcard. (Well, almost! I’m not even close to his league.) He makes it look so easy!

 

This week I want to introduce you to Kevin and his wonderful Stampscapes world. Read my upcoming interview with Kevin, then check out his website: www.stampscapes.com where you can see his stamps, explore the galleries, and learn how to create these fabulous scenes.

 Modular Stamping Is The Key

These scenes look complicated but they really aren’t, once you get the hang of Kevin’s “modular” concept, which breaks down images into indivual stamps. The individual pieces work together and are unified by the beautiful coloring, done mostly with dye inks (Marvy Matchables, Ranger Adirondacks, etc.) on glossy cardstock.

 

Here’s another of Kevin’s masterpieces:

 

"Morning Mist" by Kevin Nakagawa, 2002

 Here are a few of the stamps:

 

 

 

It turns out I picked some of Kevin’s personal favorites to show you! “Abiding Embers,’ he says, is a piece that taught him “a lot  as I was experimenting with depth and trying to replicate the color scheme from a Hudson River School painting.”

In “Morning Mist,” Kevin notes that he was “trying to figure out how to create haze/mist with pigment ink.” I’d say he figured it out quite well! 

Tune in tomorrow to hear more from Kevin.

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