Tag Archives: daily post

Craggy Crow

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Cragy Crow

Craggy Crow

Last week the weather was so nasty I stayed inside and made the most of being cooped up by painting, experimenting, and just plain having fun in my studio.  The rain was coming down so hard the yard and the patio were flooded, and you couldn’t see in front of your nose if you went out.

Opportunity!

Being stuck in one place gives us opportunity.   To curl up and read, bake cookies, watch a movie, or Paint are just some of the possibilitiess     So paint I did.

I played with colors, sketched out possibilities, played with different papers, and much more.  In my mind, I try to  play like a 3-year-old.  Just like my grandson use to do when he’d play in my studio.  I think letting him play in my studio was the beginning of me letting go, and not taking myself so seriously.  I’d give him a huge pad of paper, and he picked his own brush, and watercolors.  (After all I could wipe them up when he was finished.)   He’d pick the longest brush he could find and make a huge puddle of blue watercolor, he loved blue.   After he went home, I’d find blue paint all over my studio, the kitchen, and into the garage.  How can you ever get mad at one of your grandchildren? He loved blue, and he loved the way it looked on everything.  He is now twelve going on thirteen, he still loves blue, but fortunately doesn’t find the need to splatter it all over the house.  He’s a great kid, and is very creative.

The crow, well  crows speaks to me.  I love them, and can’t find enough places to put them in my art.  This time I just thought I’d make a big crow,  wet him all down like a watercolor, and drip blue ink into him.  This is how you get craggy!  Of course, once he’s big as life on a sheet of paper, he needs something to complement him.  Journal style seemed to work for me on a cold, wet, rainy day.  This is my version on playing in my studio this winter.

Making a Sharp Left!

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Paint on leather

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

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!

 

Spray, Spray, Spray!

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It’s always cool to know how to create a rain effect on a canvas, or maybe an XBOX, or even something else unexpected. My son is very much into spray painting, and I have to admit it fascinates me. So far I haven’t figured out how to incorporate spraying into some of the things I’ve been working on. On the other hand, maybe I need to do some experimenting, and figure out a way to make it work!

Since I focus mostly on traditional types of painting, I thought maybe some of you might be interested in something out side the box.   Many of you might not think it’s so outside the box at all.  Here it is…

This is only the beginning, but it’s something I hadn’t thought of, and maybe worthy of experimentation!

This Explaines It All…

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Many of you have wondered about Millie Gift Smith, and her story.  I should have researched more before I posted her video last week, but I had no idea she was out there and was so excited about finding her at all.

Apparently this was the first part of the video I posted first, and it is interesting.  She tells her story about her recent past and tells that she is 97 years old.  Bless her heart, she is truly an amazing artist and person.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

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This is a cute idea and while it’s cute, I apologize for not being more creative!  There may be some of you out there that may like this idea more than others.  While it’s cut and creative, it’s also easy to put together.  It’s also something that could be given to a Grandchild to put together themselves.  I like that it’s easy.

Happy Valentines Day to all of you.

California Vibe!

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David Lobenberg nails it for me!  I love his style and relaxed way of teaching.  AND… I love the California Vibe he adds to his watercolors.  It is said that watercolors are the most difficult.  In some ways I would agree, in other ways I have to say that once I learned watercolor, the transition into acrylics and particularly abstract, were way more difficult.  It doesn’t have to be that way, but I always make things harder than necessary.

David makes it look so easy I want to take his classes, how about you?  This must be why I live in California…