The Third in Bird Series

Green Heron

Mixed media 11 X 15

This is my third bird on a charcoal pour since learning the technique in Karen Knutson's  class a few months ago. Getting a good charcoal pour is trickier to achieve than I thought. I got a good photo of this bird while waiting for a tour boat to take us out to Cabbage Key one day last spring. Don't ask me why he's called a green heron, I don't see any green on him either! Except for his beak and eyes he is all collage paper attached with acrylic matte medium. The post he is resting on is also collage papers. I used a variety of printed papers and napkins and even some birch bark in the post. It's a different style from the heat fused collages that I do. All the rest is watercolor and, of course, the charcoal that remains on the paper after being splashed with water. 

I wanted to make the technique work on a Florida scene and I think I've accomplished that. I look forward to trying to paint and collage some more birds from my area using this method. 

Painting a Landscape on a Charcoal Pour

Farm and Fields

Watercolor on Charcoal 11 X 15

Although she didn't teach this in her workshop when I took it, I decided I could look at her paintings and try one for myself. I borrowed a farm photo from a friend and tried to find a good size and place for it on my last charcoal pour that I had from Karen Knutson's workshop. When I was finished, I thought that the barn was a little small and overwhelmed by the rest of the painting so, once again, I'm thinking of cropping it.

Farm and Fields 

8 X 14

I think this makes the barn stand out a little better. I'm thinking I may have used too many colors as well but it's hard to get away from colorful paintings for me. I think it's because it's always so sunny and bright here in SW Florida. Also, I forgot to leave white spaces. I will try this again, I don't usually do landscape paintings but this was really fun to do.

2017 30 Day Challenge Day 17

DRUM ROLL PLEASE: THIS IS MY 500TH BLOG!

Thank you for reading and following!

Bird Watching

Mixed media and watercolor 15 X 22

I never imagined that I would get so involved with blogging. It goes to show you how you can do things that you never dreamed you would do.

Last week end I attended an art workshop with Karen Knutson as the instructor. She and I are fellow Minnesotans so I've known her for a long time. It was great having her in Florida to teach a workshop. 

Her first lesson was doing charcoal pours as a background for your painting. If you look carefully at the painting you see random black spray like shapes in the background. These are made by splashing water on paper that has been sprinkled with powdered charcoal. When it's dry, after it's been sprayed with fixative, you design your painting around the charcoal. It's a fun but messy process. The bird's wing has been embellished with collage papers, so it's right up my alley. Click on the image to get a closer view of the detail. 

Karen has very creative and imaginative paintings, you can see her work at www.karenknutson.com or read her blog at www.karenknutson.blogspot.com.