Day 16 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Quiet Moment Together"            11" X 11"       SOLD
Acrylic and Collage

Knowing I had to leave my studio in the mid afternoon, I tried to keep today's painting more simple.  Have you ever had tiny pieces of collage papers that you've thrown away?  I use them in a complicated paper collage.  AnneBagby taught me how to do this on her DVD.  Placing the collage papers randomly over the entire surface, I have my "under painting".  I use acrylic matte medium to adhere them to the paper.  It is pictured below.  Then I draw my subject on tracing paper, placing the center of interest wherever I like the collage papers the best.  After my complete drawing is on the tracing paper, I get a print of the drawing that is only 25% of it's size.  I then make a 3 value sketch on the new small copy.  For me, I HAVE to do this on these paintings, because you are actually painting where the lights are.  Below is my value sketch too.

Day 7 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!

"Shop till we Drop"          11" x 11" image          $145

This painting had lots of ups and downs.  But to tell you the truth, I almost get excited when this happens.  I know, you're thinking I'm crazy.  But when I struggle with a painting, usually that's when I have to use my imagination to solve the problem and then I make a breakthrough.  I started with a messy underpainting (as explained in Day 3), and tried some new colors. Micaceous Iron Oxide is the one that I had the most trouble with.  I love the color, mixed with iridescent sparkles, but I know that next time, it should be a finishing coat, not an underpainting.  Anyway, I had a real mess, and then thought that the only thing that would solve the problem was to make complicated paper collage.  This process is explained on a video by Anne Bagby.  I took a workshop from her last summer, and she's a fantastic instructor and really top notch artist!  I strongly recommend her videos! Thanks again, Leslie Saeta for this incredible challenge.  Be sure to check out all the other paintings.  There are really some incredible paintings.  I'm amazed!

30 Paintings in 30 Days: Day 13

"Friends Forever"   11" x 11" image   (mixed media)    $125

Yesterday, I hit a wall.  And I really had many life lessons in the process.  A good friend called after reading yesterday's post, and encouraged me to do what I love!  Make it fun again!  And I thought all day about deadlines, and changes.  I went to get a new cell phone and told the manager that I was really phobic about losing data from my old phone.  She told me that she used to be that way too, but now, is all about minimizing "stuff" in her life.  When it really comes down to it, what's most important?  Our family and our friends!  So, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted, and I painted a simple painting and I really enjoyed doing it!!! Yay!!   I used many deli papers that I had collaged earlier for the background.  I learned this from the Anne Bagby DVD, which is one of my favorite DVD's!  What a blast it is to make all of these papers!  I used the design from one of my 30 minute sketches that I had done many years ago.  Anyway, the moral of this story is to "do what you LOVE", and life will be good!  :)