Paint on leather

One thing I can tell you for sure…I get bored easily. Most of the artists I know, create in many different ways. We all love to try something new. New colors, new paper, new techniques and the list goes on and on.  A few weeks ago my critique group decided we’d do a together project and see what turns out.  We decided to paint purses.  So off we all went to find a purse we each felt was worthy of painting.  I choose canvas, others choose leather, some genuine PVC.

While I was struggling with what to put on my canvas/dacron purse, a small leather travel purse called my name at the top of the shelf in my bedroom closet.  It was used one time, I’ve had it for twenty plus years, and I paid a fortune for it in the Cedros District of Solana Beach.   A trendy part of Southern California you only shop at if you feel like spending lots of money.    I wanted something I could travel with that was small enough to eliminate a regular handbag with all the stuff we carry in it.  The purse was so small that I couldn’t get sunglasses into it.

Perfect Guinea Pig for an art project!

Why not paint something on this little purse?  After all I never use it, and it’s been up there for twenty or so years.

So for some reason it seemed right to paint a dragon-fly on it, and well… flowers seemed right too!  It’s the first purse I’ve ever painted, and as you can see it won’t be the last!

Gesso on canvas

Now that the small purse is finished, I’m working on an abstract design for the canvas bag.  I wanted it a little wonky because, well I’m a little wonky and my style is a little wonky.  It all fits don’t you think?

The colors will come next, and who knows what they will be?  I just know that I have red, orange, and gold gesso to work with and anything else I’ll just have to work out with what I have.

Wish me luck.  Painting on a black surface like this is tricky, and it takes a lot of gesso and a love of wonky!