Another Busy Day
Although it has been a busy couple of days, I did manage to work on my painting. I still haven’t decided what to do with the crystal ball.
Maybe tomorrow inspiration will strike, or maybe not. I still have a ways to go before it is finished, which gives me plenty of time to figure it out.
The Awakening – Combined Media on Canvas – 11 X 14 inches
“Whatsoever that be within us that feels, thinks, desires, and animates, is something celestial, divine, and consequently, imperishable.” – Aristotle
“There is a desire deep within the soul which drives man from the seen to the unseen, to philosophy and to the divine.” – Kahlil Gibran
Beautiful Weekend
We had a beautiful weekend, the sun was shining, and we hit the mid-80’s. Saturday, when we got back home from running errands, we were able to take our dog out for awhile so he could run, play, and snooze in the grass. He is such a sweetheart!
On Sunday, I went to the Gem Faire and had a great time looking for beads and such. I was completely worn out and tired by the time I got home. lol
Since I didn’t have any time to paint over the weekend, I began working on “The Awakening” early this morning. I still have a long way to go but at least I made some progress today.
The Awakening – Combined Media on Canvas- 11 X 14 inches
From a Sketch to a Painting
Today I’m turning the previous post of a sketch into a painting. I began by blocking out the whole painting into tonal groups. I also added a crystal ball and started working on the head and body.
When working in Painter IX, I am able to add layers to the original under painting and work on these individually until I like what I see. Afterwards, I merge the layers with the original canvas and my painting is finished.
Tomorrow I plan on working on the background, hair, and clothing. My paintings can take a few weeks to several months to complete, depending on how large or complex they are.
The Awakening – Combined Media on Canvas – 11 X 14 inches
A Wonderful Day
The rain has arrived and thank goodness, it has been such a dry season for us. When I stepped outside this morning everything smelled so fresh and clean. What a wonderful way to start your day!
I grabbed a cup of hot tea and decided to do some sketching. I wanted to play around with some ideas which had been bouncing around in my head lately.
I have always been fascinated by archetypal images, and today I was primarily focused on The Divine Child archetype when I did the sketch below.
The Awakening – Sketch 2B Pencil – 5 X 7 inches
“Myths are the world’s dreams. They are archetypal dreams and deal with great human problems. Myths and dreams come from the same place. They come from realizations of some kind that then have to find expression in symbolic form.” – Joseph Campbell
“You cannot predict what the next step is; you just have to do it. It’s so mysterious.” – Hui Lin Liu
“I am inspired when the elements and forces of nature combine to form strange and transcendental appearances… sometimes subtle, sometimes dynamic, they act as portals to a mystical realm.” – Diana Lehr
Work In Progress
I spent this morning working on this painting and had to stop because my allergies were making my eyes water. This time of the year always finds me suffering from seasonal allergies. “C’est la vie!
Yesterday was very stressful because we had a family member go back into the hospital because of complications from a surgery performed last week. I am happy to report he is doing well and will be going home tomorrow. We are all breathing a big sigh of relief, this was a very rough two days!
Playing With Fire -Combined Mixed Media
Work In Progress Update
I really enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine this morning when Rupert and I took our walk. He sniffed every bush and flower along the way and had a great time barking at two very large dogs we happened to run into.
Afterwards I made a pot of Earl Grey tea, poured myself a cup, pulled my chair up to the easel and began working on the Kuan Yin painting.
Several hours later I noticed people walking their dogs and heard children’s laughter from next door. I suddenly realized it was time for me to stop and begin preparing dinner. Where did the time go?
Without a doubt, time flies when you are having fun!
Kuan Yin – 16 x 20 Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas
“Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires”. ~Charles Caleb Colton
Work In Progress
I spent the afternoon working on this painting, using acrylic glazing and layering techniques. The glazes were done by diluting the paint with acrylic glazing medium.
I love the way glazes create softness and subtle shadings, these are caused by the overlapping layers of color added to the painting.
Work In Progress
Acrylics & Mixed Media
Here are two photos of something I was working on today, I had a lot of fun with this project using a canvas I had prepared with gesso, tissue paper, and various rice papers.
My intent was to play with color and lifting techniques with no particular design element in mind, so when I took a break and stepped back to look at how the painting was developing, I saw some very interesting patterns and shapes beginning to emerge.
I used gel medium, fluid acrylics, flow enhancer, and colored pencils.
Creative Experiments With Acrylics
Today I experimented with creating some more acrylic textures, this time I used Atelier acrylics, Golden acrylics, and Liquitex acrylics.
Test Series #1
Test Series #2
Test Series #3
Experimental Techniques in acrylics
Yesterday I spent some time creating some interesting background textures with alcohol, wax crayons, salt, and lifting techniques with fabric, toilet paper, etc…
Afterwards I decided I would try some of these techniques on the canvas below, the under painting is almost finished, but it still needs more work before I can begin experimenting.
Below is an example of some of the techniques I played around with.
When I used the toilet paper lifting technique, some of the design on the paper was transferred to my painting. The toilet paper I used had these wonderful dotted spiral designs on it and although it’s hard to see in this photograph, they created a very interesting pattern.