Category Archives: Mixed Media

Mark Making W.I.P.

Pale to dark, building a base with blues. 9 x 12 watercolor, crayon, pencil.

I am preparing for another postcard show. Painting away. So far lots of blah. Today I started with watercolor pencil, then added white crayon doodles. I used a large flat brush, added light blues, and a little gamboge. While all of that was wet I added indigo plops and puddles, splatters and strokes.

I know I have mentioned this before, but I find indigo absolutely intoxicating. This is a beginning. I can get four postcards out of this sheet. Ahh, the possibilities.

Hope you all enjoyed Memorial weekend. If you have not seen The Monuments Men, make sure you rent it. So thankful for the men who helped save the worlds art treasures, so that they could be seen by future generations.

God Bless American Veterans.
God bless the families of those who gave their lives.
God Bless the men and women who are serving their country.
Come home safe.

Pastel Disaster

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AAUGH!!!

Daring whispered in my ear today.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to do a pastel to celebrate Earth Day!”

“YEH!”, I thought.

Never mind that I do not know much about pastel painting. It felt only right to work with my hands, to get them dirty. Pastels get you dirty. This is only my third ever, pastel painting.

I spent almost three hours this afternoon working on what you are about to see. Ok, maybe more like two hours, because I was checking on the split pea soup, and changing loads of laundry too.

This is small, five inches square. It is a good thing I really had fun working on this. Otherwise I would be really, REALLY, REALLY upset.

I apologize for the horrible photos. This is a quick look at the process. I was happy with the result. That is, until I decided to seal it, so I would be able to scan it for this post.

Brilliant, bloody brilliant Sheila.

It didn’t help, that right when I started to spray sealant, the wind kicked up and spread a fine dusting of little yellow specks from the trees nearby.

pastel progress. Hydrangea, 5 x 5, watercolor and pastel on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

I started with a watercolor wash. Then a few layers of pastel to get the basic shapes. I changed my mind, and decided the leaves looked better on the side, instead of the bottom. Little by little, I added details. I used Prismacolor NUPASTELS.

Decent

Here it is, finished and semi-show-able.

D.O.A.

And here it is, not ready for prime time.

I know. Awful.

So there you have it. My Earth Day experiment.

Oh, and here is the photo that started it all.

Hydrangea, blooming in the garden.

Hope you had a fabulous Earth Day!

Liberate Your Art Postcard Number 3

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Mixed media: watercolor, acrylic, fabric, and paper flowers cut from gift bags. (click photo to see more)

I came home from brunch with my folks, raspberry french toast from Corky’s, to find this. A fantastical postcard from my friend Natasha Papousek. She explains:

Aloha Art Friend!
This year’s swap finds me in Honolulu for the spring semester. I thought it fitting to show a phoenix (an old bird celebrating new beginnings) with the Queen of Polynesian flowers, the Tiare or Tahitian Gardenia. As I learn about Hawaii and experience new adventures, I am reminded of this quote by Ursula K. LeGuin:

It is good to have an end to journey;
but it is the journey that matters in the end.

Mixed media: watercolor, acrylic, fabric, and paper flowers cut from gift bags.

This card traveled from Hawaii to Oregon. It took the long way around through the east coast before landing in southern California. This traveling card came from an avid traveler! I hope the travel bug rubs off on me!

Thank you Natasha, for making this a delightful day!

Wishing you all the best, may you have many new beginnings!