Saturday's Palette Cleaner

Purely for fun!

I remember my Grandmas and Aunties with their pearls and curls - hair tightly curled, pearls placed just so and more often than not a lovely rinse of iris blue or perhaps ultramarine violet in their hair! I just might have to add a 'rinse' to this auntie's hair. Fond memories of times past.

'Pin Curls & Pearls'
8"X8"
Acrylic mixed media on printmaking paper

A Tough 'Paint'

I enjoyed participating in Leslie Saeta's Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days in February and March and was looking forward to carrying that momentum forward. Well...if anyone had told me that I would spend the last few weeks painting and then overpainting and overpainting yet again on the same wood panel I wouldn't have believed it. The underpainting was started in a workshop I attended last August. The large black shape was added from direction given by the workshop instructor. So then what to do? Well I let it sit for several months and finally pulled it out again in December 2017. Added a few daps of paint and collage and left it for another month. Still 'dapping' and getting no where - I finally glazed over it with some transparent red iron oxide, added some stencilling - pulled out some of the dog paintings from the challenge for inspiration and found my rhythm! This all didn't happen without a few sleepless nights and a lot of negative thoughts running through my head. Oh the life of an artist.....

2017 Underpainting (24"X24")

Thank goodness for some transparent red iron oxide!

24"x24"
Work in progress!

Taking a break to let the collage dry, then a bit more paint, perhaps some stencilling, collaging and line work....I think she has pretty good bones!

Post.... Thirty Paintings in 30 Days

Back to some painting! The laundry's done, groceries picked up and vacuuming and dusting...check! I can't seem to get dogs out of my head - getting a bit more abstracted but I like to paint in a more interpretive/semi-abstract way. I do have a couple of other paintings on the go - they are not progressing much at all and it seemed like a quick dog painting would help get things going. So the dog made me happy and the others....well let's just say they aren't making me want to squeeze out the paint and pick up a brush! I think there is a term for this....'Procrastination'....

'You should just paint me'
8"X8"
Acrylic mixed media
on 140lb watercolour paper

I have been picking away at this painting for quite some time and these are the latest photos. I don't find much of this image inspiring me to paint. Lots of turning, 'dabbing' on some paint - added some very faint lights but it really needed a big change. So more collage and white gesso - now I feel there is something to respond to! So, what do you do when you are 'stuck'?

24"X24"
Acrylic mixed media on birch panel 

 More collage & white gesso
(terrible picture quality - apologies!)

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - All Together

....and here they are all together! So glad I stuck with the dogs! Some days it wasn't easy, but I have learned a lot and am looking forward to painting more 4 legged friends. Many thanks to Leslie Saeta for organizing and to all of you who have visited - your support is priceless! Happy painting!!

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days
February 2018 

And just for fun before and after pictures of my painting area - if you look under the table you can see a couple of my lovely models. They like to nap under the desk while I paint - good company!

Creative Chaos

Clean - but not for long
Sully and Kali relaxing - it can get a little crowded under
there if Cleo climbs in. There is another bed though so
everyone has somewhere comfortable to nap!

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 30

Day 30! Last dog....for this challenge, but not for me! This has been a great 30 days, has flown by and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to look and comment - it means a lot that you do that!!

Today's pup belongs to my daughter. He is a rescue that came to her out of the blue. It has been a match made in heaven. Because she travels occasionally with business he comes and stays with us and enjoys time in the country. He maybe weighs 20lbs soaking wet, but he is big on attitude!

'Sully'
8"X8"
Acrylic mixed media on 140lb watercolour paper

......and one more for good luck!.....a bit of paint left on the palette and a small canvas 

'Pal'
6"X6"
Acrylic mixed media on canvas 

                                            !!Happy Painting to you all!!

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days - Day 29

'Tess'
8"X8"
Acrylic mixed media on 140lb watercolour paper 

Second last pup for the 30 in 30. Can't believe how fast this challenge has gone!