Wind Chimes

I almost always have a reference photo when I paint.  It's very rare for me to paint out of my own imagination, but I have great appreciation for those who can do that successfully.

My Weekly-ish Challenge was to paint something "Metal."  I waited and waited for the muse to show up with inspiration, and  I finally "heard her" in the tinkling coming from the back porch.

I'm pretty sure I have "a thing" for wind chimes... both outside and inside. 

I had a grand idea to paint picture with chrome wind chimes over a porch with pretty flowers in a copper pot and a metal washtub and maybe a brass bell.

I found some photos of the different parts and tried to make those fit together in my mind. I sketched it on paper to find a nice composition then painted what imagined in acrylics.

Well... that didn't work.  Pretty much everything was off. I left it for the night... to see if the art fairies would show up and make it better... they did not.

I decided to use the whole thing as an underpainting and fix it with oils.

* deepen the sky... *skinny up the windchime... *give the rosebush some shadows and highlights..." get rid of the concrete and the table, make it a deck... "lower the pots and make them bigger... *lose the yellow flowers and tall flowers

And... just like that... with those little changes (HA!) it became a nice little painting.  Sadly though, it's really not a successful painting. The copper pot...? How about if we just be satisfied for it to be a terra cotta pot, okay?  

Yes, it's a nice enough little painting, but it won't get to find its way into my Etsy shop.  If you zoom in (or rub your fingers across it) there are remnants of the chime on the far right that I removed. You can faintly see where the chime ring was bigger at the top.  You probably wouldn't notice it if I didn't point it out, but the texture of paint where the taller flowers have been covered up is there. And, finally, the sky covering the rosebush that is no longer there, is a little discolored. 

So... boo... good try, but  not quite there.

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

If you're interested in having this sweet little painting for yourself... even after I've pointed out all its flaws, just contact me here.  I bet I can make you a good deal.  If you want to see other paintings, have a look in my Etsy shop.

 

Willowing Arts: A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales Taster Sessions (21-33)

I've been working through these Taster Sessions  for half a year.  This is my final group to finish and post. There's a little this, a little of that, and a little of the other!

Someone asked me this week, "Do you take on-line classes or real classes?" 

Hmmm.... 

You'll be glad to know I was polite. Each lesson seems pretty real to me. I watch, listen, learn, and practice.

Watercolor a rose
Then collage pieces of magazine pictures & stickers
Background Acrylic

Watercolor, inks, & glitter paint

Watercolor, ink pens, stenciling with matte medium & acrylic

Watercolor, colored pencils, paint pens

Watercolor, colored pencil, paint pens

Watercolor, splatter with toothbrush, Colored pencils

Craft paint, paint pen, & colored pencils

Layers of stencils, stamps, craft paint, splatter

Notecard collaged magazine pages, sheet music, stickers, markers, scrapbook paper

Collaged texts, watercolor, pencil

Folded paper, colored pencils, stamps

Acrylic inks, paint crayons, gesso, oil pastels, acrylics

Watercolor & ink pens

I Like... (2/26)

Thank you to Leeanne of Not Afraid of Color for reminding me to notice things I like. 

Click on HER BLOG to see what positive things others like. 

I like doing fun little sewing projects.
This one is weighted stuffed with rice and lentils...
a sweet little friend for a sweet little one who needs a little extra sensory feel.
Shout out Wendy for sending me your Grandma's pattern. 
By the way, she named her new frog Wendy.

I like gardening, even in winter.
Sprouting barley seeds and lentils to give the hens some fresh sprouts.
FYI... Glass mixing bowls make great green houses... and cat protectors.

I like getting started on the spring garden.
Onions & garlic are in the ground... well, barrels!
Little green shoots will appear soon!
The fence around these will keep out 8 little hens who'd
love to take a dirt bath in this freshly tilled soil.

I like my little hens:
Cher, Flo, Elfie, Lola, Fancy-like, Cupcake, Pauline, Eleanor

I like colorful eggs... even if it's not Easter!

I like doing art in person with the other half of my "Weekly-ish Challenge" partner!

I like daffodils... the first signs of spring.

I like having friends over for a paint night.

LeeAnne's  conversation starter topics this month:
What was the worst haircut you ever had? Between 6th & 7th grade, I spent a week with my married sister.  She took me for my first "real" haircut.  It was a "Toni Taneille" or a "Mushroom" cut.  I loved it and thought it was fabulous.  Eventually, back home in my small town, I had to get it trimmed or reshaped.  My mom took me to a place called "The Foxy Lady" who assured us she could copy the cut... no... she did not... I cried, but hair grows.  The awful cut didn't doom me forever.

If you could bring back any fashion trend what would it be? I've never spent much time worrying about fashion, but if I have to pick something to bring back... Hmmm... I'm afraid I'll sound like an old lady, but maybe jeans without holes... or maternity clothes that cover the belly?

What was your least favorite food as a child?  Do you still hate it or do you love it now?  If I hated it then, I hate it now. How to choose... The worst of the worst would be... celery, green peppers, beans, mushrooms, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, liver...

What was your favorite breakfast cereal as a kid? Would you eat it now? Coco Puffs!  Yes! I would love to have a bowl of Coco Puffs now, but as a 60+ woman, I can't bring myself to buy a box.  I better stick to oatmeal or raisin bran.

Willowing Arts: Mastering Mixed Media (21-30)

I've been working my way through this Mastering Mixed Media course for quite a while.  I have finished 30 and have 9 to go! 

The purpose? I'm a girl who likes projects with a purpose... I guess the purpose is to enjoy playing with art materials.

Acrylic

Working small... 4"x 4" 
Collage paper, napkin, paint, mark making

Weaving strips of magazine page
Collage pictures & words, marker

Layering, stamping, splattering, stenciling

Inks, collage papers, acrylic paint, gesso

Layers, stamps, ink blown through a straw, stencils, splatter

Watercolor swatches

Folded paper booklet, collage, paint, stencil, rollerbrush

Masking Tape, Stencils, Stamps, Craft Paint

Thickening Gel, Collage Paper Slivers, Splatter

Willowing Arts: A Year of Magic & Fairy Tales (February)

My goal in my mixed media lessons this year is to reach further and interpret each lesson rather than simply following directions. Although I still come across techniques I haven't experienced, I have already learned and used many. I want to do less copying or following the teachers' directions verbatim, and more using the teachers' example as direction for my own inspiration. We'll see how that goes.

My Rapunzel lesson turned into Athena!
Collage papers, magazine cut outs, acrylic, gesso, glitter, paint pens

Toned paper, black paint, white pen

Craft Paint, pen

Acrylic paint... Watercolor & baby wipes... Pencil & eraser

Acrylic paint, craft paint, colored pencil, splatter, magazine collage

Acrylic paint

Acrylic paint, cotton swab

Barry's Pups

 

Cute little guys!

How about that blue eye and brown eye! 

Have you ever known anyone with that?  I've known two.  One was one of my fourth grade students who I adored. The other was an assistant principal who taught me the positive power of a simple note of written encouragement.

Whenever I'm painting for someone, I like to make a little video of the process.  It's just fun to see how it comes together.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Moths in Flight

Here's your science lesson for the day.

What's the difference between butterflies and moths?

Butterflies:

- have slender antennae with clubbed tips

- hold wings vertically at rest

- fly by day. 

Moths:

-have feathery/thick antennae

-rest with wings flat or tent-like

-are mostly nocturnal.

I've been listening to a podcast lately called Ologies.  This one is with a lepidopterologist who studies, of course, lepidopterology. If you listen to this one you'll learn everything you ever wondered about butterflies & moths and everything you didn't even know you could wonder about butterflies & moths.  Then the next time you're at trivia night and the question is, "What do you call the study of butterflies & moths?" you can quickly jot "lepidopterology" on your slip and turn that in with confidence!

My Weekly-ish Challenge came from our little box of cards.

My moths fit beautifully into the subject: "Symmetry" and the color: "Earthy."

For the wildcard, however, we changed the rule (as we've been known to do!) from 20 minutes to 1 day.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Moths in Flight if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Snow Globe

 Shake it up, then 

    𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅮 Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...𝅘𝅥𝅯𝅘𝅥𝅮

My Weekly-ish Challenge word was "Snow."  As I wrestled with what to paint, I started to realize that I rarely paint winter scenes.  (I'm not counting paintings with a Christmas theme.) As I kept thinking about this, I decided to go back through all my paintings and count. 

15... That's it!  I searched more than once and could only come up with 15!

Out of 760 painting, only 15 depict something wintery! 

15 / 760 = 1.9% ! Why is that?

And, if you look, I've done plenty of images more than once.

Cocoa x2, Red Barns x3, Cardinals x5

I spent way too much time contemplating... ruminating... analyzing  dwelling on this.

Is it because I don't like winter? But, I don't mind winter.

Is it because winter's not very pretty unless there's snow, and we don't get that much snow?

Is it because winter requires cool colors and ends with a cold-looking painting?

Hmmm...

Anyway...a pretty little snow globe... a tiny landscape inside a still life. 

I kind of can't stop looking at it.  

Thanks to sites (pixabay.com & unsplash.com & pexels.com) that have free reference photos.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas

Click Snow Globe if you'd like to purchase this little winter painting.