"Cowhide and Leather" (unavailable)

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"Cowhide and leather are happy companions." Sometimes my thoughts can be so serious, I scare myself!  When I've reached my limit on that path, painting cowhide makes everything better. It has a comforting presence and adds drama to everything. (This is a 4" x 6" piece to be given away this next Friday evening...pactofaustin.com)

What prompted the pairing of this quote to this background was the burnt sienna color block at the top. After randomly writing words and lines on a large parent sheet, I applied gesso...also in an erratic way. I "kicked it up a notch" by mixing Transparent Burnt Sienna with Pouring Medium (Liquitex in both cases) to achieve that "splotchy" effect that is so characteristic of worn leather. Other shapes help create a contrast of shape and size. By not painting over the entire shape of diluted Burnt Sienna where the cowhide is, I was able to create two additional shapes.

My hope is that my "die hard" followers who want all the details will begin to see how exciting it is to use color blocks, gesso, and pouring medium to create many interesting shapes. You then have the choice to simply leave as is or add a painted image, collage bits, or only lettering. These type of pieces pair up well with lettering because they're both abstract. Adding a touch of painted realism will also give you a strong contrast between abstraction and realism...which I have done often for this blog. Just something to think about and if you feel adventurous, you can try it for yourself.

"Smudged Lines" (unavailable)

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


Another word for "smudged" is "blurred". The overlapping of color and texture creates blurred lines which create textural beauty. In real life, smudged or blurred lines are the equivalent of making decisions that don't get you where you want to go. In truth, every decision is a "make or break" decision.

This is another gesso piece with a different application. The process began with a blank sheet of paper. In this case I began with a paper at least 2.50x the size of the cropped version. (Cropping is still the most satisfying way of achieving division of space that looks spontaneous.) Subtle divisions of space were created with pencil lines from edge to edge and a few bits of unreadable text. I then applied gesso quite randomly, making sure to leave some of the paper untouched. The gesso was allowed to dry overnight. Two Golden Acrylic colors, (Green Gold and Transparent Red Oxide) were greatly diluted with water and mixed with a palette knife on a disposable plate. With a 2" brush, the bands of color were applied and crisscrossed from edge to edge. The way the unprimed paper and gessoed areas received the paint created the transparent and ethereal look.

The color for the bowl and brown sections was created with Caran d'Ache Ink (Grand Canyon) and blotted with a kleenex. Inks are a great addition to this process because most of them are transparent and have great staining power. Very great for smudging. (The ink was purchased from Paper and Ink Arts.)

Of course, the ink is not permanent and the surface will need to be sprayed with acrylic coating, followed by dilute matte medium to prepare for writing. These are exciting techniques and worth some experimentation. Just something to think about!

"The Spin Cycle" (sold)

(sold)

There are days when I cannot seem to put three words together to make a complete sentence. My thoughts seem to be in the spin cycle. If you can identify, this quote is dedicated to you.

There are some acrylics that come in transparent colors. Transparent Burnt Sienna is one of them. (Liquitex Brand) Mix it with a lot of water and a palette knife first. Apply this glaze over the entire piece to unify the color. Alternate "dilute" layers of white gesso with more of the burnt sienna and writing with pencil. A dilute solution of cobalt blue was also used.

All in all, the cool looking textures that can be achieved are worth all of the alternating and drying of glazes. The depth you can achieve is extraordinary. If you apply your glazes with a sponge brush, you can simply press down a bit in some areas to have a more pronounced bit of color. It's worth a try!