New Work: All at Once & Acrylics and Watercolors Together at Last!

All at Once
10" x 13" approx matted to 14" x 18"

Over the weekend I worked on the above piece. My goal was to use warmer colors with contrast to create a sense of light and heat. The green sky is very new for me and felt a bit odd at first. I like for the colors and shapes that I chose to paint to have some basis in reality, no matter how small. I hung my hat, so to speak, on the fact that on my drive to the Bay Area the other day the sky was indeed a strange shade of warm green. The structure of the piece is based on some photos that I took last month at Hogan Lake here where I live. I got down close to the shore line and took lots of different shots. I rearranged some elements for this piece to sort of get a view of the lake from behind some structures.

I also did some experimenting this weekend with some of my supplies. Late last year I purchased a good array of watercolors. While I love the colors, love sketching with them, I don't care for painting actual pieces with them. Being wasteful though doesn't appeal to me and so I thought about how I might use the paint differently and  more permanently. I did some tests using different acrylic mediums. I think I now have a way to put down a more permanent base coat of color that won't lift when I apply additional coats of color. It's crucial for me to be able to put down different layers of paint because I don't always get things right the first time and often change my mind once I see everything together. So, stay tuned. I hope to work on a piece this week using what I learned.  

The garage also got an overhaul on Thursday and I now have a new space in which to photograph my work. Direct sunlight is not conducive to getting a crisp image with a painting but you do need enough light (no flash). The garage allows me to set up a tripod and to place my painting on a ladder thereby giving it some height. I have high hopes here so I will continue to try out this setup. I haven't worked out all of the variables yet-photography is hard for me to grasp-but as I said, I will continue to try.

OK, I have a busy week ahead. Hope everyone's Monday is off to a good start. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby