An Interesting Effect with Paint

I brayered some acrylic over the collaged papers, and before it was completely dry I used an eyedropper to write with white India ink across the page. The paint (I believe it is Behr Wall paint) kind of swam up to the surface of the ink. I like the effect--almost marbled looking.

Page isn't done, but thought I'd share!

Finished Painting

"With Folded Hands"

Finally finished this piece. It's been floating around the studio for eight or nine months, first as a sketch in my sketchbook, then as a shaded sketch on a large piece of watercolor paper, and then as a partially painted piece.

I like her.

Did this piece for the "Twenty Minute Challenge"--you can find it here.

Love love love working like this--no time to think or agonize or get it perfect--my handy dandy hairdryer was awfully, well, handy, for drying the paint. I left time at the end for colored pencils, charcoal, and a white Sharpie Poster Paint marker.

The whole concept of perfection really bugs me. We emphasize it so much in the schools, especially in regard to art and writing. Don't get me wrong, public writing needs to be perfect, and you want to be happy with your art before you send it out into the world--but in emphasizing perfection throughout the entire writing and painting process, we create children who think they can't write and can't paint/draw/create art.

In the beginning stages, all creation is about experimentation and expression. Finetuning and chasing that elusive beast, perfection, comes much later.

Journal 01-06

Journal 01-05

Painting: Stage Three

I've worked on her more--worked thru the place where I thought "Ugh. I ruined her." Now I can see that I didn't.

How To Build An Inexpensive Easel

Yesterday I decided to figure out a way to build an easel for myself without spending lots of money. I sat at the kitchen table for awhile, sketching ideas, wandered out into the garage and shed to see what wood scraps were lying around, and finally (I think) figured it out. I've been using the easel for two days now and really like it.This isn't a fancy easel, mind you, but it works--hold my canvases upright so I can paint without hanging onto the canvas.

To build this, I first screwed together a square of four wood pieces.

Next I held up my vertical long board to see what angle I wanted it to rest at. I measured (roughly) from the board to the bottom of the back of the box, and cut a board that length. The idea was that I would make a triangle (and, since I used to teach geometry, I'll point out that because of the Side-Side-Side Theorem of Triangle congruence, there's only one way this triangle can go together. I know you needed to know that). After I cut that piece, I marked where the brace would rest on the back of the long board, and then glued and screwed in a piece of wood there.




Below, you can see how I took a big piece of cardboard and taped down my substrate--this way I can work on four pieces at a time!

Illustration Friday: Tango

In her heart, she danced...

Evolution of a Mixed Media Painting

This piece isn't finished--there's another evolution of it drying on the table in the back room right now right now--but I wanted to show you where I've come from on this piece. It's interesting for me to look at, especially knowing that it could still change substantially...

Completely Not Finished

I don't know if I've ever even used purple in a painting before!

One of the things I'm doing differently (no idea if it's affecting the final piece) is I'm actually doing a underpainting in black/white/grey. It does seem to affect the color, when I put it on, in a very subtle way.

Also trying to blend less totally, leave some brushy/smudgy stuff.

Mixed Up Media All Over the Place...

I've actually been painting quite a lot, in little short bursts while I can sneak outside to the studio--well, okay, I'll be honest with you. When I get grumpy (which I'd like to say NEVER happens, but...it does) my kids actually ASK me to go out to the studio...So I'm actually not sneaking, I'm being sent, kinda like when you were little and your mom sent you to your room...

"Mom, that is ENOUGH, now! That's it--You go right to the studio, right now, young lady!"

Or something like that...

The whatever it was that I was struggling with seems to have abated, and I can see some new direction in the pieces I've been working on. This first one was painted entirely with my fingers, and I loved loved loved doing it!

I will post more as I scan them.

Image Selection and Placement

When creating a collage, where you place something is as important as what you're placing.

As an example, I'm going to share my morning's conundrum regarding placement of the words on today's collage for the day. In this first image, below, I've placed the words 'I thought you'd gone'. I have one more word cut out: 'away'. But I stopped here and thought, hmmm. Do I want this word or not? Then the question became 'and if I do want it, where should it go?'


For me, these three choices are significantly different from each other. Can you see the difference? Rather than an aesthetic difference, to me it seems a difference of tone, as well as message.

I still haven't decided where the word will go, by the way! Today, we're off to watch Joel's team play in a baseball tournament about 45 minutes away--one game today, two games tomorrow, and one game Sunday. Not too hot out, so I'm really looking forward to it.

A P.S.--After getting the chance to look at these three all together up on the blog, I realize there's a fourth choice: to place the word 'away' at the bottom, but lined up with the other words. That may be the best choice. (Just goes to show you how valuable a scanner and editing program can be--you can create virtual images of possibilities, compare them, and then choose! Ah, the joy of technology.) I was going to say I'll take some pix of Joel at baseball, but I'm not allowed to photograph him while he's playing, his rule. He says it bothers him. So no more technology for me, today! Have a great day.

Collage No. 28 and IF: Craving

He knew what he wanted, and he was off to find it.

Mixed Media Art:--Unnamed

Mixed Media Collage--Using Original Photos

I finished this piece about 5 weeks ago and apparently never posted it. I've used collage and archival copies of original photos--that's our pasture and our old pony. I love the odd color combinations on this, and I loved continuing the tree using pen and ink. I tried to do something like this a couple of years ago, and was very dissatisfied with the result. I may have the knack of it now.

OCED Day No. 17

Did my collage, but got distracted and didn't post because I couldn't get to the computer--can you guess what I did?

Illustration Friday: Backwards

Estelle no longer needed to continually glance over her shoulder, looking backwards into the past that she feared would catch and engulf her; she finally felt she could look forward as she strode through life...

Estelle, Original mixed media painting by Karen Smithey on 8"x10" gallery stretched canvas

Oh My It's HOT

And if I could add little animated flames, I would!

Richard checked the temperature this afternoon and it was over 110 degrees. I won't even tell you what the thermometer actually read, because it's too ridiculous.

Of course, the old air conditioner in the studio stopped working two days ago. And of course, every new one we looked at needed a larger opening than the old one. We got an inexpensive new one, and the Two Stooges installed it this afternoon. We had to cut the drywall, cut the stud, and cut the siding. And of course, we did not have the right tools, BECAUSE WE ARE THE TWO STOOGES. But it's done, and the studio is gradually cooling down, and my computer didn't fry...

Katie leaves early tomorrow morning for the annual trip to the beach with her friend's family, so she'll miss the heat here. She's packing jeans and jackets along with shorts. Joel, on the other hand, has baseball practice tonight for the All-Star team, and a tournament this weekend in the blistering heat--it's supposed to get hotter during the next three days. He got sick after catching most of a doubleheader on Monday night, so we're trying to make sure he's well-hydrated.

I'm working on some new digital pieces as well as continuing to try and paint faces. I've also been experimenting with using my scanner as a camera, scanning 3-D objects and taking advantage of the incredible light and focus for about an inch or so.

I'll post some of the experiments tomorrow.