A New Step 12x12

My blog is being reinvented. I will be posting topics for discussion, art techniques, art collecting tips, inspirational ideas and of course art by myself and my students. So please take a look with fresh eyes.

 

I have been working on my fourth book, and Darlene and I are having a blast thinking of all the alternative surfaces we can create art on and with. The painting above

Tantalizing Textures

Bamboo Forest

This painting has texture that you would love to touch. I created a very textured background using gels and pastes to build depth. When this was completely dry, I mixed the blues and whites into a light molding paste and spread over the surface with a palette knife. The reds and pinks peek through. I then added my collage of bamboo, poured on a Faux wax layer, added darks and I was done. Oh yes, there are always those little details to go back in and adjust, also the framing and showing the work and now it is sold.

Collage Challenge

Formula One 8x8

I love combining collage in my paintings. I have used pieces of an old collagraph, painted book pages from a used math text and painted papers to develop my theme and composition.

When I get toward the end of a painting or collage session, I give myself a challenge to create a piece using only what is left on the table. This a fun and innovative way to see new color combinations and composition possibilities.

Finding the Perfect Sheen

Wave 10x8

These two little painting were part of a demo I did for Artisan Art Supply in Taos. I created two identical backgrounds and then altered the surface using different acrylic mediums. The paint in the lower portion of the painting was a mix of interference and iridescent gold and micaceous iron oxide-all from Golden Acrylic Paints. I put a layer of matte gel over the entire surface. This pushed back the sheen. The painting below was finished in a soft gel gloss medium. You can see the difference. I changed the final sheen by using a satin varnish on the painting above and a gloss varnish on the one below. Sometimes I like to alternate layers of gloss and satin. You can always change the final sheen of your painting with the varnish.

French Curl 10x8

Playing with Transfers and Finishes

Connect the Dots

I have been having a great time playing with the Golden Interference paints and transfers. This piece called, Connect the Dots, started with interference paints on the background. The lower third got a gel transfer and the middle section got a Lazertran inkjet transfer. The top portion is a heavy texture from ceramic stucco, a product from Liquitex.

The Lazertran will be opaque until you treat it with a varnish to make it clear. The part I really like is that I can control where it is clear and where it stays opaque. In this photo, the pink areas are clear and the blue is opaque.

I wanted to be able to draw on top so I covered the painting in a 50/50 mixture of Liquitex clear gesso mixed with water. Before it dried completely, I wiped most of it off. This left a tooth on the surface that I could then draw on. I sealed it with a workable fix and then varnished.

Creating Layers in a Painting

I find adding texture and layers within my painting creates a visual history of what came before. I love to lay down colors, let them dry and then scrape another color over that. I also use gampi paper, or silk tissue, to create a layer of text and then draw on top of that. I then build up a thick layer of gel medium, let dry for a couple of weeks and finish off with a satin varnish. This gives the look of wax or encaustic.