Colour Vibe

Starting a new painting. It is in acrylic and is 36x48. My daughter ran in the colour vibe run and I took photos of the dance party. Loved the blue and yellow powder fog and all the hands. I am using glazing to push hands into the distance. As always I am painting back to front. The things in the distance  get painted first and the foreground  is last.
Happy Painting
Chris

Established 1802

I did it! I achieved my two mains goals. Finish this in time for my show and complete it in acrylics. As oil is my go to medium; which I have painted in since I was 13; when I was challenged or just feeling tired and lazy I wanted to opt out and reach for my oils. Perseverance and the deadline looming made me stick with it. By the end of the painting, I had developed a bond with this medium. I have found a system that worked for me but this does not come without guilt. Guilt you say to a medium, to a style? Or is it maybe more a bit of remorse and embarrassment for discounting acrylics for so long. And what about my affiliations? Must I now not call myself an oil painter? As artists do we really need to be defined by the medium we use or even a defined style for that matter? As artists, are we not drawn to create by an internal need, a vision, and do we not continue to create through the very act itself? The joy of colour, the texture of the medium, the complete and utter immersion of self into the act of creating? I love most mediums (I haven't tried them all). Each has it's own beauty and utility. 

i muck about in ~ oils, pastels, everything ~ no subject defined

Silver

Slow going. But making progress. Silver teapot is 50% done. Working in acrylic is getting easier. It is a hot day and my air conditioning system is not working. The paint is drying wickedly fast. Spraying it with water like crazy.
I am working one section at a time. And treating each section like an individual painting. I will make sure it reads as a whole painting near the end.
I really like big ongoing projects and things that offer me a challenge.

The Last One For My Show Started

While at TOSH 10 these past few days I started the last painting for my show. It is 40x40". It is in acrylic. So far I have drawn it out on a black gessoed canvas and started colour blocking it. Today I was working on the kettle but had to stop as my tablet where my reference is,  ran out of power. Then it wouldn't  charge with an extension cord. Oh well too many visitors in the gallery to really get immersed in painting.
I think it is serendipitous that I have chosen to paint the image of my still life prop box. Most of the things in this painting have been included in the other paintings for the show.
My desire is to grab my oils and paint over the acrylic. But I do not have time for oils to dry and I am determined to complete a big realistic painting in acrylic. It is about a positive attitude.  And perseverance.
Growth happens when we challenge ourselves to rise to new heights. Oils are my comfort medium. Acrylics  and I are still getting acquainted.
I will be posting my progress.

From Sketch to Painting

On Sunday morning I sat outside  in the glorious sunshine having my coffee. My mind was wondering to painting and painting in acrylic.  I decided to capture  a little vignette in my yard and the neighbouring heritage yard in a little sketch. My yard is no show place but I  wanted to show there is beauty everywhere if you take the time to look.
These planters and pots have been long  neglected and are now homes for weeds. I didn't include the chain link fence separating the two yards.
My challenge was to make a painting only from the sketch. I did a bit of  cropping to come up with a common ratio. I painted  this on gessoed paper which I can mount onto a 12x24 canvas in the future. I am not completely comfortable with acrylics as my main medium is oils. I tried not to get fussy and used a 3/4 flat for most of the painting. I still have palette bug issues with  acrylics. Wet palette or dry. Today's painting was used with a dry  palette and a spray bottle.
It was a fun experiment with a sketch to painting and in acrylic with moderate satisfaction on the finished painting.

Another Abstract

I was procrastinating today. I should be working on another formal still life for my show. But a newly primed canvas was calling my name. I liked doing the last abstract so much that I wanted to try it again. My daughter came over after her night shift of work and crashed on the loveseat. I couldn't give myself over to 2-3 hours to do a detailed drawing today knowing she was here and going to wake up soon.

I think I will call this series Windows in the Sky, this one is Twilight.

Back in the Saddle

The things we do to ourselves as artists. We aren't very nice to ourselves sometimes. 2014 was not a good year for me art wise, a fair amount of rejections accompanied by being in a muddle. Not sure which caused what. 

This year has been so much better for my creativity. I did something that took my creativity to new places and heights. I was costume designer for a local and long standing theatre group. Les Miserables with 39 cast members. A huge challenge and undertaking, and I pulled it off with huge success. Please do not dismiss community theatre costuming as trifle. The budget was substantial, and I had 10 seamstress along with myself all working furiously. And all for an understated look that was 'period perfect' as the local arts critic said. This show got 5/5 stars and people said it was the best Les Miz they had ever seen.

Another big thing I did was get off Facebook. It was doing nothing for my self esteem. I do not miss it in the least. I am reading more because instead of surfing FB, I spend that down time reading. 

So I am back in the saddle, confident that I have a brain that works, I am still creative and the petty BS that comes in the art world is unimportant to who I am. I am working towards my solo show this summer, the Old School House (TOSH), Qualicum Beach, BC, August 10- September 5. Formal still lifes.

 

I am also enjoying painting abstracts. I am seeing some of my own unique style emerging. Mark making. I just wanted to share a bit, I guess in a small way I miss that about not being on FB. Happy day all.