Monoprint...

My first monoprint! I love the colors and how the impression of the golden light shining through the "buildings"... it's pretty abstract and I'm sure I will have some additions and changes but here's how it looked last Monday after the class.
We'll be working on more monoprints as well as progressing the artwork from the print stage to a finished painting over the next few weeks. I'm really enjoying seeing all my old painting friends from class... Enjoy!
For a short explanation of the process of monoprinting click here. Retweet this

Carving

Last year during a creative mixed media section in my art class I bought a lino carving set and a couple of blocks. I carved a small block and used it a couple of times then. Now that I'm doing more mixed media again I wanted to carve a stamp that's unique to me... here's a picture of the materials, tools, and the result. The pattern on a decorative pillow inspired the tulip and curlicue pattern.
I began by drawing the pattern I wanted on the block surface. Then, using the various knives that came in my carving set, I removed the material around the pattern. There must be a set method for carving with these knives but I just went at it intuitively... [why read the instruction manual? takes too long.] I managed to get a reasonably clean imprint area and I tested and adjusted it a few times on the watercolor sheet at the back of this picture. Lots of fun! Retweet this

100th Post - City Lights (14"x10")

Here is my first painting in acrylic - Golden Fluids... SO much fun! I really wanted to play with my new reds - quinacridone crimson, quinacridone red, quinacridone magenta, quinacridone burnt orange. Yes, I'm back to the quins... and a few other colors thrown in to make a nice pattern. One of the blue blobs looked a bit like a figure so I developed it and another... and on it goes. It feels like a big city outdoor party... or something. I enjoyed playing with the paints and getting a feel for how they flow wet in wet. And the colors dried brighter instead of lighter - a nice addition to my watercolor paints. Stay tuned! Retweet this

Color work...

For homework this week we are matching colors to a photo... I chose to attempt to match skin/hair tones. Wow, what a challenge. First match is to a blonde woman... I did this one directly on the sketchbook paper. As you can see in the first photo, the colors used are more vibrant on the swatches to the left. After attempting this I selected several areas of her skin, numbered them and matched them on watercolor paper where the colors are much more predictable and vibrant.

On the second photo I did the same thing. I thought this fellow's skin tones would be harder to match but I found it much easier. He has such deep tones and I found the colors easier to perceive... See what you think.

Retweet this

Red Lilies (13"x9")

Another "start" finished. This one didn't have a lot of texture at the beginning... just colors mixed up on the paper. Once dry it sat around for a week or more before I thought of a photo I took this summer of my red lilies. Looking at it now gives me the feeling of a jumbled up garden in bright sun... Enjoy! Retweet this

Paint along - Alvaro Castagnet

I've just watched a fascinating DVD of Alvaro Castagnet painting... he did 5 paintings and they were all amazing! I enjoyed this DVD more than any other I've viewed. He's quite a character and his enthusiasm is catchy. I painted along with one of his paintings and here is the result. He did this painting in 3 washes, allowing it to completely dry between each. Of course he began with the next to lightest value leaving stark white for the big umbrella in the plaza. Then mid-tones and finally darks. The paint flows off his MASSIVE brushes and he mixes colors on the fly - very fun to watch. I like the results he gets with his intense darks... have a look at his website here for a nice shot of eye-candy. This has inspired me to put more figures in my paintings. Stay-tuned to see how that goes! Retweet this

North Glenmore Park - work in progress

I began this today and I have some bits to complete. However, I want to share it with you here tonight. I'm very excited about the mixed media class that I started today. It's quite freeing to be able to get back lights and whites in a variety of ways. I'm still waiting for the remainder of my supplies to arrive soon from Curry's. Have a look at this painting in progress and check back for future updates. Have a great Tuesday! Retweet this