Sunday Morning

The first thing that popped into my head this morning was to clear gesso the two 18"x24" raw stretched canvas before the rain comes. The forecast calls for rain. I am finding prepping the raw canvas is great process to get back into. When I was doing really large size work. I got sick of it trying to cover 5'x7' area with white gesso. Since I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to painting in one sitting nowadays. I am finding the smaller size work area and the prepping of the work area helpful in getting my mind ready for creating.

I found the gel medium not enough to size the raw canvas. So I went back to diluting the clear gesso and doing two layers on the raw, instead a thicker, streaky layer as I tried before on the cradle panel. The diluted layers are working well. I also printed out some smaller ratio rectangular frames of my work surface for thumbnails.

My next project will be on zucchini blooms. I have them in the garden and they are quite beautiful.

raw canvas

Ordered frames for some older pieces done on canvas boards. They were on Japanese sizes so it was in cm, which means they do not fit in the pre-made frames. I did them as exercise, thinking that would keep the pressure down to create " perfect" work. Of course they worked out well and I ended up having to get custom frames made. I don't mind. I really like them... still, which is a good sign.

While I was at the framing shop, I picked up some raw stretched canvas and I have sized one with only gel medium instead of gesso. I really like the exposed raw canvas look so here is another play and learn.

Missing old painting style

Saw some of my older, more painterly style and I miss it. Even though I have started to feel quite comfortable about my current style of washes and glazed over line drawings, I seem to never feel satisfied.

This was the beginning of getting back to the painterly style, was so frustrated with how quickly the paint dried in the earlier heat of the day, left it and will go back to it.

I also realise that I want to share a bit more about my process on the blog as motivation. I will post more of my in progress work instead of just the finish product. A bit scary but I think I will be ok.

Below are the progression of the three little rose from the last post. I have added a stain like wash to the ones on the sides and glaze with metallic on the middle one. Planning to finish off with a high gloss gel to give it that glassy finish.

roses

It's been awhile. Back at it again. I have been painting my roses outline and seem to have found what background to support them with. I have been playing with washes and glazes, and learning how they react on canvas and wood panels.

This is my current working area, I have stolen my son's ikea table and had been working on it. I have also been working out in the yard since the weather has gotten warm.

These are the roses I have been working on. The obsession came when I saw a rose bush on the Sunshine Coast, BC in 2005. Since then, I had been doodling them obsessively. I didn't know where it would take me, but knew that I just had to draw them. It became therapeutic at times. It wasn't until this year that I finally freed myself from some artistic block and took the pencil outlines to the different level.

Spray Can

Been awhile. Life's surprises slowed down the creative process. Now getting back to it. Interest in spray can as a medium, or to mix it into with painting. Want to get my hands dirty again to make some tangible art.

a drawing or two a day

So I have been trying to post a drawing a day, these are mostly from old sketches in my sketch book. They were only pencil drawings waiting to be worked on and coloured in. I am not sure if these daily illustrations posting really do much except for keeping me drawing and working on my illustrations. I also post them on myartplot, I wonder if all these spot illustrations posted are too random and ungrouped for potential clients to view.

Last night I also thought about making digital illustrations for giclee production and put it on myartplot site print to order. I looked for a printer online but haven't found one close by yet.

Today I have two illy posts.

The cropped roses was a scanner mistake but I used it anyway, it looks very graphic like it is waiting for type to be places in the blank green area. The sprout was another one of those doodles I have on plants.

How do Alligators clean their teeth?