"Charlie Bear," A Portrait (Mixed Media play #2)

"Charlie Bear"
Mixed Media
9" by 12"

A Surprise

This is the second mixed media play project I started a couple of weeks ago. I didn't share it right away, as I decided that it worked out well enough to be a belated birthday gift, and, of course, the birthday girl got the first look. ;-)

Process

I found the layering of the colored pencil, india ink, and paint paints to be freeing. I'd like to try making an image like this again of a person or animal a bit more abstractly, but with the same varied surfaces, from implied textures, to somewhat flattened patterning, and soft colored pencil color transitions.

Detail: "Charlie Bear" 

Detail: "Charlie Bear" This is a nice point to show how the different mediums and implied textures came together.

Next

I have a couple of abstract mixed media test pieces to share with you all. I just pulled out the papers, pens, and acrylic paints and had at it. I was more pleased with the process when I started the second piece with collaging paper rather than swishes of paint. 

Mixed Media Play #3: Details

Layers of Paper Added to the Process

For this piece I decided to see if I could incorporate collage with the colored pencil, india ink brush pen work, and paint pen work that I have been playing with. Usually collage has been a major part of my mixed media work in the past. I'm quite interested in the physical texture and interest it can bring to a piece of art, rather than the implied texture that can be created with crosshatching or other patterning. I hope that the physical texture will absorb those who see the work.

Gained

I learned a lot. Using matte medium to adhere the papers really changed how I could use the materials. I was greatly suspicious it would do just that. I ended up using colored pencil and paint pens sparingly because they just didn't like to sit on top of that matte medium. Instead I used the india ink brush pens and acrylic washes.

Next Adventure

I may try laying in the paper later in the process next time to see if I can get a more similar effect to Charlie Bear's portrait my last Mixed Media experiment (He'll be the subject of my next post. :-)). The piece is close to being finished, but not quite there yet (and I'm trying to keep it under wraps until it reaches its recipient), so I'm sharing some exciting surface and color details today.

This has also reminded me of how much I need to do some abstract mixed media work. There is something meaningful and meditative about the mixed media process and I think that is something the viewer gets to experience too.

Detail: This is an early part of the process. All the papers had been adhered with Matte Medium
and I had started to layer in india ink brush pen work and paint pens.

The colors and texture in this part of the piece were so much fun, but the piece as a whole was not
cohesive yet. I need to pursue this kind of energy in a mixed media abstract work.

Detail: Here you can see a couple of different ways I tried out feathers in the collage
 process. I'm interested in the versatility of effects that can be created and that they are
more of a textural element than an obvious feather on the surface of the art.

In the little brown patch the very soft feather took on a wavy surface that reminds
me of hair and water while up higher in the various shades of white, cream, yellow,
 etc. the feathers have a much more bold effect prominently stepping off the surface.

Detail: A close up of one of the feathers worked in to the paint, paper, and pen work.

P.S. You may have forgotten the Whole Piece Series by now, but I haven't. :D  It has been too long since I posted about it! :-P That shall be remedied. So, keep an eye out!

"Into the Snow," Daily Painting #49 (2-17-2014)

"Into the Snow"
6" by 6"
Oils on Panel

Rusty

Rusty was my love for many years. After we had to put him down a few months ago I knew that I had to create a portrait of him. I found myself sifting through hundreds of photos from many years to find all the photos of him and to find a reference photo that would convey so many aspects of him that I loved and respected. In the end I had an idea for a different kind of portrait. Just one image can capture a certain idea of that person or creature, but a series of images could capture many ideas and one larger thought.

Portrait Series

So, this is the first in a cluster of small paintings I plan on making of Rusty. He was so much about doing: going out, sniffing, greeting kids, and wagging with a powerful thump against cabinetry, furniture, or anybody nearby that some of the paintings will not focus on his face but instead him in action. But, there will have to be a least one painting in the series that is likeness of his exuberant face.

"Into the Snow"

Rusty lived his whole life in Southern California. Snow was a rare experience for him. My family lives in the foothills of the mountains outside of San Diego, so on rare occasions (maybe every few years :P) it does snow. Often it melts within hours, if your lucky you get a whole day of it slowly dripping away.

We were excited about this snow, I mean excited. We were buzzing, zipping from one end of the house to the other to see how the snow was falling, peering through different windows in the same room to see how that changed the scene. This despite the fact that the snow didn't properly start falling until after dark, which meant there wasn't much to be seen out the windows.

With all this human excitement the dogs perked up and starting making noise too. Rusty was keen to be in the action as usual. He followed me around peering at windows too high for him to see out and then stationed himself in front of the sliding glass door, probably wondering what we were looking at 'cause he darn sure wasn't going to miss out on it. Still in my fuzzy slippers and quickly bedecked in my down jacket off we went out into the cold dark.  (After a quick peek out, and a chance to feel how uncomfortably cold snow was, our other dog Abby sagely returned to the house.) Rusty looked up at the sky and then adventured forth unfazed. And so we explored giddily in the dark backyard.

Holiday Plannin' Sale

Update! 

Now a belated Cyber Week Sale. On sale today through Dec. 9th 2013. 

New Coupon Code: ADASHOFSPICE 

More items will be posted today and tomorrow 

that I was unable to get up during my 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale due to illness etc..

Enjoy!

Festiveness

The holidays are sneaking up on me. I thought for a moment that I should hide from them, and get through them with the simplest gifts and plans possible. That didn't last long as gift project ideas would force their way into my hibernation. Instead I have plunged into several gift projects from knitting to quilting to painting to jewelry making. (I know, jeez louise, I'm crazy.) You see in my mind creating + giving = festive.

Gifty Things

And I've made plans to improve my gift offerings available for sale. I have some new jewelry styles I'm hoping to add shortly after Thanksgiving. I even plan to share several paintings. In the mean time I decided to share this token towards gift shopping.

"Murdoch," Pet Portrait

"Murdoch"

9" by 13"

Mixed Media

All Scruff

My friendship with Murdoch made the process of working on this piece more meaningful. For me Murdoch is all scruff. His unusual wiry mane of neck and back hair gets fuller as he gets older and emphasizes he isn't like other dogs, he is wilder, more independent, and just stubborn. With all that comes a lively spirit that bounds through the outdoors and hunts with vigor and less than precision. He is a small dog, but you wouldn't imagine him with a sweater on. But when he wears a sweater what is exposed of his mane just looks bolder stand up straighter. I pushed color and allowed the surface texture of the canvas to show through to give the whole piece a slightly rough and textured look befitting Murdoch's strong personality.

Next

Currently I am working on another pet portrait and I am near completion. I'm looking forward to more daily paintings next week. 

Sharpie (A Loved Dog on Velvet)

"Sharpie" Acrylics on Velvet 9" by 12"

Sharing Sharpie

Just yesterday this portrait found it's home. I think I could become a full time pet portrait artist if every reaction I got to a painting was as beautifully emotional as the moment Sharpie's friend and owner had to first seeing this painting. It was one of the happiest experiences I have ever had.

Painting on Velvet?

I swore I never would paint on velvet to the very person I painted this portrait for and several other people in the room at the time. (I'm talking this sort of painting on velvet.) I can be a fuddy duddy in that way. Kitschy items and campy movies usually provoke a quick revulsion in me. It is that instant response that is so sharply opinionated that I don't trust in myself or anyone. So, of course, the moment I said I never would paint on velvet the idea to paint this painting popped into my head. I was sure the result would be cheesy, but now the challenges of a new medium were tickling me.

The Technique

I did one small practice painting on velvet to get the feel for how paint would glide over this surface. I must say that is a slower technique. I have new respect for those kitschy paintings, they may be painful to look att in a sort of friendly amusing way, but they most likely took some patience to paint. For me though I'd much prefer to goosh on a pile of squishy oil paint than to slowly build up thinned paint on velvet. 

"And that's all folks... "

Painting Sharpie on velvet was an experience well worth having. So there.

A True Expression

In the midst of Clover's happy preening, as I talked to her and she fluffed her feathers while jibber jabbering in coos back to me, I was able to capture the truest drawing of her personality yet. Her feathers are molting right now, and her wings are held loosely as she was preening them on and off, but I think she looks so very lovey in this drawing. 

Rusty – A Quick Study Acrylic Painting

Rusty

This was a quick study of my dog Rusty using old fashioned acrylics on canvas. I worked this up just a couple of days ago. The canvas caught a bit of glare on the right side, so don't be confused by that. ;) At any rate, this was a nice satisfying break from the illustrations I have been doing of late, (and haven't shared here) so I'm considering doing more of these.