"Unexpected" (sold)

(sold)

"Beauty is often found in unexpected and barren places." When I am looking at a rather bleak and brown pasture, I am not expecting to see something of beauty. However, when the red "tunas" start blooming on the cactus, it is unexpected beauty. There are many other beautiful things that are unexpected parts of our days. Notice and enjoy those moments whenever they come.


This photograph follows the same steps as many of the others I've been doing. But something unexpected happened on this one. After mounting the photograph on a clayboard panel, I did spray it with Spray Acrylic Coating, but of course it was too cold to go outside and spray anything last night so I slightly opened and propped open the door with my foot, but my spraying wasn't even. There were a couple of places that received hardly any spray, creating a different response to the Pouring Medium + White that I applied afterwards. I do like the effect and am now wondering how I can do this on purpose.

Many techniques emerge out of this kind of experience, but you need to be very observant to what is going on as you work. Often, small things like this can be missed.

You may also have noticed that I have been lettering with white gouache for several postings and will probably continue that trend through much of December. White lettering is very elegant and ethereal looking and something you might want to try if you haven't already.  I have found a better Bleedproof White than Dr. Martin's...at least for my purposes on the surfaces I've been writing on. I am now using Winsor Newton Bleedproof which I found at Jerry's Artarama. It does not crystallize like Dr. Martin's and seems to have a better binder.

These are just a few more things to try or think about.