Just in time for the Holidays

“Northern Lights” 8×10 acrylic on canvas board, framed to 15×19. $125, including shipping

If you’ve seen the Northern Lights or know someone who has, this original painting will be a fond memory. This is a standout and a wonderful conversation piece. The Aztec looking wooden frame perfectly accentuates the piece.

As with all originals, there is only one available. Support an artist. Get it while it lasts. Email me with questions or to purchase. [email protected]

The Coming Attraction

This untitled piece uses acrylics and polymers applied with palate knives.

I rarely post pieces I’m currently working on, but today I’m making an exception. I find that one of the joys of having no formal training is my willingness to try new things. If you look through the work in my gallery, you’ll see I use a lot of different techniques. On the down side, I don’t have a consistent body of work which makes agents and galleries cringe. I need the variety, especially now when I spend so much time at home. I don’t think I will ever be able to try everything I want to accomplish in my lifetime, but I will try. I actually have a file of artistic techniques I want to try and I pick and choose every time I get a whim.

Some are more challenging than others. On this one, the acrylic and polymer mix is very unforgiving. If I screw something up that I’m working on, fixing it is very problematic if not impossible. While I have used acrylic polymers in the past, I’ve done so to give something a rough surface, like you see in, “RU A Fan”? (See below) This time, I’ve decided to do a series of beach scenes. (Yes. more than one if I like the end result.) What you see above will be the background for the sand. This took me roughly four hours to complete. So far, I am happy with the direction it’s taking. At this point, it will dry for 24 hours, then I will move onto the water and sky. When the application is complete, people and things will be added. The finished, yet unnamed piece, will be a 16×20 on canvas.

So stay tuned. This project should be done in about two weeks.

If you look closely, you can see the polymers on each leaf of the fan. This gives the finished project a 3D look.
“RU A Fan”, 40×50 on canvas

Rescued from the Trash

“R U A Fan?”, 40×50 acrylic on canvas.

This canvas was garbage. That’s right, it was in the trash. It was a painting of the sun and honestly, not a very good one at that. But it was a huge canvas and if you look up the price of canvas, it was an expensive one. I couldn’t bear the thought of it being crushed in Monday’s trash pick up. So I brought it home.

I used an entire bottle of Gesso covering the previous work. Whomever created it made sunbeams from caulk and the caulk wasn’t coming off. I looked at it for a couple of weeks trying to figure out a new purpose that would incorporate the former sunbeams. My husband said, “Just paint another sun”, but I really didn’t want to do that. So after much deliberating, I decided on a fan. I used moulding paste between the former sunbeams on the inside of the fan and applied it with a palate knife to give it a little texture. I added a background of Naples Yellow and used bright red, brilliant blue and gold on the fan itself. The gold paint was particularly difficult to use. It was thin, less opaque and dried quickly, making the bottom of the fan the most difficult to finish. But finish I did and I have to say I am pleased with the end result.

Now it needs a home. Look above your sofa. If it’s bare, contact me.

“R U A Fan?”

Picture this in your living or family room. RU A Fan? if you are contact me to see how you can get this one of a kind, original painting.