Working on Watercolour Paper

I am trying something new, quick paintings on Watercolour Paper to see how I like it. It isn't going very well because I am only using 90 lb. paper and it should be heavier to resist wrinkling.

The reason I am trying it out is to see how to do a transparent background layer. I think I will transfer the technique to gessoed board very soon. At least there won't be any wrinkling.

Stage 1: I started by painting a yellow wash of acrylic paint over the watercolour paper. I let that dry completely before putting a clear acrylic gel coat to isolate the yellow layer from the rest of the acrylics on top. I let the gel dry completely.


Stage 2: I started painting washes of colour to create a study of cloudes, which I will call "Yellow Sunset". I really need to be working on more than one of these type of paintings at the same time. That way, I won't be waiting for each wash of colour to dry.

You can see that I am letting the yellow of the underpainting show through on the bottom lake and in the sky.

More to come...

Pam

Leaves Experiment day 2.

I have continued with the mixed media leaf painting/drawing.

I have started colouring on top of the acrylic paint with coloured pencils, this works better on the canvas than the lifted leaves so I'll have to do some acrylic painting on the leaves to finish them.

Pam

Experiments In Acrylic

I am creating some acrylic paintings for a workshop in Feb. These are the steps for the first one.

3D Leaves in Acrylic:

Paint a gessoed canvas with acrylic paint to resemble fallen leaves. Cut out paper leaves and paint both sides in textured acrylic. Let the edges curl as they dry.
Use a thick dob of acrylic paint from the tube as glue to attach the leaves to the canvas. Notice that I added more paint, straight from the tube at the base of each leaf so it doesn't completely float on the canvas. The bottom edge of the leaf will have to be painted on the canvas.

The colours need to be altered now, layering acrlic washes on the leaves, letting some of the dark show through in places.
Next, I start to darken UNDER the lifted leaves to create a shadow like effect on the canvas and defining the leaves from the canvas.
The next step will be to sculpt and colour some of the canvas leaves with a palette knife and colour the paper leaves before adding extras on top of the collage.

Pam

Yes....it IS COLD!

The forecast of cold weather in Timmins turned out to be correct.

Today I'm going to do some experimental painting in Acrylics for a workshop I will be giving next month. I will be trying collage, mixed media, 3 dimensional painting and other experiments.

Watch for updates.

Pam

Deep Freeze Week....BRRRRR!

Well....you can tell it's January in Timmins. A deep freeze is coming today and it will hover around -40 C. at night.

I went snowshoeing on the river yesterday and it was a perfect, mild day for trecking.


The pileated woodpecker didn't want his picture taken and kept to the opposite side of the tree. He will have the tree chopped in half soon, they are sooooo strong!



I admire the photographers that can wait in the snow to get a good shot but I was chasing this guy from tree to tree. He isn't going anywhere, he lives just two houses over and has a very small territory. I would have thought they flew miles. I guess as long as there are dead trees he will stay put. I'll get him another day.

I have to make bread this morning and then I'll sit down to paint.

Till later....

Pam

Goodbye Old Friend

The last 24 hours have been spent nursing and saying goodbye to my 14 year old yellow lab named Sandy. It was a tough day, I can tell you, but it was time for him to go.

I had the vet come to the house to put him to sleep and with the help of her assistant, they made the passing comfortable and quiet. Sandy is no longer in pain.



A true friend and companion, Sandy will be missed by our family. Mostly, I will miss him because he was with me day and night since he was 5 weeks old.

Sandy had a stuffed animal fettish and would carry one wherever he went. He wanted his own pet and our 2 cats wouldn't appreciate being carried around. ;) We used to comb garage sales for his favourite toys, purple stuffed Barney dinosaurs. The yard used to look like a Barney cemetary. I used to think what a mother could say to their daughter when she asked, "Will my Barney go to Heaven?" The mother's reply should always be, "No, he'll go to Sandy's house."


Sandy's best friend was our cat named Dipstick. She loved him, gave him kisses, washed his ears and treated him like a huge kitten. Dipstick came to us from a farm and on her arrival, she walked in the door, gave Sandy a kiss and lay down on his dog bed. They were best freinds from that moment on. :)

Well, goodbye old friend, I won't forget you. PAM