Category Archives: Mixed Media

Day 16, February 2022

Day 16, 8 x 8 mixed media on Arches cold pressed paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 16, 8 x 8 mixed media on Arches cold pressed paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

A whimsical floral for today. I started with watercolor. Well, pencil, to draw the flowers. LOL. I painted the blooms, outlined them, and left it overnight. I was not happy at all. Haha. The background came out great. Looks so much better in person. Drips and blooms, color separation. Lovely surprises.

I love the sunflower. Of course. Haha. That center was magical, watching the colors blend and move. The lavender is not bad. Simple. The purple would have been great, But some of the paint was already too dry to use the pattern sheet. (plastic) It did not lift color as much as I had hoped. So I copied some of the spots, and added them in. I added almost 90! I would never guess there are over 100 spots on that bloom.

I added a digital pattern to the pink bloom. And then added color to the pattern. I am least happy with the orange flower. I tried several patterns, and didn’t like any of them. Finally, I added wonky lines.

The leaves are all digital. I like them, because the shape reminds me of a seashell. I had drawn some, but they were small and wimpy. I would have tossed this out, they were so bad. Haha. With all of the leaves and stems, I tried wonky colors. But in the end, I went with shades of green that complement the rest of the painting. I hope. With the stems, I was trying to fill some space, but at the same time, not to cover up interesting background areas.

Saved from the trashcan, but not a favorite. Haha. (I would have cut out the sunflower and pinned it to my inspo. board. LOL) I meant for this to be a quick one, but it took me longer to add the digital, than it did to paint. Haha. Done is done. 🙂

The true worth of an experimenter
consists in his pursuing not only what he seeks
in his experiment, but also what he did not seek.
Claude Bernard

When you’re experimenting
you have to try so many things
before you choose what you want,
and you may go days
getting nothing but exhaustion.
Fred Astaire

February 2022 30-Day Creative Gathering

Day 11, Poppy, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 11, Poppy, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

Layers and layers and layers. Fabriano hot pressed paper. Collage, paper bag, sewing pattern paper, patterned paper. You almost don’t see any of that. But you do see the resulting texture.

Texture also comes from the layers of gel medium. After the collage, I painted a layer of parchment white acrylic. As you know, acrylic and watercolor don’t usually mix well. So as I added a layer of watercolor, after it dried I also added a layer of medium. I am guessing close to 20 layers here. Too much? Haha.

OH! OOPS!

I forgot to add the light. I was wondering why it felt so dark. DUH. I didn’t splatter! HA! I added digital splatter. Then I played with the color. Yellow sunlight? Turquoise sky? Light neon green? Ahh, pink it is. Why does that just feel right? I pushed myself to go sparingly with the splatter. I have to admit, I see a few “black holes”. Empty areas.

STEP AWAY FROM THE PAINTING! Haha!

Delicate flower is truth,
but also the most precious treasure in life –
because liberation it brings, freedom it brings.
Yoda

Day 9 Of February’s 30

Day 9, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.
Day 9, 8 x 8 watercolor on Fabriano paper. © 2022 Sheila Delgado.

Talent is like a little seed; when nurtured, it will flourish.
Matshona

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
Marcel Proust

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love,
they will bloom like flowers.
Thich Nhat Hanh