"Cowhide and Cactus" (unavailable)

(unavailable......in the permanent collection of dee day)

Those of you who have traveled very far in Texas have seen this "duo" time and time again. Frankly, I don't know how one state can have so much Prickly Pear cactus, but I love it! It's part of our persona. Pause today and thank God you live in Texas! (...and if you don't we love you anyway!)

This piece is a combination of acrylics, oils, and gouache. The paste paper background was the first layer and set the placement, tone, and texture of the piece. The second layer was the cactus...painted in oils "en plein air" on our property. The third layer was the cowhide...painted on a gesso base with gouache. And finally, the lettering was written with gouache.

The final piece was sprayed with a Krylon Archival Varnish intended for oils and acrylics and after the oil paint was dry. This is important because you cannot use a spray acrylic coating on top of oil paint. Notice also the division of space. That is the loveliest part of this composition and it just happened by reacting to the space divisions created in the cropping of the paste paper. Just something to think about.

"Texas Fashion" (unavailable)

(unavailable......in the permanent collection of dee day)

There's nothing quite like the combination of burnt sienna and cowhide to inspire thoughts of Texas as well as the entire Southwest. With five cowhides on the floor in my own house, I have the privilege of being inspired everyday. And...I am very proud to be a Texan!

The wonderful texture in the first layer of this piece was created with paste (flour and water) plus acrylic paint. I did some brush lettering in the wet paste...sprayed lightly with water and hung to dry. That action created the white shape on the left.

When it is unclear to you how to divide your space...try looking at the first layer of your background and see what lines and shapes are already there. Basically, in this piece I created a mirror image of the white shape when I created the cowhide shape. Rather than placing the lettering in the middle, I chose existing edges and "sandwiched" it in to create another shape. That allowed the brush lettering texture in the middle to stand out and be seen. Try your own ways of creating texture and shapes. It's very exciting!