Art Supplies for Christmas!!!

 

New acrylic brushes... let me be very honest... I don't take great care of brushes. Most days I leave them in water for days or I forget to clean and they dry. So, I'm going to try very hard to take good care of these.

 

 

I'm in love with Golden fluid acrylics!!! They are truly unlike any other. They really aren't in my budget. That's why they were on my Christmas list.

 

 

And these are brand new to me... I have never used them before. They are Neocolor II which are water soluble pastels. You can color with them like crayons or oil pastels and then go over them with water to create a painted effect. I can't wait to try them out and post a review.

Painting Scarf >>> Part One

 

First, I ironed the fabric smoothing out the big creases.

 

 

Then, I dunked the fabric in water. Doing this allows the dye to spread when applied giving a watercolor effect. Ooooh!!! I wonder what would happen if I added salt. I'll have to experiment. Next, I stretched the fabric on the stretcher my husband built a few winters back.

 

 

Now, I was out of dye resist and really didn't want to drive 30 miles to get some, so I improvised. I used good ole' Elmer's glue to add stylized trees that were sketched in my "well" this summer. I have used glue as a resist with my students before... why wouldn't it work now.

 

 

I let the glue dry completely, with a little help from my hair dryer. Once it was dry I had to spray the fabric down with water, again, being careful not to saturate the glue. Finally, I painted the scarf with sponges carefully mixing the blues, yellows, and greens. I wanted to make sure the colors were spread evenly and that the colors weren't just all mixed together.

 

 

Stay tuned for part two >>> I plan to layer more imagery and colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the FLOW!!!

I really wasn't sure how I would respond to having a blog. Would I get completely stressed out and quit? Would I end up mostly writing because, either, I don't want to share my work or I'm afraid even to do the work? Or would I plan all these posts and projects and never finish them?

I never thought it would inspire such a flow of creativity. A flow that wakes you up at night with visions and words in Technicolor. I'm ALLOWING myself to really create without judgment or attachment. I really think the freedom to paint has come from working in my mixed - media sketchbook. Working on canvas in the past, I've always thought this is my one and only shot to get it right. But, the sketchbook  really has given me room to experiment with color, imagery, patterns, and composition. And in the sketchbook if I screw up I can push the limits until it's right or really wrong. Then, turn the page.

My plan then is to try reproducing the ones I love onto canvas. Today's paintings I really can't wait to paint on canvas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leftover Fabric Repurposed into Bracelets

I don't want to let anything go to waste. So, I wanted to transform the fabric that I did some experimental dyeing on last week. Though the painting didn't turn out the way I wanted, it still had some really nice colors.

 

I first began by cutting the fabric into about 1 inch strips. I already had some old wooden bracelets that I picked up who knows where for pennies. I simply wrapped the fabric strips around the bracelets, overlapping the fabric so no wood was exposed. Then, tied off the ends leaving some fabric to dangle. I, also, finger crocheted a small portion of a strip of fabric for a bracelet.

 

 

I added them with some gold bangles and WAALAA!!!

 

There is still fabric leftover for future.. scarves, headbands, necklaces, baskets, flowers, collage elements for future paintings, and whatever else necessity can invent.

 

Filling the Well this Christmas Morning

 

 

                                                                                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

Lotus Painting -- Merry Christmas Eve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Monday!!!

 

 

 

First, I filled in the background limiting my color palette to white, crimson red, yellow ochre. I added splatters with red ink and some stamping in white. I let that first layer dry. Then, I was very brave doing some stream of consciousness writing and doodles in black.

 

 

Next, I stamped with bubble wrap in bright aqua green and filled in a few areas with turquoise green. After that dried, I printed with yellow ochre over the turquoise green areas. Once those areas were dry, I added some crimson trees.

 

 

To make the trees POP, I highlighted them with yellow ochre.

 

 

I added gold leaves that I traced around with sharpie to create contrast. And finally, I added some more stream of consciousness writing with sharpie in the negative spaces.

 

Love...

the crimson and ochre trees against the turquoise green

gold leaves with black sharpie

the color palette

 

Not sure about...

some of the white/negative spaces???

the small stream of consciousness writing??? Do I need it??? Do I need more???