Sunday, February 20, 2011

"Listening and Learning" (unavailable)




















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There are times too numerous to tell when I wish I had not said something. However, there are rare instances when I wish I had said something more. The truth of the matter is that most of us learn more when we listen to what others are saying. The spiritual application here of pausing to listen to God in prayer is also profound and worth pondering.

In the process of working on this piece, I discovered how to effectively scratch into the black gesso and reveal the color underneath. Begin by brushing on some alcohol into an area...wipe off the excess, and scratch into the top layer with an x-acto knife while the surface is still soft. The reason alcohol works better than water is that it breaks up acrylic paint. It's a subtle effect so you may not be able to see it as clearly without viewing the original.

The wonderful thing about discovering new techniques is that they most often happen while caught up in the joy of experimenting. Having a stack of 4 x 6 pieces of watercolor paper handy is a wonderful way to try something new without wasting too much paper. If you do come up with something you like...be sure to jot down some notes on the back. Trust me, you will not remember what you did six months from now.

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