Category Archives: Mixed Media

Adios October

I am a couple of days early I know. But I am hoping that November will renew whatever bit of talent I thought I had. This month has been crummy all around.

Unexpected car repairs – CHA CHING! Not just for me, but for everyone in the house. We have been playing musical cars for weeks. Yup, I think a double-deep-dip in the ol’ treat bag is needed. Now I just need to find a kid with overflowing treats.

October has never been my favorite month. Playing dodge the scary movies on TV. Or the Linda Blair shuffle. I am ready for Hallmark channels countdown to Christmas. A month filled with sappy, happy endings!

A few more attempts here. Working on some postcard art for Visual Aids. Another “map”, but I prefer the earlier layout – square. This seems a bit “scrunched”. The start of each of these was twig scribbled black acrylic. Marks without a rhyme or reason.

Map 2, watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Map 2, watercolor on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

The marks on this reminded me of the postcard I submitted last year. That one sold at the show.

Incline 2. Watercolor and acrylic on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Incline 2. Watercolor and acrylic on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

I started with glorious, imperfect lines on the card below. And then I mucked it up by working it to death. Should have just left it alone.

Leaf me alone. Watercolor and acrylic on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Leaf me alone. Watercolor and acrylic on 140 lb. Arches cold pressed paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

May your Halloween be sweetly spooky! Save me a Kit Kat and a Baby Ruth! Gee wiz – did you know Kit Kats came in all these flavors? What are your favorite treats at Halloween?

 

 

Toil and Trouble

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

When I was in high school, I shocked a friend by knowing the word cauldron. We were playing Pictionary. He drew the picture, and announced to the group, “She’ll never get this one!”

I blurted out the answer, Roger’s jaw dropped, and everyone had a good laugh. I have a fondness for the word cauldron. It reminds me of good friends.

I have painted regularly since the end of the September challenge. A whole lotta’ toil and trouble with nothing, not even a frog toe to show. I reclaimed several small canvases, only to cover them up with mud and muck. Time for more gesso. And more practice painting with a palette knife.

While I was watching an online class on Photoshop, I started goofing with some paint. It was a beginners class, and much of it I knew.

So this is just a bit of play…

Harvest Map. Watercolor and acrylic, 6 x 6. © Sheila Delgado 2014

Harvest Map. Watercolor and acrylic, 6 x 6. © Sheila Delgado 2014

 

 

 

Clean Start

I cleaned up my studio a bit, and reclaimed some of the Yupo I painted for the challenge. I washed the sheets with warm water and just a drop of soap. As you can see, some colors stain more than others. Prussian Blue gouache being one of them.

I may not be able to reuse these for finished paintings, but I can use them to practice strokes, or for color mixing.  You can see one on the right, that warped when I used the heat gun on it.

I’ll tell you a secret  though, two of the heart paintings I did also warped, but they scanned  as if there was no damage.

Yupo after washing.

Reclaimed Yupo.

Thoughts of you. Watercolor and gouache on Yupo. 4.5 x 6. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Thoughts of you. Watercolor and gouache on Yupo. 4.5 x 6. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Heart. Mixed media on Yupo, 6 x 4.5. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Heart. Mixed media on Yupo, 6 x 4.5. © 2014 Sheila Delgado

You can’t see it, can you? I just have to remember not to get in such a hurry and let things dry on their own.  Now I’m ready to put brush to Yupo, again! Paint, wash, repeat!