Creative Stamping

 



I asked an artist friend, "How do you create such beautiful texture in your work?"  She replied: stamps, bubble wrap, drawer liner, a spray bottle and cap, plus whatever was on hand to create the effect she desired.  She was very kind to walk me through her process! 


I used to think stamps and other texturizing items could limit a painting, but instead learned they can enhance a composition by providing interesting shapes and text.  


This piece was my first.  I chose a dress form stand stamp, "dream" stamp, bubble wrap (circle pattern), drawer liner (grid pattern) and a room air freshener spritzer cap (white circles).  I mixed Titan Buff into the background for a softer green.  For me the stamping was fast and was an excellent "loosening up" exercise.  I enjoy finding ways to feed my creativity, and this is one I would do again.  


Thank you Beverly!  :-)


12 x 12 stretched canvas, acrylics including Golden heavy body Titan Buff

Enjoy the Fall Colors

With the leaves changing all around us, you cannot miss the display.  Simply driving around my office park is a lovely treat!  The handy-dandy cell phone camera captured the light and colors nicely.  Glance up at the next stop sign, or gaze out a window...notice how the colors shift from day to day.  And enjoy!

Fall Pair of Pears

A couple of pears for fall.  I like the composition and I enjoyed using my new round/oval palette knife.


8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics and high gloss gel medium

Rudbeckia Family Portrait

The Rudbeckia "family portrait" is finished.  This painting has ALOT of texture, almost like the petals are curling off the canvas.  


8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics and high gloss gel medium

Rudbeckia family portrait in progress...

While working on this painting, the color values have become challenging.  The background and the stems are too similar in value (or tone), i.e., you can't see the stems.  In class we tried some lime green and brown, and I want to go shop for a bright or perhaps neon lime green.  Otherwise I could make the background lighter blue.  


Oh, and the bud is one of my favorite parts of the painting now.  :)

What's on my Easel?

More Rudbeckia!  Cadmium Yellow is one of my favorite colors.  I look forward to adding/editing more details and filling in the background soon!  

Golden Pear

The 2nd half of the "Pear Pair" is complete.  Enjoy...I am pumped about this painting!


8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics and heavy gel medium

Palette Knife Rudbeckia

To one of my favorite summer flowers.  I photographed the rudbeckia I bought at Harry's a few weeks back.  The colors were outstanding on my patio so I couldn't resist painting them.  I am pleased with the outcome.  


At 5" x 7", this is a small painting.  Small is quick, and challenges me to edit.  I look forward to more smalls...


5 x 7 stretched canvas, acrylics and high gloss gel medium

Up in the Air

In November 2009 a couple of artist friends and I donated time and talent to the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children.  We painted a lively ocean scene on the ceiling of their main bathroom--a huge room with a tub, toilet, multiple sinks, and a "walk-in or roll-in" shower that is accessible to all the kids...and 12 foot ceilings.  I just saw a news report today that they had to suspend care for kids in their facility due to lack of funding.  I hope they are able to secure additional sponsors and funding soon to continue their dream.  

What's on my easel?

I spy...a pear-in-progress!  This will be my second palette knife painting.  I am thinking to change the light blue to a darker blue to coordinate with the first pear color scheme.  This will make the yellows and golds stand out, as blue and orange are complementary on the color wheel.  

"Stop and smell the roses." Then photograph them.

Taking pictures of flowers with my DSLR camera reveals details my eyes do not.  In person and through the lens, I frame and capture the moment with a click.  When I review the photos later, I get to appreciate the moment in a new way.  Drops of dew on a petal, the ruffled edge of a pansy, and the tiny stamen in the center of a Gerbera daisy are there, just never noticed while snapping the shots.  What a great way to see and appreciate more detail.  

These are great reference photos for future paintings--stay tuned!  

"Up with your chinny-chin-chin!"

Welcome Harry the Pig to the blog.  He is quite the character..."some pig" as a celebrity spider once said.  I see a bit of mischief, eh?  


12 x 12 gallery wrapped canvas, acrylics