Friday, December 20, 2013

Many Many Layers.......

One of my favorite acrylic colors is Alarizan Crimson, so I thought I would do my next painting with that as a base. I often add many layers to my paintings to create depth, and to give it age by pulling some of the color off as I go. After doing what I thought was a good number of layers, I then started my design on top.

Oh yuck, I hated it, what was I thinking????

So, I began to add more layers, and continued pulling some of it off to keep up the aged look. (The paints are all pretty transparent so it took a lot of layers to color those BLACK squares!) At night as I would drop off to sleep, I'd be imagining this or that new design. (In between each new application change, I would have to go lie down again, so this all took a period of days.)

So, I thought - flowers!

And after spending over an hour on 3 flowers, I realized realism was not my thing (there's a shock!) and wiped off as much as I could and once again started layering and pulling. When I had it once more to a place where I could add an arrangement of some kind, I was completely blank. At night, still blank as I drifted off to sleep. Discouragement followed. What? What was waiting to go on?

Then, an inspired moment as I was looking at some Japanese rice papers - collage! On each side I put a strip. But what next? What was Asian but a little different for a long canvas? I thought about a Chinese symbol for happiness, or something similar. Yes I know it was Japanese symbols on the side, but they would be under a layer of paint.

No, I felt flat about that. But....bamboo! All right, now I was fired up, but exhausted so I had to lie down again. I realized that I could do a pretty mean abstract bamboo, and so the next morning, I took a yellow colored pencil, drew in the lines, began to add yellow paint. And then that day was over - I had to go lie down again. But the next day, I went over the yellow paint with oil pastel, yellow then green and I was so pleased! I love it when God gives me the inspiration! And here we have, Bamboo On Red!

(click to view details)

So, how many layers total? I have no idea, and I would not even try to guess!


Saturday, December 7, 2013

My Gift To You!


MY CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! 

Use this code- FDAGHL - to take 15% off of my markup on ANY of my prints for sale at Bellesouth Studio  !!

Use it at checkout and it will take off 15% off my markup!


Hope to see you there!


Friday, November 29, 2013

Book Review: Acrylic Solutions

I have a lot of art books on my bookshelves, for reference, for inspiration, and for solutions on how to work through a knotty place while I'm creating. But probably my all time favorite book is this one:


I have taken not all, but most of the workshops by these two artists, Chris Cozen and Julie Prichard. And because I have taken their workshops and know the quality of their teaching and their art, I signed up right away in September 2012 when Amazon announced it was taking orders for their new book. It came in February 2013 and it has resided on the corner of my painting table since then. Oh, I've tried to put it on the shelf with the others, but I kept taking it down, so I figured I'd just make it easy on myself and leave it. They go through their marvelous acrylic creations step by step, and give a lot of background on why as an artist using these steps are important. (Chris & Julie have distinctive styles from each other, which encourages you to try something a new way.) They take you from the kinds of substrate you paint on, to the finishing touches you can use to make it really something special. And it's the kind of book you will probably have paint flecks and spatters on different pages, just like your favorite cookbook!

AND.................................

It's on sale at Amazon! Just in time for your gift giving if you have seasoned artists, or budding artists on your gift list. Get it at this link! And enjoy!



Click on any photo you would like to see closer!
Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Promote! Promote! Promote!

That is the mantra on the art discussion threads I have been reading. Have a blog! Send out tweets! Send out Facebook updates! Send out emails! Give your business card to everyone you meet! On the main website for my art - Bellesouth Studio -in the discussion area it's been stressed over and over to comment on other artists! Like their work! Moves you up in the ratings!

So, I started trying to do as much as I could - promote, promote, promote! And that's what I have been doing all month. Have I gotten any sales because of my work? Not yet. But I did get a relapse, and realization that I was becoming anxious about the whole thing. So, with prayer, I had to stop and regroup. Here are some things I realized:

*Yes, some promotion is vital, but I am not a "normal" so I pay.

*I pay with my energy - it was all being used up in these endeavors.

*I pay because I cannot create new art, my energy is gone.

*It takes time to create a following.

*Am I doing this to become rich and famous - no.

*What was my purpose in creating? To worship and praise God for my gift.

*I have to choose wisely about how I use what energy is given to me.

*One thing I cannot do, which is one of the best ways to promote, is to do art shows. I cannot set up, sit all day long, and break down everything. Perhaps I can find someone who would be willing to share my art in their space.

I've neglected my blog, I've neglected my art, and some art I have done has been the crummiest I've seen come out of my brush. They immediately got a coat of Gesso so I could start over.

So, find out what is best for you. There are no rigid rules. What is the most important thing? For me, it's being in the mindset to create when I am able!

After They Left
(click for details)
Sometimes when people leave, the space they filled seems so empty. A little bit of you goes with them, and their echo is all around you.

Click on any photo you would like to see closer!
Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!

Friday, November 1, 2013

The Latest Commissioned Piece

I mentioned a few blogs back that I was going to be doing another Pear picture, because a couple saw the first one I did:
(click to view)
and really liked it so much that they asked if they could have a similar one done. We all knew it would not be the same, because they needed to fit a specific narrow area in the kitchen. So the canvas was 10 x 30 and rather than having one pear, as originally planned, we decided on having three! I love that it has its own personality and I think they will like the way it came out:

(click to view)
This was made using acrylic paint, gel medium, oil pastels and ink.
 Long and skinny, but fits the requirements!

Click on any photo you would like to see closer!
Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

ART AUCTION!!

Today I'm trying something new- offering you a chance to join in an auction for an original small art piece! If this is successful, I will be doing it at regular intervals.


This is a mixed media piece done on a 8 x 10 canvas panel. Click on it to enlarge and see the details. It is signed on the front and will be also signed and dated on the back.

Here are the rules:

The starting price is $15.00

Bidding is in increments of $3.00

Bidding must be posted in the comment section below.

Winning bid must be honored!

Auction is for 3 days (noon 29 Oct - noon 1st Nov)

START BIDDING!


Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!