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Van Gogh Journal Pages 43 & 44
Hello Friends!
I have been working on these pages for the last couple of days. I love the drawing called “Sorrow” which he drew during “The Hague Period”. He drew this woman in black pencil. The others on the right page are two of his drawings of very sad looking women also.
I copied these drawings a few times and wanted to put layer the woman, Sorrow, into a circle like she is hiding within herself. That was fun to do. Then I did the same layering effect with his other two drawings on the right-hand page.
I also wanted these pages to be in monochrome colors because of the subject matter. I used black and white acrylic inks and combined them to make the gray shades. But what I really loved doing was writing the poem.
Words and phrases were coming to me over the last couple of days until I sat down and wrote this yesterday morning while sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine.
I wrote this from the perspective of how Vincent probably felt during his years of struggling with depression but also from the perspective of how the woman he drew was depicted. I really enjoyed this challenge. It has been awhile since I’ve written anything, so it was fun.
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Van Gogh Journal Pages 41 & 42
Hello Friends!
I was finally able to get back to working in my Van Gogh Journal yesterday. We were able to get our first Covid vaccinations on Friday, but my arm was sore for a couple of days! We will be getting our second one on the 30th of this month. I hope you are all doing well! We are staying healthy here!
I didn’t have any plans for these pages. I just worked intuitively as I listened to a book on Audible! I am enjoying listening to books now! I get a lot more reading in while I am painting or doing dishes, ha ha!
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Van Gogh Journal-Pages 37 & 38
Hello Friends!
Yesterday, I collaged the next two pages of my Van Gogh journal. I was excited to use a new color of Liquitex Acrylic Ink called Vivid Red Orange. I used it in the background on the first page, and then mixed it with some Cadmium Yellow Light to lighten the color for some of the right page. Then I mixed the yellow with some blue and made the green. I also used the acrylic inks to enhance the copies of Vincent’s art and his self-portrait on the second page. I really enjoyed making the same strokes he did even if mine were much smaller.
And somehow, Vincent picked up a few balloons on the way to the cafe after spending a nice spring day out in the field painting. I think he is looking forward to a good dinner!
Lastly, I included some words: Vision, love, connection, goodness, kindness, acceptance, beauty, and gratitude. These are all things I try to cultivate in life these days since life is short. Other phrases I included are Risk rejection by following your heart, learning about doing your work and explore new worlds.
This was a fun page spread to do yesterday since I haven’t been feeling up to doing any art over the last week or so. My left shoulder has been bothering me, so I haven’t wanted to strain it too much. And it is NOT the one I had fixed in 2019! I just hope I am not going to have to have another shoulder surgery this year, but if I do, it will just have to be done. I have several types of appointments this month, so I will be going to town at least once a week or more. And I have been reading A LOT of books! I have been enjoying finding books from the children’s section of the library lately. I never realized how many great novels have been written for kids since my kids have grown up! So that has been pretty fun!
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Mixed Media Work-in-Progress
Stage 1
Stage 2
Hello Friends!
I began this project a couple of weeks ago. I have two friends whom I have a private art group chat with on FB messenger. We have been encouraging one another in our art journeys for about a year and a half or more. And my friend, Deb, who lives in Canada, suggested us doing a large canvas challenge. She painted a beautiful ocean underwater scene in acrylics. But Emma has another project going, so I’m not sure if she’s started hers yet.
Anyway, I wanted to do an abstract. So first, I picked out four colors of tissue paper:Â gold, silver, black, and pink. Then I cut them in various sizes of rectangles and glued them down with Liquitex Matte Medium in a diagonal design.
A few days or so later I stenciled some Titanium Buff and Portrait Pink on. Then a couple of days later I used a small brush to streak some gold acrylic ink on in various places.
Now I am thinking about painting a silouhette of something, but haven’t decided what yet. I am tossing around a few ideas.
In the meantime I am reading lots of books! And I won’t be able to do any laundry again until this weekend since we won’t get our new washer and dryer delivered until Friday! Oh darn it! 😉
Have a wonderful day! 😀
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Van Gogh Journal Abstract
Hello Friends!
I started working on this spread a couple of days ago. I will probably add some more to it at some point.
I painted the left page with shades of orange and yellow. Then I painted all of the blue squiggles around Vincent’s portrait. I also added some light blue highlights to his hat, coat and tie. Then I streaked some red into his beard and moustache and painted in redish-orange eyebrows. Lastly, I added some dark blue and white highlights to his eyes.
Then yesterday I used a small sponge to add some yellowish-green and black splotches to the left page. Lastly, I used a fan brush to make the feathery marks with black paint.
You know, when I am doing these art journal pages, I put music on and just let my mind wander. It’s so relaxing!
Have a wonderful day! 😀
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Abstract Figure in Acrylics
Hello Friends!
This painting was so much fun to do! It is on a 16×20″ canvas! Yesterday I watched this week’s lesson for Let’sFaceIt2020 and I had to start it! However, once I got into it, I had to finish it! The reference photo was a picture of the artist, Salvador Dali, leaning up against a wall.
Our instructor this week is Pauline Agnew. She loves painting abstractly and in this lesson she showed us how she uses a Catalyst Wedge. I don’t have one so I used a really large stiff paint brush to go for the same effect. Basically, she dips the wedge in the paint and swipes it across the canvas even after painting the figure which is scary to watch! But she goes back in and puts features in and paints around the fugure, too.
After I tried the swiping with a wedge shaped piece of metal I have for sculpting, which didn’t work well, I went for the brush. So after I finished, I ordered a Catalyst Wedge. I found that they come in different sizes and also with different cut designs on the edges for getting a variety of effects. For now I just ordered the one she used.
I found that I love painting this way, though! She’s a fun teacher! I like her perspective and ideas. I hope she is going to be one of our instructors next year as well! And I am still hoping to win a free membership!
Have a wonderful day! 😀
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Abstracts in Mixed Media
Hello Friends!
The other day I got some canvases of different sizes in the mail. So I decided to do three that could be separate or put together as one big abstract. This was mostly an experiment playing with shape and color.
Each canvas is 10″x20.” And doing them one at a time instead of doing one big 30″x20″ canvas made it easier to decide what I wanted to do.
I began the left and right panels by making the sweeping strokes with charcoal. Then I went over it with alcohol which sets it and spreads it. I let that dry, then went over it with matte medium.
Then I painted with black gesso to make the strokes darker. I mixed the back gesso with some white gesso to put some neutral color in.
Then I mixed some red and orange and used a sea sponge to make the big rounded marks. I used a different sponge to mix the pre-made orange and added some yellow to make the half circle marks.
I used a small metal palette knife and stirred up some teal and slung the dots on, then dipped the knife into the teal and pressed its shape a few times around the top and bottom corners.
For the middle panel, I just brushed on some red, then a few orange streaks in between the red, then used the tip of my brush to touch on what looks like a base for the streaks. Next I used the palette knife in the teal to sling some onto the top. Lastly, I used some yellow on a small round sponge attached to a stick to streak the yellow at the top going across each one to make a half circle.
This was crazy fun! However, I forgot to do it left-handed. Ha ha!! 😂
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Abstract Triangles in Oil Pastels
Hello Friends!
Here is an abstract I drew with oil pastels the other night. The book I mentioned in an earlier post talks about different shapes you can use in compositions, the triangle being one, along with L-shaped, diagonal, etc. Debora Stewart does say to never do diagonals from corner to corner, though, which is exactly what I did with washi tape in one of my recent goth ballerina mixed media pieces. But I still like mine and I think the positions I have the ballerinas in balances out the “division” of the canvas. But I do understand what she is saying.
I also know I went a little crazy with these triangles, and it is a “busy” piece. But I was “in the zone” and was mostly doing a color study. The pastel paper I used was light blue, so the colors came out either darker or too light, in the case of the yellows. Then lastly, I drew in the squiggles.
I hope everyone has had a great week and will enjoy your weekend!
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Abstract Adventures!
Hello Friends!
Yesterday I received this book I ordered in the mail! I have done very little abstract art, but over the next few weeks I am going to be doing a lot with my nondominant hand. So I am just going to play! It is a myth, though, to think abstract art can be done by “anyone.”
In this book, “Abstact Art Painting – Expressions in Mixed Media” by Debora Stewart, she has a quote at the begining of chapter one:Â “Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colors, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential. — Wassily Kandinsky.
Well, I am not much of a “poet” these days, and I am still learning about composition, but it will be fun to explore drawing and painting abstracts!
My shoulder surgery is now scheduled for Monday, November 4th! I am glad they were able to get me in so quickly. Hopefully, the worst pain will be gone by Thanksgiving. (But I won’t have to do any cooking this year!) 😉 My arm will be in a sling for more than a month. And I am not sure how long it will be until I begin physical therapy. So I don’t think I will be able to post much in the last couple of months of this year. I may only be doing art for the next few weeks anyway.
So I will say now…Happy Holidays My Friends!
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Wacky Wednesday – Abstract #7
This is another really quick watercolor pencil sketch I did one night while watching a little T.V. Also, this may be my last abstract for a while. I have a lot going on right now, and may not be able to keep up with weekly posts at the moment!
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 🙂
Patsy's Creative Corner 