Little Starts to Bigger Things

Last week I started planning for a larger painting project that I have been asked to 'tackle' - it will be 3 panels of 24"x40", giving a total size of 72" x 40" - that's 6 feet of painting! Phew! 

Due to the nature of the request, a lot of planning will have to go into this piece before I can begin to touch paint to canvas. I'll be able to share with everyone the "nature of the painting" once it's complete and everything is done! I started out with a quickie sketch - I've never been huge of sketching before painting, and usually the sketches don't look like much and in the end don't mean too much because the painting process takes over and things often turn out different. 

But since this piece has to be, very, carefully thought out and planned out - which I guess I should do more often to have a higher success rate in finishing in my larger paintings (as I count unfinished paintings and run out of fingers - blushes). So I thought I would be a quick watercolour painting rendition to get a better feel of colours and composition. This rendition - as shared above - is not complete. But, it begins to give more life and understanding to the random pen marks in the above sketch. As you can see, it already deviates from the sketch - as I thought it would...

My Creative Space: Lifebook Progress

Here is a progress picture of my Week 5 for my online Lifebook class. This particular project is taking a longer time, there is more to it, and I have been mulling over many, many aspects of it. But there is where it stands now. 

I really love how there are so many delicate layers of colours over my initially collaged pieces. You really see all the details once you look closer.

I love how the map peeks through, and the colours in the map work wonderfully with the over all scheme.

So far I have used: map pieces, dress pattern pieces, collaged papers, acrylic paint and ink, stencilling and aquamarkers.

A Pinch Of Studio Love

My Creative Space

As mentioned in previous blog posts, I have been super busy with commissions :)

I offer "Family Trees" and "Family Forest" custom options, but sometimes someone just wanted a completely custom painting and I am always happy to work with them to create beautiful art.

 I love creating Family Forests, some get quite large and take a bit of planning:

If you would like a custom painting, you can contact me through my online Etsy store, jellybeans.etsy.com

See more creative spaces, here.

Beauty Grows Mixed Media Dimensional Art

"Beauty Grows" Mixed Media on Canvas 8x10", Available

Amidst all of the packing (I'm moving from my tiny apartment to a small house with the boy) and commissions  I managed to find time to experiment with a mixed media piece. I think what helped is that I do not have a heat gun, so each layer has to sit and dry on it's own time...meaning: work for a little while, and let sit for a much longer while.

"Beauty Grows" is the result of all this procrastination and mental relief. It is available in the online shop.

The flower petals add a little bit of a dimensional element to this piece....it also makes it harder to scan / photograph. I used tons of different art supplies...probably a little bit of everything: decorative papers, washi tape, acrylic, watercolour, PanPastels and ink just to name a few. 

It was inspired by the collaborative spread that I worked on with Amanda from Ulixis.com for our Sketchbook Project 2012 submission: 

Left side: Amanda, Right side: myself

The concept of something beautiful coming out of such disorder is a very comforting thought, but also very inspirational that there is always that 'light at the end of the tunnel'...and that sometimes you gotta go chaotic before you get to where you wish to be.  This piece speaks for itself: when I started I had zero direction - all I knew was that I wanted to create something messy and fun as a mental break from everything else going on in life and it did look absolutely horrible at one point - almost as though there was no hope, and then it 'grew' into a thought. I finished it all off with UV-protective varnish, so it will stand the test of time!

A peak at my work station when working on this piece....what a mess! Yes, I know!

Here is this weeks discussion from the Creative Spaces blog:

Do you break out the heavy artillery? Do you like the smell of glue? (it’s not good for you I know, but really it smells so great) What have you been making this week?

I have in fact pulled out a power drill, and used it to drill large 1-2" circles through a wooden canvas support back in my University days for an elective art course that I had taken, in order to create a dimensional collage with different planes. Unfortunately  that was long before I thought to document my art stuff, and I have no idea where that piece of art went. It just felt so good to drill through that wood! 

No, I do not like the smell of glue...I don't dislike it either, just sort of neutral on the subject. I love the smell of oil paint though. I don't 'sniff it' by any means, but if I'm working with oils, the smell will linger in my 'studio space' (em, living room / office / whatever room) and it's a very inspiring and gives me that 'I really am an artist' feeling. 

You can see more creative spaces, here.

My Creative Space: Autumn Wreath

I went for a bit of a 'nature walk' through the Bruce Trails the other day, and collected a nice handful of pretty coloured leaves. I had been inspired by Alisa Burke's Autumn Wreath, that I knew I wanted to make one for myself:

I included a larger variety of leaves in mine. They're just starting to slowly fall now, so finding really nice ones already on the ground took some time. 

In addition to the gold 'puffy' fabric paint, I also sprayed all the leaves with a clear acrylic spray, and gave them a dusting of gold glitter. 

What makes this wreath especially festive for the autumn season, is just like the trees outside, it changed for the next couple days. Here is it four days later, with the leaves all curved up and finally dried through:

It hasn't changed much after this initial 'curling', and I think it brings the perfect finishing touch to the piece.

My Creative Space: Inspire & Flourish

I finished another spread in my art journal after getting my hands on some lovely stencils from the dollar store. 

I really love the texture that I got from it, and the PanPastels just clung to it wonderfully!

I still need to work on word placement, but I'm overall liking this spread. :)

Materials used (in order): Gesso, Stencils & Gel Medium,Acrylic paint, PanPastels, Collaged paper, Sharpie Markers, Ink Pad, Acrylic protective coat. 

You can see more creative spaces, here.

My Creative Space

I have a painting video to share with you all this week for my creative space!

This watercolour is titled "Rain Down On Me" and it is 9x12" on watercolour paper.  It was just added into the shop, so it shouldn't be snagged up yet! Here is the completed painting:

"Rain Down On Me" - Original Watercolour

You can see more creative spaces, here.

My Creative Space

This week is a busy one, I worked in some sketchbooks, and I finished printing off and sending off a wedding order:

I haven't worked more on my acrylic bird painting - there just wasn't the time with everything else going on. I have worked on my Map Project, but you'll have to wait for another day to see the progress there ;)

My Creative Space

I've been sort of all over the place in my studio this week.

I've been working steadily on the Map Project that I had signed up for.
There are lots of little details included in my plans...which are
seemingly getting more complicated all the time.

Some animal patterns for Africa...

I've finally got a branch on my painting of a sky.
It still has some work that needs to go into the branch, but
I think that I need to get the bird on it first and then add more detail. 

I've also been working quite a bit in my sketchbooks, but I think I'll save those for a dedicated 'sketchbook' post :)

See more creative spaces, here.

My Creative Space

This week I was avidly working on my Map Project.

I guess my favourite moment this week was when James was over, and was looking - very closely - at the map and I ask, "What do you think of the whale?"..."What whale?" he replied...."Uhhhh the big blue one right behind Africa?"...yea...I think he was distracted by shimmery Antarctica.

There is still lots, and lots to go. But the tedious part of the actual landmasses are done....it's all fun from here on out!

I've also started - and started stumbling - on a new acrylic painting that I'm working on as well. I started it Monday, and it's sat like this since:

This painting is eventually supposed to have either a bluebird or a robin on a branch - both of which I've seen since the weather has gotten nicer. I'm stumped on the branch. I've been working out ideas though, and I am getting close to figuring out that branch. It's all a matter of composition - I don't want it unbalanced with a large, dark branch - and I don't want it to attract all the attention - it's the bird that's supposed to be the focal point. And, the way I have painted the sky I won't be able to correct if I make the branch wrong. So I'm trying to plan well. The vibe I'm trying to aim for: modern, minimalist and impressionistic. Yea...good luck, I know. LOL. Also not sure if I'll be keeping it landscape or portrait, but the sketches are seemingly saying that it might just be straying portrait. 

Below is my palette after working on the sky, and my selection of acrylics that I've built up over the years. 

Yea, I use both Golden and Liquitex paints. To me each brand brings something a little different to the table, and depending on what I want to complete one may be a better choice than another. I use them interchangeably often, and have never had any problems. I do tend to stick to Golden mediums more though - honestly, I'm not sure why - but I won't mess with something that works.

See more creative spaces, here.