Saturday 14 January 2017

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 14

Today's offering reminds a bit of southeast Alberta. My father was born and raised in this area and as children we spent many a happy visit roaming around the farms and surrounding country. At first I wasn't that happy with the palette I used. You are probably thinking....why not change it then? Well, I did think of that but these paintings give me a chance to experiment with colour, subject matter, etc. and not feel pressured to complete a 'masterpiece' (and I do use that term loosely for my paintings!). Having left it for a day it has grown on me. I find it quite peaceful and there seems to be enough subtle changes in colour to make you take a second look. The sky has some artist tissue paper collaged and I do like how the paint caught some of the rough edges. I was going to add some line work but I think I will leave this one as is - sometimes less is more.


10"X10"
Acrylic mixed media
on printmaking paper



10 comments:

  1. Happy this is a larger size than some of the others - it is simply lovely.

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    1. Trying to go bigger and that was one of the goals I had set for this month. Would like to go even bigger. Always appreciate your comments.

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  2. Love the muted tones. Really love the lavender in the foreground, catches my eye. :)

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    1. Thanks very much Sheila. Some of of the native grasses and willows have a purple/reddish tinge at certain times of the year. Love your abstract!!

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  3. Janet, this is masterful! So much to explore. I'm in awe of how much texture and depth and detail you've created in such a subdued restrained piece. Do you often paint on printmaking paper? What are qualities of that paper that you like. Did you use acrylics?

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    1. Thank you very much Dotty! I do paint on printmaking paper - not all the time and not all brands. I do use acrylic on them and I have found that some brands seem to stand up quite well to lifting, rubbing and scrubbing and they will take the addition of a lot of extra moisture and you can use a variety of materials on them. I also like to 'draw' and add marks as I paint with a dried out pen and palette knife and the paper also seems to stand up well to this technique. I like Rising Stonehenge and Somerset (they have a smooth surface) and I am currently using a 'no name' brand that was on sale from Opus Art Supply (Vancouver, BC) - the price was right (~$1.80 for a full sheet) and I wish I had bought more (they are now sold out) :( I have tried BFK Rives - I find it has a somewhat softer surface (which is my go to for monoprinting) but I find it doesn't like to be reworked as much so for this kind of work I don't recommend it. I am using acrylics on the printmaking paper and this came about from using the gelli plate to print backgrounds (with acrylic) and then go in and print/paint more with acrylic. I use to use a cold press watercolour paper with the acrylic but I now like using Arches 140lb hot press watercolour paper - which is a real treat given the price! This is only my second time participating in Leslie's 30in30 but I seem to be more willing to give myself over to experimenting during the 30 days of painting. Hope this helps and look forward to seeing more of your work as we head into the homestretch!

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  4. This is gorgeous Janet.
    This is exactly how I remember south of Alberta! Textures and colors are perfect!

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    1. I am so glad to hear you can see the country too! Thank you for the wonderful comment - as a painter I couldn't ask for more!

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  5. This is beautiful Janet. I really like your color choice, texture etc....SO pretty and very peaceful! I agree that it's nice to experiment during this 30 Days. I'm doing the same thing with mine and I hope I can keep up. :)

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