Rooftops

This is my submission for the latest DSFDF challenge. I painted it on unstretched canvas with the idea of using my sewing machine to do some detail work but didn't quite get that far. While this is not exactly one of my favourites, I learned a few things and got some ideas for some options to explore like these...

Tea Cup #1

I've been thinking of persuing one subject in a number of different ways in the hopes that it will help me to paint/create on a daily basis. So, I'm going to try that with a tea cup theme. This one has a little of everything in it, fabric, paint, paper, wax, and a the cup is from a printing plate I made from very thin styrofoam. I quite like the soft quality of the end result.

Experimenting with Encaustics

This has been a very experimental week as I tried encaustic painting on my own. Mixed media with wax might be more accurate because I used soy wax, not encaustic medium and it has paper and pastel and oil paint in it too!

Prints

I've been taking a printmaking class and while I've done lino-cuts before I've never used a press. What I'm looking forward to trying is solar plate etching. Here are a few of my attempts.

This one is a lino-cut on dry block-ptinting paper.



















This one is the same lino-cut but using soy-based ink on damp rag paper. I'm not sure but I think I like the other one a little better.

A Moment on The Lips...

This is my submission to the latest DSFDF challenge. I pulled out my pastel pencils and black sanded Colorfix paper.

A Moment on the Lips

8" x 8"

Pastel on sanded paper

Veggies 2

I can't believe I got a chance to do 2 versions of this challenge. While the watercolour on Yupo version was fun to try, this one is more me.

16" x 16" acrylic on canvas

Yupo Veggies

Here is my summer veggies submission for the latest Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. It was indeed a challenge because it's my first attempt at watercolour on Yupo paper. This piece of paper has been calling my name for a while now so I decided to break from my usual acrylic and mixed media endeavours.
I don't think I would do anything with large washes on Yupo but I like the way you can wipe it off.
If time permits, I'll do another version using my acrylics.

Life's a Beach

Unfortunately I was 2 days late for the beach Different Strokes challenge, but here is mine anyway. I'll try to get Karin to post it still. When I was saving this for the web I was playing around and really liked the charcoal version so check it out below.

I may even like this one better than the original:

Sushi Exploration 2

Here is another exploration of the sushi theme using a texture technique that I've had a lot of success with for producing fun and energetic paintings.

Wig in Progress

This is the piece I was working on for the Different Strokes Wig challenge but I didn't get it done in time and it's still not done but I thought I would show my work in progress.

Sushi Swirls

This is my interpretation of the current Different Strokes challenge. It's a more abstract approach than most. This was my second version. I'll post the first one when I get a chance.

Mixed Moodia Cow

Here is the mixed media painting I did for a Different Strokes challange a few months ago, but I never actually posted it.

Crooked Victorian

Here is the painting I did for the latest DifferentStrokesFromDifferentFolks challenge, a San Francisco Victorian. I did another more traditional version of it using water-soluble oil paints but I missed the drying time of my acrylics, so here's version #2.

It's a 8"x8" acrylic on canvas painting.

A few other new things in my artist's life are that I joined the North Grenville Artists Guild and I may become a member of the executive of the Manotick Art Association (voting is in March). My friends would say "as if you have time for that!" but I think it's a good way to make art a bigger part of my life. Sleep is over-rated right :) ?

Happy Painting!

Still Painting

Well, once again it's been a while since I've posted, but I have been painting. I participated in the differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com year-end challenge which was a portrait painting swap. All the participants submitted photos of themselves and were given a photo of someone else to paint.

Here is the painting I did of Nancy Vance. I'm not sure I did this poor woman justice with my procrastination over the holidays but the pressure of a deadline was probably good.

Here is the painting she did of me. She made me look young and the eyes really sparke so I think it's great.