Orange-haired girl ~ 5 x 7 acrylic study



Have just looked back at a few "recent" posts, and noticed that I have posted only encaustics since October.  I am so enjoying doing encaustics, but, honestly, I haven't stopped doing acrylics or watercolors.  I teach both every week, and certainly paint for the classes!

So, in an effort to get my groove back, I intend to post a mix on a more regular basis again.

Here's a little one I am doing as a part of a "mini-series" of female figures, some dressed, some not, some from life drawing, some figures that couldn't be identified if you tried, from old magazines.  All I am doing is trying to get the gesture and dress them [or not] the way I want.  The hair, face, features, clothes, etc. are all from my imagination. 

I am doing a few of these, all with orange hair, because I love them.  Will post a few others soon.

Another Encaustic

Flirty Lady ~ Encaustic ~ 12 x 12





This is yet another experiment with my encaustics.  After priming the board with a couple of layers of medium, I burnished the start of a pen drawing onto the board, and finished my little lady with layers of encausitc wax paint and fusion with a heat gun.  Not as easy [at least for me] as it looks!  I need a lot more practice, but it's a start and I am enjoying the process.  Again and still, it's all about "What ifs." 

The Dowager

The Dowager  6" x 8" Acrylics
$45 on watercolor paper in mat

Just entered this in the  Daily Paintworks Yellow Challenge, because I am finding that a number of my recent paintings have yellow backgrounds.  For me, yellow is light, happy and warm.  Am loving New Gamboge, Indian Yellow and Naples Yellow in my recent acrylic paintings. 

Good News Today!

Apparently, one of my paintings sold at the Whatcom Art Guild Art Market over the weekend.  I am so pleased, because I really hadn't expected it to sell at all.  It was a piece that has gone through a few false starts and a few experimental "what ifs" ... all of which ultimately "came together," to make a fun little painting.

I started this in a workshop in which we were experimenting with various gels.  I concocted and applied some Nova Lava Gel, then applied some gold leaf, which made no sense, then applied some black gesso, which made even less sense, then attached a high resolution laser print of a sketch I had done in a life drawing session, then I painted lava gel with some gold paint which really looked pretty good ... and then  oops, one gold drip right smack in the middle of the painting, so I dripped gold over the whole "mountain" and the figure.  All in the spirit of experimenting. 

Frankly, I really liked it, but never really thought it would sell.  Am so hoping the buyer will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing it!

Mountain Goddess ~ Acrylic Mixed Media 12" X 12"

Another Batik for Workshop

It's my day off, so I have been working on a few small batiks to show at the workshop on Saturday.  This is another batik of model, Jill.  Maybe it's a little dark, but I sort like the "mood."  What do you think?

Still Playing With Backgrounds

Am still snowed in, but rain is washing it away and temps are rising .  Even so, today was not a good day to be out.  The governor declared a state of emergency, well justified south of here.  We, up here in Skagit County dodged the bullet, but snow and ice were still hazardous.

So, in an effort to not go too stir crazy, I did a quick sketch of my granddaughter who was a Flower Girl in her ballet school's Christmas Nutcracker production in Portland.  I want to do a more formal series of her as a dancer, so I was just testing the use of a black gessoed 'bad' watercolor painting as a background.  I thought it might be a little more theatrical. 

Well, I like the black, but still have to test how to treat the background by creating some interest without getting too busy or frenetic.  So, back to the drawing board before I start larger pieces. 

This is all like nailing jello to the wall.  Maybe soon, something will stick!

A New Year Filled With Promise

Oh, I am glad to have "done" the holidays and all the related activities, both with art and with celebrations.  I have missed blogging, and intend to catch up by sharing some projects I have done and am working on.  I was probably most pleased to have finished two paintings for my son and daughter-in-law in time for Chirstmas.  They live across the country, and my son is currently overseas, so, painting something meaningful for them was a wonderful gift for me.  Then to hear that they liked the work was a double gift.

My daughter-in-law and her horse

My granddogs, The Boyz

I was told that I captured who they all were, which pleased me no end.  As I HOPE I have expressed on this blog, I am trying to get away from such realistic represntational work, but, in this case, I am glad that I did these, and happy with how my kids appreciated the work.

So, my intentions for 2012 are more art and more connections to everyone who is important to me, which, of course, includes you!