Small- medium and LARGE

My plan is actually working I think. Start a small painting as the "thumbnail" then go up from there. By the time I get to the big one I have more confidence and it's easier to paint. This big one was really fun. I guess because it was more simple.  Painting on the easel is definitely the way to go for me rather than flat. But I do see how Burridge would want to paint flat as juicy as he paints. Mine was dripping all over the place so I will still paint flat sometimes just to be in practice for the workshop in February. It kinda hurts my back though. I put wood icing on the bottom for the texture this time.

Now I have small, medium and large. So...

mission accomplie!

Today we are heading to the Isle of Palms for a week at the beach with baby Marc and his mama and daddy. We are looking forward to seeing him have fun in the sand.

 I will be back next week.

Y'all have a good one!

Working really big

I am home from the reunion and we had such a great time. We had only about 35 in our high school graduating class and we grew up from birth together. It is wonderful how time and space doesn't seem to make a difference because we just pick up where we left off. I am extremely fatigued because being part of the reunion committee we had to stay and clean up so it was probably 2:00 am before we finally were able to get to bed and then drive 6 hours today. Whew! 

Anyway, below is the painting process that i finished up just before I left for the reunion.

 As you see I am trying to paint a big one like this small one.  The white on the painting is Wood Icing for texture. I LOVE wood icing!
There is something really cool about how it looks just like this.

I am not sure if it's finished. I wiped off some of the green paint on the right to reveal some of the texture but I am not sure if I like this or not. I think it gives it some variation though. So maybe I will leave it. I will leave it for tomorrow and decide whether it needs anything at the bottom or not. Fresh eyes--fresh mind tomorrow. I will do a better picture when I finish. The lighting in the studio is not conducive to good pictures and it's after 6pm so the lighting outside is not good either. Only around noon can I got a really good picture. Ok, until tomorrow. Go on home--unresolved---but happy about it this time.

Off to the reunion

Ok, we are leaving today for West Point, GA, for our high school reunion. It's certainly bettersweet going back there because it makes me miss living there when Mama and Daddy and my sister Jane were alive. My sister died of early onset alzheimers and there are wonderful memories there and sad ones too. But it will be really fun to see everyone including my brother. He won't be coming to the reunion since he is 13 years older but I always enjoy seeing him and miss him too. So here is the Sr. picture. I wonder what was going on in my mind. Probably some mischief. :))  We will be heading to the beach for a week with Macaulay, Marc and baby Marc so I will be back in a week or so show you more flowers.

One more

This one is actually my favorite one. Again, I am going to work on those every which-a-ways flowers. I might be splattering a bit too much too. Probably need to tone that down a bit. It's just so fun to splatter!

More weekend work

I am busy making name tags and printing them and putting them in the badges.

Why do I sign myself up for these things?

One critique for me though...I am going to try to paint flowers that are not all facing the front. Flowers in a vase go all which-a-ways.

More weekend work

Again, this is watercolor paper with gesso primer. The little strip of black and white it painted and stamped on deli paper...my new favorite collage paper.

Weekend work

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I painted several paintings on Saturday and I will post them during this week because I have to stop painting now to make name tags for our 40 yr high school reunion this Saturday up in West Point, GA.
Ok, you know how old I am now. And the good thing is, everybody there will be my age too! I have put this task off until this week. We only had 35 in my graduating class but we have invited other classes so I have about 50 or so to do.  I will post my senior pic later this week. I have to scan them all from the annual. Very time consuming but with lots of awwwws...when I am doing it. We were all so young and perky then!

When I painted these I told myself these were my "just paint fast because it's only paper and you are just practicing and it really doesn't matter because you can always gesso over it" series. Well, the "it doesn't matter part" I am still struggling with. These are just on gessoed watercolor paper. Practicing for the big ones.

Another 24 x 24

Here is the next hunk of  24 x 24 wood. It didn't go through so many stages this time. That is good---maybe I am getting a little better with larger pieces. I had a smaller painted "thumbnail" to go by where the other one I didn't. Maybe that really makes the difference. Ok...on to the next.

Next and Next

 I had to come back to the studio later last night to see if I could resolve it and I really thought I might have come to a finish point. But as Chauncey and I looked at it we really thought it was not quite right. I was just not happy with it and he really thought the stencils needed to not be so front and center. So I had to go home and sleep on it. As I said before, this is new for me to leave things unresolved. But to be a painter this is a must because the next day eyes are fresh and the mind is clearer.
So below is the finished 24 x 24. This is a huge hunk of wood which is heavy and I painted it flat which was hard because I had to keep picking it up to stand back and look at it. Robert Burridge paints flat and in his upcoming workshop in Feb there are no easels allowed. EEK!

I think painting must be like having a baby. You labor and labor and labor some more for the baby to come. And it's painful and you cry and writhe around. ( I wouldn't know...I had epidurals thank goodness!).  But now that I know I can paint bigger maybe I can settle down and just enjoy the process. And really, I did enjoy the process---now that it's over. Ok, so on to the next hunk of wood...! Maybe it won't be as painful.

Getting bigger!

Ok! I am getting there. This one is 24 x 24 and all collaged up and ready for paint. I am going to paint this one in the red shed out back so I have my fan and skin so soft ready. It's in the shade so it's not too bad before 10:00 am. After that, it gets uncomfortable but I went to Lowes today got the stuff I needed to set up out there. I am not sure what will happen but I am going to try and see what happens with this larger birch wood. At least I have gotten this far!

LATER.....that day...
The red shed is just too hot even with my new useless air conditioner that I have to send back. So back into the studio...

Oh goodness, I have wiped off the flowers again and have covered over most of the collage. I think that I might be able to get back down to it (reductive painting) if I don't wait too long but I think I might have to just put this one aside for now. I am really stuck. This is new for me--to work for hours and then not reach a finish point. Ok, I am getting out of my comfort zone now because this 24 x 24 feels REALLY big to me. But I am going to put it aside and look at it tomorrow. I think I am frustrated now and that means I better stop for now. Maybe I should just leave it as it is and call it "The Lonely Red Pot." It's really not bad but this was not my intention to leave it like this.

Gelli-Arts Mono Print Book

Well, it turned out ok but I am not jumping up and down over the choice of colors and design of the cover.  I monoprinted the cover on 300 lb Arches paper and was just feeling a little to chintzy to print it again. I basically wanted to see if I could remember how to sew it with the Japanese stitch (similar to the coptic stitch) that I learned at a recent workshop.

So... it is what it is and I had a blast monoprinting the papers on this ingenious gel plate and will do more of this fun printing.

Now... look at the very bottom picture and look at my other new toy. It is a Rebounder and it's the best way to exercize without adding stress to the bones and with hardly any sweat. That's my kind of exercise! There is something about the bounce that is good for our cells and lymphatic system. I turn on my iTunes and jump away with a big smile on my face. It's fun...and I am getting in shape and strengthening my poor old aging bones.

Ok so here is the cover with the ill chosen colors, label and doodlings...

I hate to put stuff up that is not wonderful but hey, this is what my blog is for.  It's to record my everyday art journey and not everything gives me that much desired art high. So I hear Mattie Lou muse right now saying,

"Just get over it and move on!"

PS...you don't have to believe Jane Fonda when she says,

 "You have to work hard, sweat and get sore to see any results."

Gelli-Arts side track!!

Detour from painting loose and big! Yes, I am distracted very easily.
Well, I am such a sucker for new toys and this by far is one of the best, most fun, instant gradification toys so far. It's a Gelli-Arts printing plate for printing monoprints. I have always loved printing monoprints but have never been successful at doing them at home. I have traveled to Charleston twice to go to the monoprint studio which was fun too but really---this does the same thing--just smaller!  And for a lot less cost. You just roll on the paint, stamp, scribble or stencil, place the paper face down, press down with your hands--- and with a tingle up your spine--pull it off to reveal a wonderful print. That is, if you have chosen the right colors. You can easily make a mud print! So I have cut the 81/2 x 11 paper into strips and I am going to make a small book and sew it. I will show you the book tomorrow.

Old Collaged Canvas-->to new

I am trying to use up canvases that were sitting around the studio just waiting for something. This canvas is a 10x10 that had been collaged all around with some of my favorite brown paper with black swirls. I think I collaged it a couple of years ago thinking I would paint a face on it but never did. So it called out to me ("yoohooooo...remember me???"). I started painting without a plan (not a very good idea-a thumbnail is very helpful) but it quickly went down hill so I had to wipe all the flowers off and start again. Then it worked out much better with the red flowers. I am still trying to paint one of these every day. When I get comfortable with the flowers I will go to something else. Not sure what that will be but I will know when the time comes. Thank you, Mattie Lou Muse!

Just drew(painted) this on the iPad with ArtRage. I just bought the app and tried it. It is WAY fun!!!!

In this day in time, whoever has the time to be bored? Not me!

Oops..I just noticed that the shadow is on the wrong side. Sometimes I get shadow dyslexia.

The winner is...

VICKIE!!!!!! Yay!!!

Gail will be contacting you with your invitation.

Have fun painting!

And thank you all for sending your sweet comments and joining in on the giveaway.

Class starts tomorrow!

"Painting Poppies' Giveaway

"Painting Poppies" online class starts Monday, August 15th so I thought I would have a giveaway so whoever Mr. Random.org picks will be able to start the class on Monday. It would be best if you have taken the "Color Drop" class but it's ok if you haven't. In the "Color Drop" class I explain the Oriental brush more in depth and a few more watercolor techniques... but no worries! You will enjoy painting the poppies either way! Mr. Random.org will pick the winner Sunday night around 8pm EST. So you know the drill, just leave me a message/comment that you would like to win the class and that will put your name into the pot. I will post the winner Sunday night.

Tulips #4 12x12

Bucky says to me, "It's only a 12x12, you can do this."

I say, "But it is a very expensive Aquaboard panel!"

Bucky says, "I am bored with you now."

Ok, here goes. It's not even what I classify as the big one. I had wait on the plumber to get here so I decided to implement the plan I had which was painting a larger one from a smaller one.

I know it's only 12 x 12. Bigger---not really big.

So I started out like this with some collage knowing that most would be covered up except for the bottom part which I knew would be wiped off more.

The collage is finished now and I collaged the sides with printed tissue paper. Not sure where I got that tissue paper.

Then I did a paint sketch as to where the flowers would be in the blue background color.

At this point I forgot to take a picture because the right brain kicked in. Yay, right brain!!!

So here is the 12x12 finished on the very expensive Aquaboard. It really was easy knowing where I was going since I had painted this painting 3 times before. Monet painted many series of the same thing as did Diebenkorn who is my very favorite abstract painter. So, that gives me permission! I am a rule follower so I have to be given permission.

There is just a little bit of glare on this one but I wanted you to see the sides. I probably should always photograph before the varnish. Ok, so I accomplished one goal---to paint a series getting bigger. I guess at this point I am so accustomed to painting this one that the "BIG" one might not really be that bad. 

We'll see...

Tulip #3

Ok, back to Tulips... I did it. I painted a third one. This one is 8x10 on an Ampersand Gesso panel. I love painting on these panels. So, here is the thought I had. I wonder if I painted different series of three getting bigger each time with the smallest one (5x7) next being 11x14 then to the largest one. The smallest one would serve as the pattern or thumbnail. I think that has been my hesitation---starting a big canvas without having some idea of where it is going. Ok, maybe I have a plan now.

"Painting Poppies" with Absorbent Ground

This is a 6 x 12 stretched canvas and I decided to try something different. I have Absorbent Grounds made by Golden that I have hardly ever used. I just love watercolor paper so much that I have never really used it that much. So I decided to layer a coat of absorbent grounds on this canvas and see what happened. It was really fun to paint these poppies on this surface. I liked it alot although it is different from watercolor paper but it really does allow you to paint with watercolor on it.

You can see below how I started it off with just a wash in the background then painted the poppies. You can learn to paint these poppies in my upcoming "Painting Poppies" class that starts 

August 15th. I will do a giveaway on the 13th.

Tulips #2

One thing that I heard from Robert Burridge is to paint three paintings of the same thing. The first one was this (yesterday's post) and here is the second one. Hopefully I will do a third one and if I do I will post it. I do like this one and it is different from the first one---which is the point. This one is on a panel that is 9 3/4 x 7 3/4.

I collaged some random scrapbook paper on it first them started painting. I am liking this reductive painting technique. It makes it grungy and interesting!

Tulips #1

Here is another example of a reductive painting technique like the pears the other day (wiping off the paint to reveal the collaged or painted underneath).  I thought I figured out this technique by myself but found out it really has a name--reductive painting! Here's now I started off this painting. I spread some gesso on paper with a flower stencil and let it dry then rolled on some color with my roller. Actually it turned into mud so I was not happy with it. Then I put it aside with disgust only to pick it up later and did a little wiping to see the texture. It was a bit better so I started this painting and then wiped some more at the end and you can see some of the texture shapes and dark "mud" peeking through.

This one is 9x11 on treated (with gesso) watercolor paper. 

I think I like this one!