Day 7, Floral

Floral, Not an Abstract

Collage, 4 X 6

This is day seven's collage piece. I have to work in advance because they have to be dry to scan and upload. I thought to myself, "It doesn't have to be an abstract", and decided to try to try some simple flowers. The blue, green and flower papers are all tissue that has been painted and coated with gloss, the center strip is a digital copy of a manufactured paper that has been coated.  They were all heat sealed together.  

Day 6 Lace

Lace

Collage, 6 X 6

I found the word Lace in my packet of small pieces so I decided to try to incorporate that plus some of the lacy papers that I had prepared. I also wanted to try an substrate that was not white but painted a tan color. It wasn't until I got the photo on my computer that realized that I had a big Z. Oh well, not every attempt is going to be a winner! It's a learning experience. I was going for a cruciform with the red lace but the black just takes over. I may have to play with some acrylics to modify that. If I come up with something I like, I'll re-post it. 

P.S. After fooling around with it I decided the best solution was to crop off the offending black on the top and bottom. I like the image below better.

Lace

Collage, 3 X 4

Day 5 Checkered Past

Checkered Past 

Collage 4.5 X 4.5

This is the collage for Day 5 of the 30 day challenge, which was yesterday. I wasn't happy with this collage yesterday so I delayed posting it until I could decide what to do with it. Today I thought that I would add the circles (when in doubt add circles?)and I do like the way the circles sort of bring it together. Most of the papers I have made myself except for the upper left corner, the checkers and the text which are printed. The rest are painted tissue paper or papers that have been altered in some way. They are fused together by being heat set. 

Day 4, Hope of Spring

Hope of Spring

Collage, 5 X 5

It's a cool, cloudy and rainy day in SW Florida today. It's the kind of cool that would feel balmy to the rest of the country but to those of us who live with day after day of 90's for months it feels bone chilling. Our houses, clothing and bodies aren't ready for this damp chill. So, even we hope for a short winter season and an early spring. We listen for the mockingbird to start marking their territory with the unending litany of song and for all the other signs of spring. 

Day 3, Memories

Memories

Collage, 4.5 X 3

I named this collage Memories because it was one I started 3 weeks ago when I was visiting a friend in another city. She had read my blog about doing collage without adhesives and wanted to learn the process. We only had a few hours to work so we used the prepared papers that I had brought along with me. We had such a good time designing our little abstract landscapes. Then it was time for me to drive the 2 hours home. A week later my friend died unexpectedly, two days before Christmas. All who knew her will miss her great attitude, cheerful personality, and artistic talent. So, in memory of Marilyn, I finished the collage that I started with her for day 3 of the 30 day challenge.

Day 2 Tall and Dark

Tall and Dark

Acrylic on paper 12X18

Here we are in day 2 and I'm already behind. Oh well, computer problems have a way of putting a kink in your plans. I've got the paintings, just getting them posted the appropriate day is the hard part. At least there is an extra time allowance for things like that. This painting was a quick one done in an abstract style that shows the subject taking up the full length of the painting. One of the choices an artist makes is how big the subject will be; another is placement of the subject. When you think about it, an artist has to make a lot of decisions before even putting brush to paint. 

Day 1, Brilliant Sunset

Brilliant Sunset

Watercolor on yupo, 10 X 12

I am going to be participating in the 30 day daily painting challenge again this year. It's a good way to get back into a painting routine after the holidays. The big challenge for me right now is learning to do my post on a new tablet. My laptop got a bug and is in for repairs so it has made me learn how to take pictures, download an app for editing, edit, post it on the blog and write the blog on a touch screen.  Yikes! That's a lot for a lady my age. But, I did it! 

The painting is my memory of the wonderful sunsets we see here in Florida, with water reflections and, of course, a palm tree. Watery reflections are fun to do on yupo since it's such a slick synthetic paper the juiciness of the water doesn't soak in, it just dries on top.

Greetings

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
30 paintings in 30 days starts January 1.
Happy painting everybody.

Almost Christmas!

Christmas Painting for 2013

5X7 Watercolor

At our house, we celebrate Jesus' birthday on December 25th. I know that his real birthday is not known for sure, but going with hundreds of years of tradition is OK with me. We have some eye witness accounts of his birthday, though, and it's pretty incredible. Angels appeared in the sky and sang! Not to the upper class people of the day but the lowest on the list, the shepherds. Then they went to see the baby in a cow shed and spread the news to all their friends and neighbors. I guess God wanted us to know that He came for everybody, not just the big shots of the day. That's a wonderful thing and worth celebrating. May your Christmas be blessed!

Three Little Abstracts

 Abstract Collage Sunset

 Abstract Collage With Face and R

Abstract Collage With Face

These abstracts are only 3.5 X 4.5 to fit in a 5 X 7 mat and frame. They are all made without regular adhesives and are pressed together with a heat sealing iron. I love being able to lay out my collage and move the papers around, then, when I've decided it's just the way I want it, I heat up the iron and press it together. The next step is to rub a little compatible acrylic color over it with a baby wipe. This gives it a thin coat that unifies the piece. Almost all the papers are altered or colored by hand so I can always find the colors that I like to work with because I've made them myself.

I've also been taking a class in painting abstracts in acrylics. If I get a "good one" I'll post it too.

Assembled Collages

Collage 3

Collage 8

These are my first collages assembled from some of the papers I prepared a few weeks ago. The papers are selected using the colors you want to work with. Then they are torn, cut and arranged, until you are satisfied with the composition. Because they are coated on both sides with gloss medium you don't have to remove them to glue them down. You simply carefully cover with release paper and iron them down with a 350 degree iron. I wasn't satisfied with the first layer so I added a few more papers to complete the collage. Then I ironed again. To unify the collage I rubbed a little acrylic paint in a compatible color using a baby wipe to control the layer of paint and keep it thin in some places. At the very end I decided to stamp the numbers on them. I plan to post one on Artists in Blogland Scavenger Hunt. The theme this month is numbers. 

Syntagna (Arrangement)

Syntagna

Mixed Media, 22 X 28, framed 

I found this word and saved it for a painting title. It's definition is,  "A juxtaposition of forms that relate to but are different from one another". I thought it was a perfect title for an abstract painting. This has several pieces of collage on it including some clown faces in a row next to the vertical blue stripe on the top left. That's making me think that maybe I should title it "Send in the Clowns".  Thinking up painting titles can be such a chore sometimes, no wonder some are just titled "Opus 5 or 32", it would be so much easier to keep track that way. I hope you click on the picture so that you can see all the texture and layers that are in this piece. There is a lot to look at. I'd love to hear some comments concerning the title choices, what do you think? 

More Papers

String paper

Unuyru paper

Lace paper

Tissue paper

I made 4 more types of papers on Friday. The string paper was made by laying pieces of string in a grid fashion across tissue paper, then lay another piece of tissue on top, then coating it with a mix of liquid acrylic paint, gloss medium and water. 

The unuyru, lace and tissue papers are simply coated with the same mixture in whatever colors are desired. I made several different colors of all the different papers. It's good to have a good supply of colors, shades, textures and papers before you begin to build your collage. The papers are laid on white plastic garbage bags and then hung up to dry with clip hangars. After drying they can be embellished using stamps, stencils, or freehand.

When dried they can easily be stored in color groupings on the hangars in a closet for easy access. 

I can't wait for the next step of designing the collage without adhesives.

Making Collage papers, Step 1

Altered magazine pages for collage

I've been occupied lately with making papers for collage without adhesives. It involves a lot of preparation ahead of time. These are pages from National Geographic Magazine that have been altered. The ones on the upper left have been stamped with gloss medium, allowed to dry and then the ink on the picture has been removed with a metal cleaner called Never Dull. Only the ink under the stamping has been preserved. The papers on the right were altered with the Never Dull with stencils or other texturing devices. 

The next step is to coat these papers on both sides with gloss medium. You may be asking why go through this process? Because these papers are now uniquely mine. They are not copies of anyone else's photos or work. My finished collage will be all original. I forgot to mention that these collages will not need adhesives. More on that next time!

Eve's Garden, Revisited

Eve's Garden

Watercolor, 15 X 22 

Have you ever framed and even shown a painting and then, while it's hanging on the studio wall you see something about the painting that bothers you? There was just something about this painting that was bugging me until I took it out of the frame and redid it. It was the way that the elbows of the figure pointed out of the picture. They seem to direct the eye away instead of into and around. So, using a little Magic Eraser I carefully wiped away the pointy elbows, allowed the paper to dry and then went in with some paint to make some flower shapes. There was also a spot on the right side that seemed too light so I added some paint to that. Now I think the yellow on the left is too bright on the edges and may need some toning down. Stay tuned for more updates!

Sea Grapes on Aqua Board

                                     Sea Grapes on Aqua board

Watercolor and gouache 11X14

September 20-22 was the annual Florida Watercolor Society Convention in Sarasota. I drove up with friends and enjoyed two days of watercolor demos and trade show. One of the demos was by Theresa Kirk who painted on Ampersand clay board. I have had two pieces of this product since last year's convention and thought I'd better see how she used it. First she put down random colorful marks in watercolor. Then she started making her painting over the marks. I know she used gouache in part of the process but I wasn't sure if she started her over painting with watercolor or gouache. No matter, I went ahead with gouache and as a result I covered most of the under painting. You can see a little of it under the lighter leaves. If I decide to keep this painting I will spray it with Krylon fixative and then coat it with an acrylic varnish. I think I will probably try to remove this painting and do something else just because I want to see how that works. You can find examples of Theresa's paintings at www.TeresaKirk.com The FWS convention was great; a wonderful group of artists, demos and products all in one place.







Painting on Yupo

Henny Penny 2 

Watercolor on Yupo

I enjoyed painting the first chicken so much I decided to do a second one on a piece of Yupo that was in the latest issue of Watercolor magazine. With it was an invitation to post your painting on their facebook page. I did that and also posted it on my facebook page which is Jan Werdin Art. Since the watercolor lays on top of the paper instead of soaking into it one has to exercise extreme patience so that all your colors don't run into each other. The advantage is that the colors remain true and bright. If you allow each color to dry, at least on the edges, you can get the paint to cooperate. It's a fun surface to paint and play on, if you don't like what you've painted you can put it in the sink and wash the whole thing off. I recommend that you give it a try if you have never used it. It has a whole range of possibilities. 

A Little Red Hen

Henny Penny

9x12 watercolor

Last week in the Open Painting group I chose to paint a chicken from a photo that I had. She looks quite smart and sure of herself and reminds me of the children's story The Little Red Hen.  I think her name was Henny Penny and no one in the barnyard wanted to help her make bread but everyone wanted to eat it when she was finished; but she wouldn't let them. The moral being that if you don't work you don't eat. I wonder if that tale is still being read to children today. 

I painted her feathers with quinacridone orange, burnt sienna, and a mixture of ultra marine blue and green blue. When it was dry I added some iridescent orange and blue.  It adds a little sheen to the painting which doesn't show up too well on the photo.

Cabin In Maine

Cabin In Maine

Watercolor 5X7

 

I haven't had much time to paint lately. We have been traveling again. This time to the other end of the country on the west coast. But I had my photos of Maine with me so I painted this little painting of a charming rental cabin near the water. I saw buoys all over the place; the people in Maine seem to like to decorate inside and out with them. I can see why, they are colorful and have interesting shapes. Some of them are weathered and well used. This little cabin was with a group of cabins all quite small. It reminds me of another era; one without high rises, chain hotels and condos. Just a simple cabin, fresh air, the sea and sunshine. 

 



 

Homeport Watercolor, 7.5 X 11

 

I painted the view of our friend's cabin in Maine as seen looking up at it from the dock. I loved all the lovely windows that bring in the light all day and allow a fantastic view of the lake. The area on the right is a screened in porch with screens on 3 sides. It is surrounded by thick woods so that you feel isolated even though there are other cabins quite close on either side. There is an easy slopping, winding path to the water around mossy rocks and low vegetation.

 

The treat for me when I'm at a place like this is to go down to the dock when it's dark and look up at the star filled sky. Our cities have so much light at night that we are deprived of seeing the vastness of the sky at night and the unfathomable number of stars in our galaxy. It brings to mind the question the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 8:3 and 4, (my own paraphrase) "When I look at the moon and all the stars that You made I think, Who am I that You would be thinking of me, and care so much for me?" It's good to have perspective!