Painting with Patterns

When I switched from oils to acrylics several years ago the primary reason was the fast drying time. I don’t like waiting, preferring to make changes as I go.
Currently, I am LOVING incorporating collage into my paintings. I keep coming back to the best description I can think of; painting with pattern. Where I would traditionally paint lights and darks and mid-tones… I am collaging with painted paper, or in some cases, applying paint in a pattern directly on to the canvas or board.
I love challenges in my art. I create them to try and keep my work fresh; sometimes with texture applied to the substrate before I have any ideas of subject matter. Most recently with using pattern.

The first step is to paint the papers I will be using to collage with. Some days that is all I concentrate on. I use acrylic paint, stencils, rubber stamps, bubble wrap…etc. on lightweight paper.
I like to first “prime” the paper with either white, black or gray gesso. Then lay out my palette and get started covering each paper with design .

here is a short video at my studio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCfwfZHEdos
I promise, that next time… I will record footage with the camera rotated to fill the screen properly. Work in progress :)
I would love your feedback.
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Thank you!

The Title Eludes Me…

NOT

Maybe it is due to the exuding energy of new creative ventures… but usually, the title for a new piece of art or in this case blog titles,  pop right up. One of my artist friends said in passing, “I never stay with the first idea because it’s the one that everyone thinks of” hmmm… that could be true.

For me, I love spontaneous! Starting a new “project” art, event, even cleaning out a closet… which I said I would never talk about, is often exhilarating. It’s that starting thing… big white canvas, planning an adventure, even creating a fabulous dinner, I LOVE it.

I have the weirdest (in a healthy fun way) thoughts. Usually the first thing that comes to mind when I have an inspired idea for art or writing, is either very strange or funny.  Sometimes, I crack myself up… thoughtfully. Most of the time I can control the circumstances of silliness. Occasionally not.

girl in the blue dress! if you don’t stop laughing I will stop this bus (schoolbus) and you will be removed! luckily, I was not the girl in the blue dress… but my best friend was, and whatever I was talking about was very funny and the more I said, the harder she laughed. I would have walked home with her…of course. For some reason this event comes to mind when I think about fun and funny things and being silly and happy. I know exactly why this has been a significant personality trait throughout my life…hmm, another title to add to the list.

I am excited today. I LOVE the direction my mixed-media art with painted paper is taking. I am happy to have finally started this new blog :) So… out for a run this morning and I should just be listening to music and breathing, but I have titles. Titles for new blog posts, and titles for the 3-d girls that I was cutting and sanding and gessoing yesterday.

COMING SOON

• seriously…it’s good to not always be serious
• flower child
• ferret dog
• head in the clouds
• open-hearted
• bird-tamer
• pink=love
• dancing queen
• teaching Grace to swim
• we’re gonna need a bigger studio
• top three… ten is boring

3 found

One Song

painted papers

Okay,You Asked For It

OKAY… not everyone asked, but at least 3 people I know asked why I’m not blogging about food… and gardening and some of the other activities that I get involved in, besides art. So here I am. This new blog will be replacing my art blog and including so many other things.

• cooking
• the beauty of ingredients; peppercorns, mushroom, shallots (one of my favorites), did I say peppercorns?
• cleaning  no, no
• birds and bird activity
• weiner-dogs
• baking
• canning
• ART OF COURSE